Following the directions (after patiently waiting) worked for me.Didn't lose any DRM protected content from the device. There should be no sympathy for anyone who opened their Zune; that's asking for trouble and never a good idea with any tech device.
Folks may want to consider that the firmware version may be a factor in whether the drain/recharge/sync process is an effective fix. Maybe instead of infinite irrational threads demanding some sort of "compensation" from MS, those who are still having problems should start posting specifics about the firmware, date of purchase, etc., anything that may lead to a common observation.
Kudos to the Zuner who started the thread about serial numbers; at least that's an effort toidentify a trend or pattern instead of ranting and raving.
Dear Zune Social:
Fix the friggin' signature links already! WTF?