Zune Software Running Slow? Here's How to Fix It

When I built my new desktop over the summer I installed Windows XP 64-bit on a whim, but did not know the Zune software did not support the OS.  I was furious, but then I upgraded to Windows 7 in October and was finally able to move my media collection back to my primary PC.  The transition did not go well due to the software loading the marketplace and signing into my account so very, very slowly.  It had always been a little sluggish, so I didn't think about it until I tried to buy music and found it nearly impossible.

This is no longer a problem.  The software runs very smoothly and without interruption now.

A little research told me that the Zune software makes all calls to the Microsoft servers via Internet Explorer.  Zune uses IE's internet settings for each and every call it makes.  This is a problem because there is a default setting in IE that severely slows down the whole process.

Go to:
Internet Explorer > Tools > Internet Options > Connections tab > LAN Settings button > Uncheck "Automatically Detect Settings" > Click OK and exit the windows

You may need to at least restart the Zune software if you had it running when you made this change.  Now your software should run much, much better.  Hopefully this helps a few of the people I have seen complaining about the software being horribly slow on Windows 7.  Then again, maybe you just need a computer upgrade to accompany your OS upgrade.