So I bit on the SynthMaster CM offer and man I'm really starting to regret it. I used Zinio Reader 4 once before a couple months ago to get another CM mag and, while I remember it being a painful process, I muddled through it.

Not so this time. This app/store/company/whatever is broken on top of broken on top of broken.

The CM magazine was found after three launches, but the best I can get when trying to download the mag is it sits endlessly in the queue. Trying to open it online gets a "can't do it, try again later" over and over. Sometimes trying to download gets the same message.

Can't download the updated Reader 4 from the website. Again, download error message, again and again and again on Chrome and on Firefox it just reopens my existing install. This is on Win XP 32.

The only advice I've found on this is saying delete the magazine then recover it from the trash on Reader 4 and it will work, and it doesn't.

HELLLP!!!!

Yes, this was only $5, but put yourself in my shoes. I just threw away money on something that is supposed to deliver content to me and that is so horribly broken that the process has been totally sabotaged.

BTW, I updated Adobe AIR, and these are errors where it gives the code---it's Zinio's problem, this isn't Windows giving error messages.

Anyone know a workaround other tha n the one I tried?

As an update I'll say I uninstalled the version I had and got the latest installation via Firefox. All the same problems. Next week, I guess, is when I'll get this, assuming they ever answer my support ticket and have anything useful to say.

This is definitely more than $5 worth of work/frustration.

I have been a Zinio subscriber for many years. It is one of the worst-implemented software concepts I've ever run across. Over the years I've uninstalled and re-installed it over and over and over. I've had to delete my content and re-download it multiple times. I figured eventually they'd work out the bugs. No. in fact, since they started using Adobe Air it's gotten jus as bad as ever all over again.

The only solution currently is to delete all your content (it's in a hidden folder somewhere. of course), uninstall Zinio reader, and uninstall Air. Then download and install the most recent Air, then Zinio, then re-download your content.

A couple months ago I canceled about 10 subscriptions and told them I was through, they had lost a long-time customer for good. That's how bad it is.

Wow, hideous. Well, there was a FAQ about deleting something in Docs & Settings/User/App Data and I tried that but it didn't work. I'll try it again, then uninstall everything, then try again.

Yea, this is really unbelievable, and sort of surreal. I bought the magazine for fuk's sake but this idiotic third party app is blocking me from getting it.

Oh, and now the latest chapter in the saga: Zinio BSOD'ed my machine when I tried uninstalling it the second time.

I have Zinio reader installed on two PCs; on the first one everything is working smoothly, on the second just it doesn't want to download any of the two magazine issues I have bought. It seems a weak and fragile application indeed.

What a pity.

- Mario

Yea, it's really mysteriously inconsistent. I first installed it about two months ago to get the first DL Computer Music mag I bought. I had to figure out the process, but I don't recall any breakdowns or errors.

AFAIK, nothing got changed---no updates. I just tried the same process again with this latest CM mag and it didn't work. All updates to both Zinio and Adobe Air ever since then have resulted continuously in the same list of problems and errors.

I'm just waiting to see if Zinio customer support can make any sense of this and help me during the week.

I can't open Zinio on my computer at all. When I put my password in, it just does nothing. If I put my details in incorrectly it tells me I'm wrong. If I'm correct, it just sits there. It doesn't even give any feedback.

I can only read my magazines on my phone, so I hardly ever buy anything from them.

i have a subscription too, but i can't get CM 01 2013 downloaded yet, though it's in my account.

A few weeks ago I ordered and downloaded the Oct and Dec 2012 issues of CM with no problem.

On a lark, last night I decided to browse the free magazines to see what else Zinio might have to offer. Nothing downloaded. I kept getting the same error messages you described. This was on the same computer system as the previous CM downloads.

I tried again this morning. Still no luck.

Just a few minutes ago, I went ahead and cashed in a credit to get the Jan 2013 CM with the Synthmaster promo. Frankly, I didn't really care if I ever got to read the magazine. I just wanted to make it legit when I download Synthmaster CM from CM's vault.

(The downloads are actually on CM's server. They ask you some fill-in-the-blank questions from the magazine as a check to make sure you really did buy the issue. So if necessary, I could wait for the print edition to arrive at my local shop and get the answers to the fill-in-the-blanks questions from it. Ordering the mag through Zinio simply makes it fair.)


Two failed downloads were still in my queue. I clicked to cancel them, refreshed the magazine list, clicked the year to work my way over to Jan 2013, and downloaded the new CM.


No problems at all.

I went back and tried again on the mags that crashed on me last night. They were suddenly able to download correctly too.

So whatever it was, apparently Zinio's servers finally got it straightened out. You might want to try again on the magazine download.

Cool, and thanks for the heads-up. I had a feeling this could easily be server related, but having come on a Friday night for me, it was still a pretty sizable pisser, so I felt the need to vent.

Plus, you never know how much of a situation like this is pure software and how much is on the sending end until it plays itself out. I know Adobe Air has had a pretty spotty rep so far.

Mag is loading for me here too now.

I confirm it is now working for me too.

- Mario

Glad to hear that problems are resolved for you guys, but did anyone try to install Zinio on an iPhone?

I can't install it on my work PC as it's locked down, so thought the perfect solution would be to install it on my phone to download CM. The app installed OK, but I just can't get it to show my magazines in the library. I can see them on the Zinio website but not read them as it says they need the reader or a mobile app.

Been trying to load CM all day. Zinio crashes every time. Can't download the CM software coz I can't open the mag to read up about the questions you have to answer to prove you have the mag. Ho hum. I give up.

Same here - I just want to read it to get the answers to the questions but I can't open the magazine as Zinio either won't let me install it or won't show the magazines in my library...