New hack bypasses controls for Windows Phone 7 updates

A new hack allows owners of phones running the Windows Phone 7 operating system to download and install updates while bypassing Microsoft's controls. Chris Walsh, one of the developers of the ChevronWP7 jailbreak app that Microsoft had disabled earlier, said the new hack applies to all carriers. "No, I don’t care which carrier you are on, which phone you have, it’ll just update your phone accordingly," he said in his blog. Walsh instructed WP7 users to download files from Microsoft's Windows Phone Support Tool before executing the ChevronWP7 Updater program (ChevronWP7.Updater.exe). PC Magazine reported Walsh, Rafael Rivera and Long Zheng in November created a homebrew jailbreak called ChevronWP7 that unlocked the operating system. Microsoft shut down that jailbreak last January. But Walsh, in his blog for the new jailbreak, also issued a disclaimer that the user will be jailbreaking the WP7 phone at his or her own risk. He also advised Samsung customers having issues updating to use the “Recover" functionality of the Windows Phone Support Tool below before attempting to update again. Walsh also commended Microsoft for splitting up the OS updates into smaller packs, which saves users downloading 200+ MB updates, "unlike the IFruit updates" - a reference to Apple's iOS. In his blog, Walsh instructed users to install the support tools and extract the zip file to the PC desktop, then plug the phone in and wait 30 seconds. They can then start ChevronWP7.Updater.exe and follow the prompts. "If your language isn’t in the Chevron updater, DON’T attempt to update your phone. Some of the applications won’t work otherwise," he said. "There is NO revert process, again, flash at your own risk," he added. — TJD, GMA News