Microsoft to WP7 phone users: Don’t use hacks to get updates

Don't use hacks to get your updates. This was Microsoft's appeal to owners of smartphones running the company’s Windows Phone 7 operating system, after a new hack was released to allow them to get their updates by bypassing Microsoft's controls. Eric Hautala, Microsoft's general manager for customer experience engineering, said it would be better to wait while Microsoft tests updates to see if they work on specific phone models. "It’s even possible your phone might stop working properly. Bottom line: unsupported workarounds put you in uncharted territory that may void your phone warranty. We’ve made a lot of progress in recent weeks, so I urge you to please be patient for just a bit longer and wait for your official update notification to arrive," Hautala said in a blog entry. He said that while he understands the gadget lover’s impulse to tinker and to have the latest technology, it is still best to wait until the update is officially delivered to their phones. "(My) strong advice is: wait. If you attempt one of these workarounds, we can’t say for sure what might happen to your phone because we haven’t fully tested these homebrew techniques. You might not be getting the important device-specific software we would typically deliver in the official update. Or your phone might get misconfigured and not receive future updates," he said. Earlier this week, Chris Walsh, one of the developers of the ChevronWP7 jailbreak app, offered a new hack that goes around Microsoft's controls to download and install updates. But even Walsh issued a disclaimer: the user will be jailbreaking at his or her own risk. For his part, Hautala said Microsoft will not be happy "until everyone gets their update." He said Microsoft has so far started delivering the March “copy and paste" update to customers of O2 and SFR in Europe. Also, he added, Telstra customers in Australia are now receiving the February update. Meanwhile, Hautala informed WP7 phone owners about a new troubleshooting tool designed to help customers who encounter two specific update-related errors: 800705B4 and 80180080. "If you encounter 800705B4 while trying to install the February update, first try deleting the history files for Internet Explorer Mobile, Maps, and Search (this article provides step-by-step instructions). If you’ve tried that and still can’t install the update, then use the new Windows Phone Support Tool we’ve created," he said.—AY/JV, GMA News