Microsoft advises against homebrew update WP7 tool

Microsoft is advising people not to use an unauthorized tool for downloading two software updates to Windows Phone 7 devices.

Earlier this week developer Chris Walsh released a tool that let WP7 users download two updates that Microsoft has struggled to push out.

The move follows a monthlong ordeal during which Microsoft has faced numerous problems trying to deliver the updates to WP7 phones. Three of five models in the U.S. eligible to get the updates have yet to receive either.

Walsh appears to have pulled the updater on Wednesday, the same day that Microsoft began warning people not to use it.

"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," Eric Hautala, general manager of customer experience engineering for Windows Phone, wrote in a blog post. Users might not end up getting device-specific software that is in the official update or their phones may get misconfigured so as to not receive future updates, he said.

"It's even possible your phone might stop working properly," he wrote.

Walsh's update tool is still available on mirror sites, according to comments on his blog. He did not immediately respond to a query about why the tool is no longer available on his site.

:story: Full story: Computerworld