Microsoft has started rolling out its Windows Phone 7.5 update, with more than 500 new features including a new music hub and better multitasking. But most Windows Phone 7 users will have to wait a week or even a month for Mango — unless they use this little workaround to take a bite of the update right now.
WPCentral.com discovered a way to trick the Zune software into making the Mango update available immediately.
When you’re ready, connect your phone to a Windows PC and check for an update using the Zune software. If one is available, you’re all set and won’t need to use any trickery. If nothing is available, you’ll need to force the update in the following manner, according to WPCentral’s Paul Acevedo:
“Click another button (any of the options above or below the word Update). Then click the Update button again, and this time disconnect your computer from the Internet after 1-2 seconds. Do this by pulling out the Ethernet cable, disabling Wi-Fi, etc. If it says your phone is already up to date, you didn’t disconnect quickly enough and need to try this step again.”
Presumably the idea here is that you’re cutting off Zune’s Internet access between the point when Microsoft notifies it that the Mango update is available and the point when Zune communicates which phone you have with the mother ship and Redmond sees that phone is not on the list to get the update early, so it hides it.
It could take up to 30 seconds after killing Internet access before Zune notifies you that an update is available. Once it’s there, you can reconnect and download. There may be as many as three update packages needed to actually get Mango. Take note of the update numbers, and keep repeating the process until you get update 7720, which is Mango.
Once it’s done downloading and installing, congratulate yourself for successfully hopping the velvet rope and getting into Microsoft’s cool kids club without detection.
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