The first major update to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 OS, dubbed “NoDo,” has been a long wait, particularly for people using AT&T’s network. But if you can’t wait any longer for copy-and-paste on your WP7, an enterprising developer has figured out a way to sidestep the carrier testing and rollout process. You can install the update on your own.
The developer, Chris Walsh, describes the process in this post, along with the disclaimer, “use this at your own risk, if this voids your warranty I’m not being held responsible, blah blah all that junk.” (He shudda been a lawyer.)
Windows gurus Ed Bott and Paul Thurrott each tried the process on their own, and each reports independently that it worked.
“Do I recommend that you run an unauthorized updater on a $500 device? Absolutely not,” Bott writes on ZDNet. “The rewards are relatively small, and the wait should be only a few weeks, even for AT&T. Still, if you’re aware of the potential problems and are willing to accept the risks, it’s comforting to know that you really can bypass the carriers.”
Adds Thurrott on his Windows Phone Secrets blog: “The pre-update goes quickly and NoDo takes a while, just like the regular installation processes, but it worked flawlessly. In fact, why the “factory” upgrade doesn’t work just like this is beyond me. They clearly have the capability to make this painless.”
