Microsoft Website Helps Users Track Windows Phone Update

Microsoft has put up a website that allows owners of Windows Phone 7-based smartphones to find out when they will be offered the copy and paste update, the company said in a blog post on Wednesday.

The "Where's my phone update?" site lists a three-stage approach: first the update is tested by the mobile operator, then Microsoft can take up to 10 days to schedule it for delivery, and finally it will be delivered. Even after the last stage has been reached, however, it can still take "several weeks" before phone owners receive the message that an update is finally available for them, Microsoft said. Upon receiving the message, phone owners can then connect their phone to a computer to download and install the update.

The goal is to give users a better sense of when to expect new software, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft provides the information by phone model for owners in the U.S., and by network operator for owners in other countries.

For example, U.S. owners of the HTC HD7 can see that the copy and paste update, also known as NoDo, is currently being scheduled. In the international section of the website, owners of a Windows Phone 7 smartphone from operator Three in the U.K., Ireland, Austria, Italy and Sweden can also see that the update is now being scheduled.

Microsoft started distributing the upgrade on Tuesday, and the first group to receive it are owners of unlocked phones. In the next phase of the process, Microsoft will start making the new software available to a broader range of customers with phones customized for specific operators, the blog post said.

Read more: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/223158/microsoft_website_helps_users_track_windows_phone_update.html