Microsoft on Wednesday confirmed that it suspended its first Windows Phone 7 update for Samsung phones amidst a glitch that affected about 10 percent of those who received the update.
"We've identified a technical issue with the Windows Phone update process that impacts a small number of Samsung phones," Microsoft spokesman Michael Stroh wrote in a blog post. "We're working to correct the problem as quickly as possible. But as a precaution, we've briefly suspended updates to Samsung phones. We are continuing to update other Windows Phone models as scheduled."
Microsoft started rolling out the platform update on Monday, and users soon started posting on the Microsoft forums about errors or being unable to install. Stroh said Wednesday that "90 percent of people who received an update notification have installed the new software patch successfully," though he did not reveal how many of its Windows Phone users had already received the update.
Of the 10 percent that failed, he continued, half of those failed for two reasons: a bad Internet connection or insufficient computer storage space. Storage can be an issue because the Zune software and Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac back up your phone data as a precaution before installing, Stroh said.
Stroh acknowledged that the update process has not gone perfectly. "But few large-scale software updates ever do, and the engineering team here was prepared," he wrote.
Those who receive the update will see a notification on their phones. It is not happening over the air, so to install, you must connect the device to a computer and update via the Zune software of Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac. If you don't update your phone now, "the patch will simply be bundled together with our next update," Stroh said.
Monday's update - the first for the platform - "is designed to improve the software update process itself," Microsoft said on Monday. "So while it might not sound exciting, it's still important because it's paving the way for all future goodie-filled updates to your phone, such as copy and paste or improved Marketplace search."
It is not the larger update Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer promised at CES. That will add two components: cut and paste; and improved app performance when loading and switching apps. Customers can expect to see apps and games that load even faster, he said.