Can’t Wait for the Windows Phone 7.8 Update? Get it now [Tutorial]
Windows Phone OS is a very well known OS and popular too, but for all the wrong reasons. When Microsoft revealed that they were shifting from Windows Mobile 6 to Windows Phone 7 back in 2010, we were all pleasantly surprised yet keenly interested. However, as the launch commenced and we saw smartphones launching with the said OS, its flaws started becoming immediately apparent. The likes of Samsung, HTC and LG were the ones to come up with the first few Windows Phone 7 smartphones which are now known as legacy devices. An year later, Microsoft announced the Windows Phone NoDo update, which was a terrible failure as it didn’t reach all the devices in time. The name NoDo stood for “No Donuts” apparently, which was an obvious poke at one of Android’s earliest versions called Donut or Android 1.6. After that, Microsoft launched the Windows Phone 7.5 update also known as Windows Phone Mango. Around the same time, Nokia made Lumia 800 smartphones started surfacing in the market. And less than a year later in June 2012, Microsoft announced its newest mobile operating system, Windows Phone 8.
Along with this announcement came bad news for WP7 users, as the folks at Redmond had decided to not roll out an update of Windows Phone 8 to older devices as it had some hardware limitations. Microsoft however didn’t make it all that bad for the users as it also announced the arrival of Windows Phone 7.8 which would bring most of WP8′s cosmetic features on board along with a few other features that are not hardware reliant. But this update took plenty of time to hit older WP7 devices, as only recently the update started rolling out for the WP7 smartphones. But we know there are plenty of you folks with Windows Phone 7.5 smartphones out there who still don’t have the said update and here’s a very simply way to get it. Make sure you follow the steps carefully and proceed with caution, as we can’t guarantee it would work for you. But either way, it’s certainly worth a shot.
Requirements:
- Working internet connection.
- Battery Charged Up More than 90% to run through the process with ease.
- Any of the legacy Windows Phone smartphones, mostly non Lumias as Nokia has already begun rolling out updates for these smartphones.
- Download the Seven-Eighter software from the Windows Phone Hacker site – here.
This project comes from the ever so reliable Windows Phone developer site, windowsphonehacker.com, where one can find tons of content about Windows Phone development and ROMS or basically anything related to Windows Phone tweaks. I would like to confirm that I’ve personally tried this with my Samsung Focus and it worked like a charm. So here’s how you begin.
Step 1: After you finished downloading the Seven-Eighter zip file from the source given above, make sure you unzip it and open the SevenEighter(.exe) file. Since you’re most probably a first time user of the tool, it will ask you to download some additional tools online, click okay and you will be directly navigated to the download page.
Step 2: After that’s done, make sure you connect your WP7.5 smartphone to the PC/Laptop and make sure you close Zune if it’s open in the background.
Step 3: Now run the setup which is basically a one click process, and your phone should be updated with the latest firmware before finally getting the Windows Phone 7.8 update (7.10.8858.136).
The thing about Windows Phone updates is that it actually downloads all the available updates before finally getting to the update of your choice, so there’s no way to directly hop on to Windows Phone 7.8. Which is why we advise you to be patient during the process as it could take a while, which in my case was about 45 minutes. Make sure there’s enough juice on the phone and a working internet connection though, as we mentioned above. If you follow all the steps rightly, you should have the update running on your device. And this is the official version of the update which you would eventually receive from the carrier or manufacturer, so there’s nothing to worry about.
The process is fairly simple and easy to do it yourself even if you don’t have prior modding experience. However, processes like these carry a certain amount of risk with it, which is the case with any update really. But for users who can’t be on the carrier’s or manufacturer’s mercy for update, this should be a no-brainer.
Category: How To, Smartphones, Windows
Thanks for the article. I rely on you and risk my only phone. Hope it works!
is it legal?
Thanku thnku thnku.. finally updated my Omnia W. But in about, it still shows windows phone 7.5
You forgot the language pack, which will make it show 7.5
thanks man….worked great…on omnia w..in india
Good to know, worked smoothly on my Samsung Focus. Took a while, but went well overall.
i tried on my focus, however had to abort the process and seven-eighter was missing few languages like filipino, malay etc.
-GG
Tried this but the linked to Seven-eighter is not a vaild win32 executable file and will not run.
I get the same error. Not a valid Win32 application. any ideas?
Thanks for pointing it out. Updated the link. Cheers.
Its because it only runs on Windows 7 not XP or Windows 8. Find a Windows 7 PC and you’re golden!
I tried with my Samsung Focus and it went through 1 cycle (wasn’t the 7.8 update), and I got an error about timing out with a reboot…
Trying again…
Yeah, it did it a 2nd time, same message about an error with timing out trying to reboot. This is after it cycles through the first update just fine…it’s just not the 7.8 update. I’m sure I’m missing something. Any tips? I feel like its just not meant to be for me to get this 7.8 update!
It worked well with my Samsung Focus in one go. Keep trying and let us know how it went.
Ha, I spoke too soon, it worked! 3rd time is a charm I guess. I’m loving the new update! Thank you!!!!!!!!
Hi CR,
while trying to update my phone to WP7.8. i accidentally dropped my phone and the update stopped. now my phone is not booting and showing the same image of data transfer from system to phone with an x mark on the transfer. can u help me with this?
thanks,
PG
Want the new Windows Mobile 7.8 update ?? All you need is patience.
Step by step instructions to force the Windows Phone 7.8 update
1. Connect your Windows Phone to a PC and launch the Zune software.
2. Click on Phone > Settings > Update. Allow the software to tell you whether an update is available. If the update is available, skip this guide. If not continue to the next step.
3. Disable the data connection of the phone “Settings – Mobile Network – Data Connection – OFF”
4. Time to force the update. 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 2-3 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.
5. Wait 30 seconds or so and Zune should display a notification that an update is available.(As i said patience is the key, try step 3 again and again, it will work, I updated my Samsung Omnia W this morning)
6. Now reconnect to the internet and continue with the update process through the Zune software.
7. Depending on what OS build you are starting with, you may be prompted for several OS updates.
8. Let the phone update and wait. The final OS build is 8858. If you are getting just 8779, you’ll want to repeat 4-6 above.
9. You may also be prompted to install a firmware update at the very end, follow through with this
10. Celebrate! The whole process, including backup could take up to 60 minutes. Check that you are on build 8858 to see if you are done.
This worked for me too. I have an HTC Mozart (was running Mango 7.5 – Telstra, Australia). I had to try numerous times and installed several updates before I could install 7.8, but got there eventually. I turned on flight mode (not sure if it helped), and also found restarting zune and unplugging / re-plugging my phone between update attempts helped.
thanks for the info.. it worked like a charm.
Still coming up as not a valid Win32 application for me
work fine in samsung focus flash att =)
Thnx a lott…it is workins perfectly on my HTC Titan for the 1st try. Phone from UK but I am in Austria..:)