Windows Phone update hit by bug

2011-02-24 12:28:00

Samsung phone Samsung user Alex Roebuck took this picture of his 'bricked'

phone

Microsoft has withdrawn a software update for its Windows Phone system after it

made some handsets unusable.

The problem appears to have affected a small number of mobiles made by Samsung.

Owners reported their phones crashing, and in some cases failing to start up

altogether.

Microsoft said it was working to fix the issue and would send out a new update

as soon as possible.

The download in question was the first update for Windows Phone since it

launched last October.

"In some circumstances it renders the phone completely unusable and can't be

restored to a previous version," said Leigh Geary, editor of

Coolsmartphone.com.

"It is going to portray Microsoft in a bad light," he added.

Angry users shared their experiences of installing it on user forums.

"I've got an unmodified Samsung Omnia 7, now bricked," wrote one contributor to

Microsoft's Answers site.

"My phone is currently unusable, even after hard reset," another user wrote on

the same site.

Technical issue

In a statement, Microsoft said: "We have identified a technical issue with the

Windows Phone update process that impacts a small number of phones.

"We have temporarily taken down the latest software update for Samsung phones

in order to correct the issue and as soon as possible will redistribute the

update."

Samsung Omnia 7 owner Alex Roebuck tried to upgrade, but found his phone became

unusable.

He said it was unclear if he should take up the issue with his network provider

or Microsoft.

"I do not want to be without my handset, so I have decided to wait for a few

days to see if a solution can be found, either by Microsoft or the hacker

community," he told BBC News.

The update problem comes at a bad time for Microsoft, as it attempts to grow

its share of the lucrative smartphone market.

The company recently announced a partnership with Nokia to manufacture handsets

running the Windows Phone operating system.