Users of the Windows Phone 7 devices have been advised by Microsoft against downloading two crucial software updates for their Windows Phone 7 or WP7 device.
Chris Walsh, a developer with Microsoft, said that earlier this week, Microsoft released a tool. This tool allows WP7 users to download the updates that Microsoft has been struggling with for some time.

It has been almost a month since Microsoft has been swamped with innumerable problems regarding the delivery of updates for the WP7 phones. In the US, every 3 out of 5 users have yet to receive either of the two updates.

It seems Walsh pulled the updater on the same day, i.e., Wednesday, which happens to be the exact day when Microsoft began advising people against the download.

Eric Hautala, General Manager of Customer Experience Engineering for Windows Phone blogged that there was no conclusive information as to what would happen if people were to attempt one of these ways to circumvent the problem because the homegrown techniques hadn’t yet been subjected to tests yet. The WP7 users may either end up not getting the software, which is in the official update, specific for their device or their phones might have their configuration thrown off course and block any future updates. It may even result in the phone malfunctioning, he said.

According to Walsh’s comments on the blog, his updated tool is still available on mirror sites. Walsh was not quick to answer a question as to why the tool was no longer available on his site.

Walsh defends his tool via Twitter by saying that the reason few people faced problems was due to not following downloading instructions properly. He went on to say that although Eric had said that people may be clueless as to what may happen if they used the untested software, but he, Walsh, had tested it.

Microsoft started rolling out the very first update designed to smooth the update process in February. That software rendered some Samsung phones unusable. The company delayed a follow-up software refresh including cut-and-paste capability and other performance enhancements so that it could improve the process.

According to a web page that Microsoft launched to broadcast news on the official update process, neither of the updates has reached 60% of phones eligible for updates in the US. Those phones are still in the testing phase for both the software updates. The website says that the phase should be complete in early April, and after that will follow a scheduling process that can take 10 days, followed by deliveries in batches.

Walsh and two other developers became popular among the WP7 community when they released a tool that would allow users upload applications that were unapproved in the Marketplace. However, Microsoft approached the trio, and they promised to do more in order to allow the developers test applications on their phones. In addition, Microsoft warned that its update would plug the hole thus allowing the unlocking tool to function.