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How to force the Windows Phone 7.8 update on most phones

posted on Jan 31st 2013 at 12:04pm by Joe Fedewa

Windows Phone 7.8 has finally started rolling out for several devices, but there are still many more to go. Unless you’re an owner of a Nokia phone you probably have not received the update yet. There is a way that has worked for some people that allows you to force the 7.8 update to arrive. This is the official update, not some hacky ROM or unofficial build. All it takes is a little patience, a computer than can have WiFi turned off, a data cable, and your phone. Let’s begin.

  1. Turn off WiFi and data on your phone
  2. Connect to Zune
  3. In Zune, go to Settings and check for an update
  4. As soon as you click “Update” disconnect from the internet.
  5. After Zune says it can’t check for an update reconnect to the internet
  6. There should be an update ready this time
  7. Follow along with the wizard to complete the update

Make sure to try this a few times if it doesn’t work right away. Timing is key, so it may take several tries before you get it. This won’t work for all Windows Phone devices, so if it doesn’t work after several tries you probably won’t be able to get it. Patience is the only answer for that. Let us know if this works for you!

[via WPCentral


  • http://twitter.com/GPKGPKGPK the garbage pail kid

    Awesome! thank you! I am trying asap.

  • JD

    Has anyone tried this for HTC Radar ? I tried but does not work… May be I am not patient enough.

  • http://winsource.com/ Joe Fedewa

    I’ve heard it doesn’t work with many HTC phones.

  • http://twitter.com/GPKGPKGPK the garbage pail kid

    Didnt work on my 900 after 3 tries. Ill just wait until it appears normally. thank for posting anyways.

  • garuav

    i have htc radar and i tried this trick but does not work for me…..

  • http://twitter.com/MCifm MCifm ♡.

    tried with htc radar, didn’t work

  • Jimbo

    Worked on an LG E900. The trick was making sure your connection was hardwired, not Wi-Fi, so you can get offline faster. This post isn’t quite accurate. Here’s a tip from a comment on the WMPower User post, this is what worked for me, but it took a bunch of tries: “Basically if you get the “Can’t check for updates right now message,” you pulled your Internet connection too soon. If you get the phone is up to date message, then you waited too long. Here’s what I had to do: count 1 Mississippi and pull it to see which message I got. (got can’t update) Then 2 Mississippi and pull and so on until I got “the phone is up to date” message (at 4 Mississippi or 4 seconds). At this point I knew the sweet spot was between 3 and 4 seconds. I went through and pulled it when I got to 4 Miss and it worked.”

  • dick

    It took me almost 200 times to get 3 update chances.. patience is the best policy in this case..

  • dick

    I am on lumia 710.. or may be because of wifi, it took so much effort…

  • darknite

    Im trying with HTC Radar…could install upto 7.10.8783.12. Would inform you all …if I get 8858 update. By the way…trying with ethernet cable, pulling off.

  • darknite

    Yippeee…. got it folks….in HTC Radar.

    By the way the updates werent cumulative as mentioned.

    I had to do it like the below.

    1st time (3 updates) 8107 -> i dont remember the number -> 8773

    2nd time (single update) 8773 -> 8779 (the update worked -> but had to reset the date time in the phone manually even though the settings was to update date and time)

    3rd time (single update) 8779 -> 8783

    4th time (single update) 8783 -> 8858 (WP 7.8)

    I tried with connecting connecting and disconnecting cable ethernet cable (and count 3 or sometimes 4)
    Cant connect : means you are too quick
    you phone is up to date : you are too slow….

    Im happy…. :) hope the happiness spreads to all of you

    Cheers

  • Bulgarche

    It works, just be patient! If you receive “not able to check for updates”, you pulled out too quickly, it depends on the speed of your internet… I’m with HTC Mpzart, from Bulgaria

  • JD

    Congrats ! Since you got it working, can you please document your steps and share the link for HTC Radar ? Thanks much….

  • Billy

    Yes it’s all about timing. When clicking update,count about 4 seconds before disconnecting from the internet; that’s how it worked for me. Nokia Lumia 900, USA

  • Billy

    I’m not sure, but maybe the connection speed plays a role on how long you should give it before disconnecting from the internet. As darknite said “Cant connect: means you are too quick / your phone is up to date : means you are too slow”, that’s a good tip.

  • Allan Francisco Jesalva

    Hi, I’m from the Philippines and I have a locked Lumia 800.When I plugged in to Zune, it initially said my phone’s OS is updated. I tried what I read somewhere that you have to time when the message “Your phone is updated” shows up. You have to pull the cable 2 seconds before the message shows, and you will get the message that there’s an update available. I am now updating on the last update, build 8858 or WP 7.8

  • Raj

    AWESOME!!! It worked with my HTC RADAR… long wait came to an end :)

    1st update time (single update) 8773 -> 8779

    2nd time (single update) 8779 -> 8783

    3rd time (single update) 8783 -> 8858 (WP 7.8)

    You have to repeat the procedure mentioned for each single update.

    tip: Give ZUNE enough time to connect to the net but not enough to validate the official release.

  • Mircea Alexandru

    didn’t work on my 710 after 5 tiers. thank for posting

  • hanif

    cool it worked for me :) hurray.. atlast updated my lumia 610

  • rahul

    by force i have got only one update for my nokia 710 and that’s 8779 :(

  • ACI

    I have Lumia 800 Unlocked and it is EU/RU region. I did the trick and got wp 7.8, but my firmware wasn’t updated for some reason. :(

  • Bill

    wow - lumia 800 - worked for me, about 5th attempt, count to 5 :-)

  • Rajesh

    I Continuously Followed ‘darknite’ Update Steps I Am successfully Updated My HTC Radar to Windows 7.8 Update. Thank You Darknite!!!!!

  • Kris

    Dude.. seriously.. this trick worked on Nokia Lumia 900.. thanks for the info..its just about 4 sec time..

  • Kris

    All, this forced thing works.. just about 4-5 sec.. thats all..

  • darknite

    you are welcome !

  • darknite

    Thanks … i had created one guide for you all. http://htcradarwp78(dot)blogspot(dot)de/ where you replace (dot) with symbol dot. As I was not able to create an account with winsource.

  • darknite

    Thanks!

  • GetPaid Everyday

    Worked on mine, Nokia Lumia 900 is udating now. Took me at least 10 tries at disconnecting from the internet at various intervals. With highspeed T3 connection, I disconnected after 2-3 seconds and the update started.

  • GetPaid Everyday

    I have an HTC Motzart, HTC HD7, and Nokia Lumia 900 and it worked on all of them.

  • http://twitter.com/GPKGPKGPK the garbage pail kid

    thanks. maybe i will give it another go.

  • Erika

    It works :) Lumia 800 O2 UK contract. Disconnect just after 3 seconds, just before 4 :) Took about 8 attempts, possibly more.

  • SiKo

    I can confirm that this worked on a HTC 7 Trophy, unlocked.
    Had to find my timing, and update several smaller updates first till 7.8 appeared.
    So far, it works like a charm.

  • 9JA Boy for Life!!

    Yep..Did work for me. U will have to do the same process (3/4x) for each update. Also u will need a stopwatch to determine how your internet connects to the updates and study the times when u disconnect..(esp in Nigeria.) Anyway, Thanks for the tip Bro!

  • IWJW

    I was sceptical, BUT… IT WORKS!! be patient and you have to wait the right amount of time!

  • les

    i got the update deal but i hit close before i could plug it in phone so what do i do

  • Ajeng

    it worked on my Radar!!! i had been reading so many articles but only your words led me to 7.8 :p it took long time but i’m so happy ritenow. THANKYOU SOSOSO MUUUCH :D

  • Ajeng

    just do it all over again. keep trying till 8858. it took 4-5x for my Radar. and it worked :)

  • Mathew

    I have updated mu Lumia 610 from Chennai using your idea. wonderful method, need to test by varying the time before disconnection. It worked with a count of 15 for me. thanks.

  • darknite

    you are welcome!

  • http://twitter.com/DaffaAlifP Daffa Alif Pratama

    Succeed to get the update, but failed in the final step of updating (restarting your phone) :(

    Here is how i managed to get the update:

    1.Connect your WP device to the PC and make sure your Wi-Fi and cellular data was turned off.

    2.Open up Zune

    3.Get ready with your stopwatch (This thing really help me out!)

    4.Navigate to Phone > Settings > Update

    5.Count the seconds using the stopwatch since you pressed the ‘update’ tab until the ‘Your phone is up to date’ shows up. REMEMBER THE SECONDS COUNTED.

    6.Select other tab in the phone settings except the ‘update’ tab (ie: Name Your Phone)

    7.Repeat the step 3 until 5 again. Make sure this time, the seconds was same with before’s result. If it is not same, repeat it until its same. So make sure you got a stabile connection. (I’ve got 8 seconds)

    8.OK, now Select other tab in the phone settings except the ‘update’ tab again. (I’ve not disconnected the phone with the PC.)

    9.Now, select the ‘Update’ tab again, then disconnect the internet with minus 1 until 2 seconds from the counted time before. Then, prays alot! :)

    10. Wait…. and ta-da!

    Sorry if i got so many grammar vault. Im Indonesian and using Telkomsel. (and im just 12 years old!)

  • http://twitter.com/DaffaAlifP Daffa Alif Pratama

    Ok, Now i know why im failed on the final process. Just dont let yor computer goes hibernate or turning off, so use your computer to do small task such as typing ;)

  • Fitzy

    Ive been waiting so long this worked for me fanx very much………….

  • ravi dabas

    amazing dude….done 7.8 update on lumia 710 (india) …..

  • suneil

    it worked for me thankqq… very much :)

  • Noname

    YESSS! It works. After four updates (2x same one) it finally has WP 7.8 on my HTC Radar. Thank you very much for the great instruction.

  • José

    Its worked in Hungary on Lumia 800. Thanks for the details, guys! Only the first was hard, 2nd and 3rd succeded after 1-2 attempts with disconnect about 5 sec. ;)

  • Vesta12

    Can somebody help me, it refuses to check for updates if i disconnect both Wifi and Data connection, even after un checking under Phone upates on the Lumia 610, please assist?

  • http://twitter.com/DaffaAlifP Daffa Alif Pratama

    GREAT! Very happy to help! Spread this all over the web!

  • adi

    Thanks Gan, Im from Indonesia too. I almost come by the service center, since I cant found 7.8 update for my Lumia, and they ask for payment service to update my windows phone (!!) Your tricks, including counting update validating time was really helpful!

  • Nitin Modi

    Please Help Me……..
    It is showing an update is available on my mobile and to connect to computer but my mobile is already connected to computer. When again i connect to internet and i hit update it shows your phone is up to date.
    Now what to do?

  • Lele2k

    Very Very Very Thank!!!!!!1

  • Lele2k

    it works but… the update is not Wp 7.8 :-( is simply a 7.5 update… I’ll try again…

  • Lele2k

    I tried again and now it has found the update 7.10.8783.12 … (the previous was 7.10.8779.8), maybe I have to apply all available updates before finding the last …

  • Lele2k

    I confirm that the update has now found 7.10.8858.136 and should be finally WP 7.8

  • http://www.facebook.com/frankbznielsen Frank Nielsen

    Thanks alot from me two, it works like crazy i was counted to 5 :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/frankbznielsen Frank Nielsen

    try again then.

  • ZipZapp

    Just did it for my HTC Mozart, like a charm. First to 7.10.8779.8, then 7.10.87.83.12, then 7.8, then tha latest announced upate. Thanks for this guide! Worked for me always at the 2nd attempt by selecting “update” and immediatiely after disabeld network adapter. Nice.

  • darknite

    latest update: those who have updated to 8858…connect to Zune for upgrade to 8862.144…bug fixed wp7.8 version (just connect to Zune…ur phone must show update available) !!!

  • Mimu

    Awesome, it works on my Lumia 800 Indonesia…

  • Colin

    Why Cant I Update My Lumia 800 Ireland… :(

  • dragon

    My phone tells me there is an update for a few weeks already, but zune shows “phone is up to date” (7.10.8773). it drives me crazy.

  • wisk

    Nice, just did on my Lumia 710. I’m installing at this very momment. I’m from Brazil on Vivo Carrier!

  • wisk

    Hell yeah! Lumia 710 updated to WP 7.8!!!! Im in Brazil on Vivo Carrier. Be patient and you can get the update as well. The key is timing! You gonna have to try a few times, but it DOES work!!!

  • Eamonn

    Hi, I put in new update into Nokia Lumia 800 last night, to day when I phoned 1741 to check my credit with o2 the screen goes blank cant get at key pad to press numbers. I then have to press the power button to reset the phone

  • masteve12

    I have an htc 7 trophy, but when ever its about to complete the updates, it tells me my computer memory space is low, not enough for backup yet I have over 70GBs on my C Drive, what could be the problem, help me guys