Windows Phone Update Tool
Albina Hickel
As of a few days ago, Microsoft killed the Windows Device Recovery Tool (WDRT) on their servers. As I write this you can't download the Windows application and if you try to run an installed copy of WDRT then it fails at the first hurdle when trying to check 'home' for a possible application update. The good news is that there's a patched version of the tool that still works just fine - at your own risk, of course! UPDATE: Now restored at Microsoft's end.
UPDATE: This has now been restored at Microsoft's end, which is good because it shows they still care, despite the end of official support for Lumias. However, it's worth grabbing the patched version anyway, as a) it works just as well, and b) it'll come in handy when WDRT goes 'out' again!
Windows Device Recovery Tool has been a Microsoft staple in the Windows Phone world for a decade. Essentially it looks at what's connected (e.g. a Lumia 735 below) and then looks up the latest official firmware for it (as in retail software shipped in the phone when new just before it stopped being made) and installs it, wiping the entire phone but letting you downgrade gracefully from, in my case Windows 10 Mobile to Windows Phone 8.1. (Yes, yes, look elsewhere on this site (e.g. here) for tutorials on going the other way around!)
The first thing the tool does though, is check on Microsoft's servers for an updated version of itself - and this is currently failing. It's not clear whether this is permanent or whether Microsoft will care enough to investigate and fix it, but given that all versions of Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile are long out of official support, I'd bet it's not a priority in Seattle.
However, some helpful person has deconstructed WDRT, hacked out the line of code that phoned home, and then reassembled it. There are copies online in many places, but it's also up on my OneDrive here. Obviously, grab it at your own risk - I checked it for malware, but there are zero guarantees and we take no responsibility if somthing goes wrong, on your PC or on your connected phone!
So it seems that the only bit broken at the moment is the WDRT update check, but if this is indeed Microsoft's servers gradually 'forgetting' about Windows Phone then the next stage might well be that the OS images (FFUs) will disappear from Microsoft's servers too, which complicates things still further. If you're worried about this or if you're reading this significantly after Spring 2021 then it might be worth you either archiving the firmware for your specific phone from LumiaFirmware or by using WDRT and then copying the contents of the (by default hidden) relevant folders in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Packages...
If some of these articles are getting a little techy then sorry - but at this stage in Windows Phone 8.1's life, in particular, all that's LEFT is hackery and DIY solutions. It comes to all platforms a few years after official support ends!
Whenever you are in a situation where your Windows phone is bricked or is facing some issues with the software, the most commonly used tool which people turn to is Windows Device Recovery Tool. Microsoft has renamed Windows Phone Recovery Tool to Windows Device Recovery Tool.
With the help of this tool, you can factory reset your phone and repair most of the common software issues in it. This tool comes handy in a variety of situations including bricked phone, stuck phone, non-responsive phone and other such critical functionality errors. Also, with the help of this tool developed by Microsoft, you can install the latest firmware and also perform phone resets as well.
This tool works on Acer, Alcatel, BLU, HTC (One M8 and 8X), LG, Lumia, NEO, UniStrong, VAIO and Yezz phones running Windows Phone 8 or later. It also works on HP devices. For non-Lumia Nokia phones, use the Nokia Software Recovery Tool instead.
Check out the other best Windows phone recovery tools to choose from when you want to recover any kind of deleted file on your Windows phone. Be sure that by using these third-party tools, you have to use Windows Phone device as a USB flash drive.
Windows Data Recovery is one of the most powerful data recovery tools which can be used for almost every type of data recovery. It is compatible with not just the Windows phones but the phones from other major manufacturers as well. With the help of this software you can recover files and data from Windows laptops, PCs, USB, hard drives, etc. Files like images, videos, documents and so much more can be recovered if in case they get accidentally deleted or lost. This tool proves to be very handy in case your hard drive gets corrupted or any other software error occurs. Here is how you can use this tool to recover deleted files from your Windows phone.
If you are struggling with Windows phone recovery after some files got deleted, corrupted or formatted due to some hardware or software error, Tenorshare 4DDig Windows Data Recovery can help you with it. Any type of data including music files, images, videos, pdf files, mails, etc. can be restored with the help of this tool. You no longer have to fret about permanently losing any data important data from your Windows device.
If you have ever been witness to the loss of data due to accident or software or hardware errors, iSkysoft Data Recovery tool can help you out. This professional tool is one of the best options when you are looking for an efficient way to recover the formatted or lost files from your Windows device. Even when a file is deleted from the Recycle Bin, it can be easily recovered with the help of this tool. It is jam packed with a lot of remarkable features which are mentioned below.
Whenever you are in a jam for having deleted an important file from your Windows device, Jihosoft File Recovery software can help you out. It is a great piece of tool which cannot just restore the deleted files from your Windows system but can also recover the formatted files from external storage devices as well. It features a very user-friendly interface which can be easily navigated by a novice user as well.
Almost any type of deleted files from most of the digital devices can be recovered with the help of iCare Data Recovery tool. It much faster when compared to its competitors in giving out the scanned results of all the deleted and formatted files from Windows device or system. The best part about this tool is that it is available free of cost. You can make use of this tool to restore the formatted files from your Windows phone for free.
Windows Phone Support Tool is a free utility from Microsoft which facilitates recover of your phone's firmware and normal functionality. This program is only useful for running with Windows Phone 7.The application was designed for older Microsoft Phones running Windows Phone and it is required to have Zune installed before getting started with it.Windows Phone Support Tool can help you fix any issues that were caused during an attempted update process. This can be from a number of reasons such as disconnected USB cable, power loss or crashing.When you run the program, you should follow the instructions to the "T". Just remember that if you're in the middle of a repair process, it is actually quite normal for the cell phone to restart a couple of times.After Windows Phone Support Tool has finished working its magic, you should be able to restart your original update process.Features of Windows Phone Support Tool
- App deployment: Install, uninstall and manage apps on your Windows phone effortlessly.
- Backup and restore: Safeguard your important data by creating backups and restoring them when needed.
- Battery optimization: Optimize your Windows phone's battery life by managing power-consuming features.
- Connection management: Manage wireless connections, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, for seamless connectivity.
- Data synchronization: Sync contacts, calendars and other data between your Windows phone and computer.
- Data usage monitoring: Track and manage your data usage on your Windows phone to avoid exceeding limits.
- Device diagnostics: Perform diagnostic tests to identify and troubleshoot hardware and software problems.
- Device information: View detailed information about your Windows phone's hardware, software and settings.
- Device recovery: Recover your Windows phone from critical software issues or unresponsive states.
- Device unlocking: Unlock your Windows phone for use with different carriers or to access advanced features.
- Driver installation: Install necessary drivers to ensure proper communication between your Windows phone and computer.
- Factory reset: Reset your Windows phone to its original settings, erasing all data and customizations.
- File management: Manage files and folders on your Windows phone, allowing easy organization and transfer.
- Firmware flashing: Update and install firmware on Windows phones for improved performance and bug fixes.
- Software updates: Keep your Windows phone up to date with the latest software releases and enhancements.
Windows Phone (WP) is a discontinued[6] mobile operating system developed by Microsoft for smartphones as the replacement successor to Windows Mobile[7][8] and Zune.[9] Windows Phone featured a new user interface derived from the Metro design language. Unlike Windows Mobile, it was primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market.[10]
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