Windows Mobile 6.1 is Available

As many other sites have already noted yesterday, the Windows Mobile 6.1 update is now available from Samsung.

Since I use XP, I’m going to outline my experience with XP so far:

The instruction page is found at this URL:

http://ars.samsung.com/customer/usa/jsp/faqs/faqs_view.jsp?SITE_ID=22&PG_ID=557&PROD_SUB_ID=558&PROD_ID=957&AT_ID=132706

To get started, you must visit the download page at:

https://techtrain.samsungwireless.com/tekweb/techpage/Support/Downloads/att_i617/EULA_sgh_i617_patch_xp.html

(which opens in a new browser/tab)
On that page, you must accept the EULA which then refreshes that new window back to the instruction page and opens yet another window with a link to actually download the XP software from this URL:

https://techtrain.samsungwireless.com/tekweb/techpage/Support/Downloads/att_i617/BlackJackII_WM6_1_Upgrade_For_WindowsXP.zip

If you guessed that clicking the link from the existing window (instead of the link I just posted above) would open a fourth browser window/tab, you’d be right. Talk about poor design…
They link to an FAQ page at http://ars.samsung.com/customer/usa/jsp/faqs/faqs_view.jsp?SITE_ID=22&PG_ID=557&PROD_SUB_ID=558&PROD_ID=957&AT_ID=132706

Anyhow, back to their original instructions page.

Step Two: install the Samsung Modem driver. Once it’s installed okay, go into your BJ2′s settings (Start->Settings->Connections->USB) and set the USB mode to ‘modem’ and make sure your PC detects the modem devices okay (3 deices total, a modem, a COM port, and a USB device).

Step 3 is setting your BJ2′s USB connection from Modem to ActiveSync, and ensuring you can sync your phone for one final backup.

Step 4 is where things went south for me. The .zip file that I downloaded twice for XP never prompted me for the two 4-digit codes, and went directly into the ROM update software.

Unfortunately for me, when I got to the screen saying “I completed the steps indicated above”, the ROM update software gave an error saying “S/W version is wrong. Please check your device.” and failed to continue.

So I did a full hardware reset of my phone (power it off, then hold the scroll wheel in the ‘up’ position while turning the phone back on), formating everything, re-downloaded the .zip file the second time, and still no love.

I called Samsung this morning, and I’ve been on hold for several minutes and walking through what I’ve done to get this far, and have currently been on hold for over 5 minutes getting through to Tier 3 support. Tier 1 just confirmed that I followed the instructions and simply noted where I got an error message. Tier 2 confirmed what Tier 1 wanted to know and told me I should try downloading the .zip file a third time and to call them when I was in front of my PC doing the upgrade. Since I told him how fruitless that would be, why not just transfer me to someone who can give me more ideas on things I can try, and he transferred me to Tier 3 where I’m currently on hold.

Whether it matters, when I dial *#1234# on my phone, it reports my BJ2 model is an i617UCGK2. I’m curious what others see on their BJ2 who HAVE updated to Windows Mobile 6.1.

I *have* read on http://myblackjack2.com that users with an SGH-i616 (BJ2 in Canada) is unable to upgrade to WM61 with the same “S/W version is wrong” message, but nobody has reported this error message and verified they’ve got an SGH-i617.

When I get finished with support, I’ll post a follow-up.

More to come.