Whether it's an exact figure, or an attempt to play down the problem in front of the eyes of the world, Microsoft has gone on record to claim the failure rate for Windows Phone 7's first update currently sits at 10 percent.

Beyond the odd statement in response to enquiries by the press, it's the first time the firm has spoken openly about the teething problems it's currently enduring with the update process.

Microsoft'll fix it

While Microsoft acknowledges failed updates have left those effected feeling hard done by, it also claims its an issue the press has had a hand in inflating.

"Contrary to some of the gloomy headlines out there, our preliminary internal data paint a very different picture about update progress," says Microsoft's Michael Stroh in a post on the Windows Phone blog.

"90 percent of people who've received an update notification have installed the new software patch successfully. So when your turn to download it arrives, chances are good this will be a non-event.

"Of the 10 percent who did experience a problem, nearly half failed for two basic reasons - a bad internet connection or insufficient computer storage space. Luckily, both are easy to fix."

Sour Samsung

Stroh does admit, however, that there is an intrinsic link between a portion of the failed updates and Samsung handsets.

"We've identified a technical issue with the Windows Phone update process that impacts a small number of Samsung phones," he adds.

"We're working to correct the problem as quickly as possible. But as a precaution, we've briefly suspended updates to Samsung phones. We are continuing to update other Windows Phone models as scheduled."

Learning from its mistakes

Stroh advises that those who attempt the update do so on a stable internet connection with space enough on their computer for Zune to save a back-up of their files.

He does admit, however, that the bulk of the problem lies with Microsoft.

"Has the update process gone perfectly? No - but few large-scale software updates ever do, and the engineering team here was prepared," he concludes.

"Of course, when it's your phone that's having a problem - or you're the one waiting - it's still aggravating. That's why we're committed to learning from our first update and improving the process. We know we have work to do, and we won’t be satisfied until you are."

[source: Microsoft]