7 FAQs about Windows Phone 7

The following list of 7 things to know about Windows Phone 7 comes from our EMEA customer support teams, and are some of the most frequently raised questions that they get.

1. Failed Initial Registration of Windows Phone 7  - if you get a failure with your initial phone registration for a Genuine Windows Phone due to something like a missing or invalid product key then a simple call to your local Microsoft Customer Service centre should be able to help, or you could try the hardware manufacturer direct
2. How do I import my Outlook contacts to Windows Phone 7 if I am not running Microsoft Exchange? First you will have to move those contacts to a service such as Windows Live, Google or Facebook, Check out KB 245811 for more detail
3. My Windows Phone 7 is not detected by my PC? While there are several things to try the easiest step is to plug the USB cable into a different USB port or a port directly on the PC (not a hub). The additional steps are documented in KB #410180 Windows Phone 7 is not detected by my computer and/or the Zune software or KB 953933 How to troubleshoot errors in Windows Device Manager for the Zune player or phone
4. I have Multiple Windows Live ID’s which one should I choose? You can easily walk through the ID Wizard if you have multiple Windows Live ID’s. Additionally, if you have an existing email address you can link that address to a new Windows Live ID and continue to use their current email address. More information can be found at Which Windows Live ID should I use?  and the actual Windows Live ID Selection Wizard
5. Country Settings don’t match with my Windows Live ID. So this is a real PITA if the location setting for your Windows Live ID doesn't match the setting for your computer. You may have to create a new Windows Live ID with the appropriate region and then create a new Zune account. Changing the region of your existing Windows Live ID will not correct the problem. More information can be found here You receiving an error while signing into the Zune Software that your location setting doesn’t match the settings for your computer. KB 245829
6. How can I change the Windows Live ID assigned to my Windows 7 Phone? in order to change the Windows Live ID used to access features like Marketplace, Xbox LIVE, and Zune Pass from your Windows Phone 7, you’ll need to reset your phone to its original factory settings. Resetting your phone to the original factory settings will erase all of your personal content, including apps that you purchased and downloaded, photos, videos, and music, and will restore the phone to its original factory settings. You may not be able to transfer purchased content to a different Windows Live ID.  More information can be found here How do I change the Windows Live ID I'm using in Windows Phone 7? KB 2430020
7. How can I expand the Secure Digital (SD) card in my Windows Phone? Some Windows Phones 7 devices have a Secure Digital (SD) card that's used to expand the amount of storage space on the phone.  However you should not remove the SD card in your phone or replace it with a new one because your Windows Phone won't work properly. Existing data on the phone may be lost, and that SD card can't be used in other devices or Windows Phones.  More information can be found at Windows Phone 7 Secure Digital Card Limitations

If you have more questions that don’t forget that you can get more help via self-help support online or community support at  MS Answers and  if you are on Twitter you can follow @MicrosoftHelps which provides English language support via Twitter.

Rob