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Can't update or sync Windows Phone 7 using Windows RT

Article ID: 2770851 - View products that this article applies to.

Summary

You can't update or sync a Windows Phone 7 using Windows RT. This is because Windows RT doesn't run desktop apps, such as the Zune software, which is needed to sync or update a Windows Phone 7.

Windows RT only runs applications that are accessed from the Windows Store.

Symptoms

If you try to install the Zune software app, you will see the error:

This app can't run on your PC

To find apps for this PC open the Windows Store

Read the Windows RT disclaimer.

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Things to Try

Windows Phone 7 requires the Zune software to sync content. This means you'll have to use a different version of Windows other than Windows RT (Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista for example). If you want to update your device, sync music, videos, or photos with your Windows Phone 7 you can only use the Zune software.

Here are some other ways to sync content, if you don’t currently have access to another version of a Windows PC:

Use the SkyDrive app and device integration: Windows Phone 7 has a seamless connection to SkyDrive so that photos, videos and documents can be uploaded and accessible on SkyDrive-enabled devices. On Windows 8 and Windows RT, the SkyDrive app is included so you can access your content from your phone without having to physically connect with a USB cable.
Use your cloud collection. The content you buy on your Windows Phone 7 becomes part of your cloud collection. So, you can play this content on your Windows 8, Windows RT, or XBox console through the Xbox Music app. Keep in mind that the cloud collection service is only available on Windows 8 and Windows RT as XBox Music, and on Windows Phone 7 it's available in the Zune Marketplace. Note that it's not backwards compatible to access your collection.

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