Updating 520 to 8.1 possible without a SIM?

[Steigerwald21]

My main phone is a Lumia 920, but I got a really good deal on a Lumia 520, so I snagged it up. Anyway, I had no problem updating it to the 8.1 Developer Preview right away. However, since then 2 updates have been released and it was a breeze installing them on my 920, but my 520 won't acknowledge that an update is available. I still have the Preview for Developers app on my phone. This phone currently has no SIM in it; it's in my 920. Any thoughts on why the 520 won't recognize that updates are available?

 

[anon(7900571)]

Hey if you have opted to a developer account via app studio , then it's limited to 1 device ( I presume your lumia 520 is using the same Microsoft ID ).

 

[Radian Radian]

i m never update my lumia without a sim ., but i guess it not possible update without a sim , because before update it .. the server want to know your region and identification your phone first ...

sorry its just my thought ...

 

[SSgt Bruskowiz]

Updating without a sim is no problem, it only needs your account and of course it has to be unlocked.

 

[pankaj981]

Hey if you have opted to a developer account via app studio , then it's limited to 1 device ( I presume your lumia 520 is using the same Microsoft ID ).

Not completely true, I've used my dev account to upgrade 6 phones till now

Updating without a sim is no problem, it only needs your account and of course it has to be unlocked.

It doesn't have to be unlocked


@OP: All you need is an account that's enrolled as a developer, that's it. The phone doesn't have to be SIM unlocked, nor does it have to have a SIM inserted when updating nor there is a limit (atleast i haven't encountered yet) to how many devices the account can be used to install 8.1 through Preview for Developers

 

[PiggyMiddle]

Updating without a sim is no problem, it only needs your account and of course it has to be unlocked.

Sorry Sarge, not true. We have an unlimited data plan and my phone is the only one to use it. I tether and then the other phones and PCs in the home can access the Internet via that tether on my phone. I used to use a Moto X but it was so damned unreliable at tethering because it places internal work before the tether QoS, that I bought an unlocked 520.

The 520 is 100% reliable at tethering so I decided to update it to 8.1. I put my SIM back in the X and then hooked the 520 to the tether via wifi. I paid the $19 dev fee, I know it could be free, but it's only 20-bucks and msoft needs all the financial help it can get.

I started the update process, had the update-App sitting in the Apps list and fired it up. Finally it got to the point where the download would start and the 520 was told to call home. Oooops, no SIM. That was the end of that plan, however the good fairy was looking after us as there are several threads running on poor tethering performance of 8.1 so it is a good thing we are still using the 8.0 as the tethering hub.

Bottom line, the 520 needs a SIM for that call home. I suppose I could have tried swapping the SIM back and forth but could not be bothered

 

[pankaj981]

^^ out of curiosity, what is this call home you mention of? Of all the 6 phones I've updated, 3 were updated without any SIM card in it. None of them prompted for any call home stuff and 8.1 installation went as expected

 

[SSgt Bruskowiz]

If you do a clean update, than nothing happends
No backups, just a clean update.
I have don it with my "old" 520 the same way.
I use it only for sports and navi, so no sim needed.