Regardless of the jokes that permeate the mobile industry, there are people who use and love Windows Phone 7. Even Siri thinks that the Nokia Lumia 900 is the best phone currently on the market until Apple ceased her insubordination. There are people who bought Windows Phones before the big 7.5 update last fall and they’re going to want to update now.

Microsoft has announced that accessing the Windows Phone Marketplace now requires version 7.5. If you lack the the update, you won’t be able to interact with the marketplace whatsoever. That means no downloading, buying, updating or reviewing of apps. There’s some pretty good stuff on the Windows Phone Marketplace so it’s really worth updating.

Unfortunately, updating Windows Phone isn’t as easy as it is on iOS and Android. To update Windows Phone, follow these simple steps:

How to prepare for an update

Install the Zune software or Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac. You’ll need this software to download the phone update.

If your battery level is low, give your phone a quick charge before starting the update.

Make some room on your phone for the update. If necessary, remove a few unwanted apps or other large items.

Free up space on your computer. We’ll need some room to save a backup of your existing phone software.

Make sure your computer has a reliable Internet connection. In some cases, you might need to switch from a wireless (Wi-Fi) connection to a wired (Ethernet) connection. Or you might need to adjust your computer’s firewall or proxy settings.

Verify that your phone is set to the correct date and time. That’ll help us determine which updates you need.

How to install an update

When an update is available, we’ll notify you on your phone. After you see the notification, pick a convenient time to install it. The process can take an hour or more.

Connect your phone to your computer using the USB cable that came with your phone. Follow the instructions that appear in the Zune software or Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac.

Even if you don’t like any of the apps on the Marketplace and have no intention of using, Windows Phone 7.5 has plenty of new features that make the update worth it. Some of the more prominent features includes custom ringtones, speech recognition for texts, Facebook chat, playlists, tethering and more.