Mar 28, 2011 19:01 GMT  ·  By

Motorola Canada has just announced that Motorola Milestone, the international version of Verizon's DROID, can now be updated with the Android 2.2 Froyo firmware.

Originally launched with Android 2.1 Eclair, the Canadian Milestone has been waiting for the major software update since last week when Telus confirmed Froyo via Facebook.

However, due to the high number of requests for Android 2.2, Motorola decided to make the upgrade package downloadable for users who wish to manually update their Milestone devices.

Basically, this means that users will not receive the Android 2.2 Froyo firmware upgrade over-the-air (OTA), instead they will have to use the handset manufacturer's desktop sync software called MSU (Motorola Software Update).

The software is available for download via Motorola's website and must be installed before connecting the Milestone to the PC. Motorola Software Update is only compatible with PCs running Windows XP (Service Pack 2), Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows Vista (either 32-bit or 64-bit) (Service Pack 1) or Windows 7 (either 32-bit or 64-bit).

After the installation is finished, connect the Milestone to the PC and wait for the sync software to notify you if an update is available for download.

Before doing the upgrade to Froyo you should know that you may experience some adverse effects which could include slower operation of some phone functions and applications.

Also, Media saved on the memory SD card will be preserved, but DRM (Digital Rights Management) protected Media stored on the phone's internal memory will not be preserved.

Make sure all third-party apps that you have previously installed are compatible with Android 2.2, otherwise you won't be able to use them after the update.

As soon as Motorola Software Update notifies you about the new update, you can start downloading it. The whole process will take around 10 minutes, and another 4-5 minutes for the first boot after the update ends.

Note that if you previously had a Google mail account enabled on the Milestone, you will need to manually restart Google Auto-sync after the update is complete. To do that, tap and hold on the home screen, select 'Widgets', select 'Power Control'.

Using the Power Control panel on the home screen simply disable and then enable Auto-sync to resume the feature on the Milestone.