Microsoft encountered some issues during a previously reported upgrade to its app store, meaning that some device users could not install high-profile new products, and leading it to disable new app publishing by developers.

According to several blog posts from the company, the issue was related to the digital certificates used to sign apps, and prevented newly listed titles being installed on devices that had been upgraded to Windows Phone 7.5 – but not smartphones that shipped with the latest OS.

The company has not said how long it will be until new app submissions resume, but said it has “identified the problem and [is] working to resolve it and resume certifying and publishing apps as quickly as possible”.

Users are being advised not to remove apps, “since you likely won’t be able to download them again until the issue is resolved”.
Among the apps affected are the New York Times, WhatsApp and Translator from Bing, all of which had recently been updated. It noted: “the vast majority of apps and games in Marketplace should install without trouble”.

Last week, Microsoft announced the launch of its new Windows Phone Dev Center, replacing the former App Hub portal for developers, promising a more robust and scalable platform to serve developers.

There had previously been criticism of the performance of App Hub, including the amount of time it takes for an app to reach consumers.