Mobile Device Center / Windows 7 does not connect to my PDA

Hello....I have two PDA's, an Dell Axum and an Acer N300. They both work
just fine with Windows XP via Active Sync - plug in the USB cable and they
just start working. I have just built a new Windows 7 PC and installed
Mobile Device Center. With either of the PDA attached using the USB
connection when Mobile Device Center is started it indicates "Not
Connected". I have tried several settings on the "Mobile Device Settings"
without success.

What am I missing here? The Acer N300 is running the Mobile 5 OS....RDK

 

Hello again....I should have mentioned that the USB ports seem to be working
with other devices. ...RDK

 

Hello...Looks like not much activity in this forum. Well, I'll keep trying.

It would appear that Windows 7 is seeing something when I attach, via USB,
each of my PDA's as I now see the following in the "Printers and Devices"
page:
1) for the Axim X30 (OS Window Mobile 2003 2nd Edition), it shows up as an
"Unidentified device"
2) for the Acer N300 (OS Windoes Mobile 5 (OS 5.1.195 Build 14292.2.2.1)),
it shows up as a "Microsoft Windows Mobile Remote Adapter"
3) and finally for our Mia P550 DigiWalker PDA/GPS (OS Windoes Mobile 5 (OS
5.1.195 Build 14292.2.2.1)), it shows up as "Generic RNDIS"

None of them show connected in the Mobile Device Center.

Any help out there?.....RDK

 

not much activity <<

partialy true, but more relevant is the fact that wmdc is pretty broke
and most people here don't have solutions plus they have given up on it.

If you are condemned to wmdc (vista or above) consider exchange sync
options... google has a free one... see
http://bevhoward.com/GoogleSync.htm for info on that.

Beverly Howard

 

Vista/Win7 drivers <<

hmmm... brings up another possibility...

The winmobile drivers are simply files that associate the device id with
the sync app... The following _might_ address.

Find the CD that came with the device(s) and find WCEUSBSH.INF and (for
XP and above) WCEUSBSH.CAT, copy those to the pc, rightclick the inf
file and select install.

I know it's there for the axim, not sure about the acer.

Additionally, ms "drops" sync support for older devices with each
incarnation of their sync "tool" and that could be a factor as well.

Beverly Howard

 

Thanks for the lead. I have tried to search for anything on the web which
might relate to any of these PDA's syncing with Windows 7. Acer does not
even list PDA's on their web site. Dell wants "For Pay" service if I call
or e-mail the issue. Mio is listed on the MS website as in progress - ah
some hope!

Any ideas where I could look for these drivers?

Thanks....RDK

 

Beverly....Thanks for the ideas. I will try these tomorrow or Friday. I
know where the Acer CD is, but not sure about the Dell Axim. If I can't find
the Axim CD do you know of another source for the files?

I gather from your reply and Frankster's that the Vista "drivers" will also
work on Windows 7?

Thanks again.....RDK

 

I gather from your reply and Frankster's that the Vista "drivers"
will also work on Windows 7? <<

no idea... simply thinking out loud.

In general, there is nothing special about the inf file... it is simply
a matching of the device's usb id code to the relevant process... I
would hope that the mobile team was smart enough to match wmdc with
devices that were vended when it was activesync.

Beverly Howard

 

Folks....Thanks for all of the ideas. I will try to get back to this
tomorrow or over the weekend. I'll lwt you know how I make out.....RDK

 

Folks...OK, I have tried a couple of your ideas and I have discovered that I
can not read my own handwritting ( :-( ), so part of my original post is
incorrect. I have corrected that and updated as per the suggestions:

1) for the Axim X30 (OS Window Mobile 2003 2nd Edition),
it shows up in the "Printers and Devices" as an "unspecified Device" /
"Dell Axim USB Sync"
AND in the "Device Manager" under "Mobile Devices" as a "Dell Axim USB
Sync"

2) for the Acer N300 (OS Windows Mobile 5 (OS 5.1.195 Build 14292.2.2.1)),
it shows up in the "Printers and Devices" as a "Generic RNDIS"
AND in the "Device Manager" as a "Network Adapter" identified as "Microsoft
Windows Mobile Remote Adapter"
AND on the PDA, Acrive Sync shows Connected.

3) and finally for our Mia P550 DigiWalker PDA/GPS (OS Windows Mobile 5 (OS
5.1.195 Build 14292.2.2.1)),
it shows up in the "Printers and Devices" as a "Microsoft Windows Mobile
Remote Adapter #2"
AND in the "Device Manager" as a "Network Adapter" identified as "Microsoft
Windows Mobile Remote Adapter #2"
AND on the PDA it complained about needed ActiveSync 4.1 or higher on the
PC

None of the devices has ever shown "Connected" for the Mobile Device Manger
in Windows 7

Removing and reinatalling the USB devices/drivers via the Device Manager and
rebooting had no effect

Any more ideas?......RDK

 

no mention of the .inf file in your post... that's critical to tell your
pc what these devices do when connected.

Window Mobile 2003 2nd Edition works just fine with Activesync 3.8 which
I would recommend unless you are vista and above... if so, wmdc is the
only option.

Windows mobile 5 or above requires activesync (XP) or wmdc... The
"activesync" simply reflects the fact that wmdc did not exist when that
os was released.

Beverly Howard

 

Beverly.....You are right, today I will look for the CD's for these devices
and see if I can find the files you mentioned. By the way, this is a
Windows 7 issue, all three PDA work just fine with XP and have never been
"exposed" to Vista so I can not comment on whether or not they would work
with it.

Thanks for the reminder......RDK

 

MegaTec45....Can you install programs on the PDA from the Windows 7 PC using
BlueTooth? I will get a BlueTooth device today and try out your
suggestion.....RDK

I have an LG Expo and cannot sync via USB also. I found that I can
sync using a blutooth dongle without any problems. I also use a free
app called WiFi remote access, available through the Openmarket app
that works great also.

 

Beverly....Well, I found the file in on my Acer setup CD. I copied it to
the desktop on the Window 7 PC. When I right-click and select Install it
gives me this error: "The INF file you selected does not support this method
of installation". If you wish I can e-mail you the file? Is it possible
there is something special that Windows 7 is looking for in the INF file?
....RDK

 

"The INF file you selected does not support this method
of installation" <<

Since I'm not running 7, can't answer the question... but you have given
me valuable information that the method doesn't work with 7

Thanks,
Beverly Howard

 

Folks.....Some progress and some road blocks. Just a note, none of my
devices are phones, all are PDA's

Yesterday I was able to connect and sync successfully with the Mio P550
(PDA/GPS). Removed all (that I could see) evidence of previous connections
with any of the three PDA's,I uninstalled the Moble Device Center, rebooted
and reinstalled it again directly from the MS site. I attached a BlueTooth
dongle to the PC which it installed and then rebooted again.

I fired up the MIO P550 and, now things get fuzzy, I fiddled with the MIO
BlueTooth menues until I saw the device in the Add Device sub-window of the
Devices and Printers page on my Windows 7 PC (I believe it asked for an
exchange of codes before it connected??). I selected it, clicked next and
it installed the device and somewhere along in here it asked for the device
password and the Mobile Device Center activated. After that it showed
"Connected" and the sync menus became available. The unit then synced just
fine. The unit also showed up in the "My Computer" list of storage disks
and devices so I could drag and drop files.

I shut the PDA BlueTooth transmitter down and re-attached it via the USB
cable and that also now worked - go figure!!!

So much for the good news. I tried the other two units. As before, I could
get them to show int he Devices and Printers page, but they never
successfully connected with the Mobile Device Center. As the ACER N300 has
the same version of Windows Mobile as the above Mio I was hopeful that it
would also now connect - no luck. Neither of these units show up in the "My
Computer" listing of disks and storage devices .

Thus it does appear that some type of "driver" file/interfacing information
is missing and will be required to get these two units working with the
Mobile Device Center and syncing. Or prehaps something else???

I attached the Acer N300 to my wife's Vista laptop using the USB (it does
not have BlueTooth) and it connected fine and allowed me to see the units
memory and SD card in the "My Computer" page. That laptop does not have
Outlook so it did not offer the ability to sync information.

Any good ideas???.....RDK

 

MegaTec45....Thanks. As you will see in the new posting above I was able to
successfully get one of my units to connect and sync.

I will have to look at the BlueTooth level, i was not aware there were
differences. I would hope that earlier BlueTooth devices would work with
2.0 as it is the two older devices which are stillnot connecting.....RDK

Yes, the Activesync with Blue Tooth works the same as USB. For just
transferring files, I personally like using WiFi Remote Access
If your phone uses BT 2.0 make sure the dongle is for BT 2.0 as well

 

MegaTec45.....Sorry for the delay, I've been battling with the other two PDA
and not winning any of the battles. I will try to address your questions
the next time I get back to that PC with my Mio.....RDK

I'm pretty sure that the BT 2.0 is backward compatable.
Are you able to sync every time now with USB? The reason I'm asking is
that I was able to sync sometimes with USB after deleting partnerships
rebooting and connecting, but usually after one or two syncs, it would
stop again. So far the only reliable sync has been BT.
With your other 2 devices, have you made sure to pair them with your
PC? Also, I think you have to select the device in BT manger when
changing from one to the other.
The only thing that BT sync won't be able to do is a new ROM flash, it
requires a USB connection.

 

Folks .....Yes, I have gotten all of the PDA's to connect and sync with
Windows 7.

How? That's a very good question and the answer is not crystal clear, but
here goes:

-> Coincidently with this problem, Windows 7 was complaining about some
incompatibilities with Nero 8. So as a good husband, I went out and got an
upgrade to Nero 9 and at the same time they offered, "Move it" as $12 extra.
"Move It" is an app which is supposed to allow one to connect to phones,
music players, and other devices to transfer music, etc. For $12 I got it
also.
-> today I installed Nero 9 and "Move it".
-> "Move it" did not connect or see any of our phones or PDA's
-> but while trying with it, all of a sudden Windows 7 recognized the
USB connection from the Acer to the PC. Mobile Device Center asked for the
PDA password, and it was connected and ready to sync!!
-> Obstanently, Bluetooth did not work??
-> I tried the Dell with the USB, and it worked like the Acer above.
Bluetooth did not work

So was it the Nero app, a change in the phase of the moon or an update from
Microsoft? I don't know!

I also downloaded the VISTA version of the phone sync app from Samsung.
Installed it and Windows 7 now sees my phone. "Move it" id not.

THE END......RDK

 

MegaRec45.....I fired up the MIO again today and it synced just fine. See
my above post to find out about the other units. Preview....Success.....RDK

I'm pretty sure that the BT 2.0 is backward compatable.
Are you able to sync every time now with USB? The reason I'm asking is
that I was able to sync sometimes with USB after deleting partnerships
rebooting and connecting, but usually after one or two syncs, it would
stop again. So far the only reliable sync has been BT.
With your other 2 devices, have you made sure to pair them with your
PC? Also, I think you have to select the device in BT manger when
changing from one to the other.
The only thing that BT sync won't be able to do is a new ROM flash, it
requires a USB connection.