Smart phone - help needed... Must download pictures!!

[ameerat42]

Folks.
I recently was given a Sony Xperia Acro S LT26W, to be precise.
(OK, you can stop cheering.)

Now, the problem is that I CANNOT seem to connect the phone to any other Blutooth device.

When I have tried (about a 12en different times/ways), the best I have ever got is its name listed in
my list of connected devices on the computer and NOTHING else. I could not open that Device. Yet two
other phones I tried, and my desktop computer, all went well.

So, has anybody had any (equally dark) experience with this model or other Sony phone? IS there SOME TRICK
that is not even listed in the manual? And to that end, I cannot even find the stated menu item - it's missing - that
lets you copy all images to your SD card from the phone memory!!!

Just thought I'd ask here 1st.

Ta.
Am(a bit brassed off).

[Mathy]

Hi AM
I use an iPhone and gave up on a bluetooth connection. I looked up the manual for your phone and it would seem that you can connect and transfer stuff via USB cable - here is the link http://www.manualslib.com/manual/544...page=99#manual

hopefully this is of some help, cheers Deb

[ameerat42]

Ta Deb. I reached that conclusion a few days ago, too. I'm holding onto it as a last hope.
Tomorrow I will go to the computer store and get a cable - the very one I HAVEN'T got of many - and give it a whirl.

I was just hoping there would be something I was overlooking.
Am.

- - - Updated - - -

PS: I've been all over the forums like a rash!

There's been a rash of "I can't connect my SONY phone using Blutooth".

There hasn't been a single pimple of solution.

This is UN-believable. I'm glad this was a gift, not a purchase.

[arthurking83]

Are you trying to download the images from the phone to the (1/.) PC? .... or (2/.) some other (bluetooth enabled) device?

If 1/. then best way forward from here is to try a program called MyPhoneExplorer.
This software works for all Android and Sony Ericsson phones. (ie. not Blackberrys/Windows/iPhones)

Install this software on your PC, and also get the client app for the phone(get it from the play store).

It's all donationware(ie. basically free to use until you decide to donate something to the cause).

It will connect your phone to the PC wired, or via any wireless connection mode.
(best wireless method is Wifi, but if this is a problem then bluetooth also works).

The spec sheet for this phone says Android 4.1(Jelly Bean), but you need to confirm the Android version now that you have the phone in your hands(that's easy .. main settings page, scroll to the bottom, about phone scroll around and you'll see the Android version somewhere).
If it's been updated to Android v4.4(KitKat) then you can't copy files to the removable media card. (a seriously annoying so called security step introduced by Google with 4.4)

But if you still have any Android below Kit Kat(ie. lower than v 4.4) you should be able to save files to any external/removable media no problems.

Other programs of noteworthiness(ie. must haves) are ES File Explorer. A very well thought out file explorer that allows you to do just about anything you want(if permissions allow it).

For browsing/managing images only .. I suggest QuickPic(once again, all apps through Play).

In QuickPic you can press and hold any/all images, tick them to be active, go to the options menu(three dots on the top righthand corner) and select move too. Navigate to the location you want to move them too and you should be done.
ES file explorer allows you to do similar things. Find a file, press and hold it .. it marks it with a tick, then you tick any other file you want to work with.

ES File explorer also allows you to connect to remote devices/servers/machines etc.
For that you open the side bar up(three horizontal lines top left corner). Go to Network. As it will be the first time you are doing this, the network list may be blank. at the bottom of the page there is a scan button. Hit that.
Any device on your network that allows public connection will then reveal itself on this page.
If you are the only user on your PC, and you don't have any public shares(ie. media/public files/etc) available at all ... this PC won't show up. You can manually try to configure it as a server .. but this is tedious(to do and to explain how to do!).
Of course you need some form of network connection for the phone(ie. Wifi is the most obvious choice here).
It also allows direct connection to any cloud services you have(ie. OneDrive/GoogleDrive/DropBox/etc).

As for the bluetooth connection. Can't really help all that much. Has it asked for any pin or authorisation number? if not, it should. Even if the device just needs a simple 0000 or 1234 passcode, it should still ask for one.
As far as I'm aware, all bluetooth devices have one(or should have one).
Bluetooth connections to PCs can be hit and miss.

Although in saying that, the quality of the bluetooth transceiver has a huge bearing on how well the connection is established, and maintained.
Some of the cheaper transceiver devices have driven me bonkers over the years.

On my 10" tablet(WIN 7), it had a basic Wifi/bluetooth radio built in. It gave me so much trouble with one device(a simple keyboard), yet connected easily every time with another(eg. mouse) .. the device type was variable. GPS, phones, OBDII interface .. whatever some connected easily, others only after a thousand lashings! .. the troublesome ones would finally connect at some point.
A while ago, I got tired of it(mainly the keyboard) and replaced the Wifi/bluetooth radio(it's an internal type) with one from ebay. The brand I went for tho is a well known and highly reputed brand(Killer Networks).
Best Wifi performance and now completely stable bluetooth connection 100% of the time. The original wifi/bt radio device that came with the tablet is/was useless. And the tablet wasn't cheap!
This was a couple of years ago now .. never looked back and worth the $.

A few weeks ago I had to get my son a new mouse for his laptop. So I thought get something good. Found a very nice Bt Microsoft mouse. It won't connect to his laptop no matter what. The options are simply .. will not connect. I should have read the box that the mouse came in. Bt 4 only and Win8.1 required! (major DOH! moment on my part).
Strangely tho, I now use this mouse on my 5 year old Win7 tablet with no problem. At the least the mouse wasn't a waste of money. I gave him my older bluetooth mouse(again M$) .. but he doesn't like that one much.

Moral of that story .. check your bluetooth version(s) at play here, as well as making sure you receive a passcode notice on both devices you're trying to connect.

** I once tried bluetooth transfer of files from one device to another. For small (50 .. or 100kb) xls files or very basic jpgs .. no problems.
But for multiple image files .. probably 5Mb each(or whatever) .. slow as hell. Never again. Wifi is the best wireless way forward.
Otherwise just a simple micro usb cable(charging cable), and look for the device in Windows Explorer.

ps. I have a Sony Experia Z(from a few years ago). Can't really remember having too much Bt connection issues with it tho.

[ameerat42]

Yes, AK. From the phone to the laptop.

I can use every other old phone to do this, but not the Sony.
Yes, once it asked to put in the pin. I couldn't - there was nowhere to type it in on the laptop.

I can see the phone in my network connections, but can't do a thing with it. The other, for instance, all show up
as drives. ALl under BT.

Ta for those other apps.
Am.

[arthurking83]

With a 16Mp camera .. even with compression, the jpg files are most likely to be in the 4Mb range each.
With older non smart phones .. they had what 3 . maybe 5Mp cameras at most. Probably 1-2Mb jpg files.
To transfer just one file over bluetooth would probably feel slow .. to transfer ALL images ... well, I'd be inclined to try that just before I go to bed and let it do the transfer overnight!

I can't help at the moment with options on the PC as I've updated my tablet to Win10(trial version) .. so for sure it's now going to display vastly different info compared to what Win7 did/does.
I don't have any bt radios to add to my desktop either.

I just recommend to forgo bt and connect via Wifi.
I know it's not a help for the Bt related question, but it's a better way to connect to the phone(especially via the use of MyPhoneExplorer).

If this is your new phone now(as in yours forever) .. I seriously recommend using MPE. Use it for full backups of the phone and to manage files and stuff like that too(and apps and all that stuff).
It has way too many features to list here .. but one simple(and really handy for me) feature you'd never think to be vital, is remote control of the phone via the PC.
I have an old phone of my sons(he's hopeless with his devices! ) but anyhow .. of the broken phones of his I still have, one works but a totally dead screen. Using the remote feature I can control his phone via the PC, even tho it's impossible to do so on the phone .. with the dead screen.
Not only did I save his info and stuff, but having just guessed that the screen may be dead, using the remote feature in MPE I confirmed that it's just a dead screen(and not a totally dead phone).
I re-enabled the vibrations and sounds on the phone again via the remote. I reckon I'd have disposed of this phone if not for this remote feature.

Anyhow, apologies for the ranting, and inability to resolve your Bt issue.

ps. I do vaguely remember that you only just recently got this laptop, so the assumption is that it most likely has a Bt version 3.0(unless it was a really cheap lappy of some vintage at Bt2.x)

If this is the case then the connection issue is most likely a driver/software related issue. That is, if there is a bt driver update for your laptop it may help to fix it.. or as I've had experience, you may find that one day for no reason at all, it may finally connect(and then not, and then connect .. etc).
But if your laptop is Bt 2.x, and the phone is Bt3(most likely), the laptop may physically never be able to connect to the phone, even tho the phone may try to connect to the laptop.

Are you using an external Bt radio, or is it a built in Bt? I'm assuming it most likely to be built in as most lappies do nowadays .. and not an external USB Bt transceiver.

[Mathy]

It all sounds very frustrating and I feel your pain If the BT for an iPhone and a Mac can be a total PITA (should be easy) I can imagine how rotten a time you're having!

[ameerat42]

All built in, AK. I understand all you're saying. It just 12 - that's DOZEN - work.

My next step is a USB cable (from shop tomorrow). WIFI no good either. Can't see it that way.

Not a great problem. After any failure - or even not - it'll be a call to SONY to RAOST them for their
ineptitude. That's not a spelling mistake, BTW. If true, they don't deserve an ordinary ROASTing.

Ta Mathy.It will only be exceeded by their rotten tomatoes - er! time.
Am.

[arthurking83]

I don't think Wifi will allow direct connection from PC to Phone at all.
Not from PC anyhow.
I know that Windows 7 isn't smart(or featured) enough to allow this type of browsing over Wifi.
Some better software is needed.

If you have the phone connected to your Wifi network, try MyPhoneExplorer, it allows you to specifically connect to the phone using it's established IP address if need be, but you don't usually need to do it this way.
It's phone searching ability is quite good, and it should connect to it very quickly.
Or, try ES File Explorer on the phone and connect to the PC from the phone.

Also, what version of Android is the phone running? This may be important at some point.

[ameerat42]

Ta. 4.0.4 of Android.
Just saw there's a later, but I need a cable to install it.

[arthurking83]

Ah, ok .. 4.0.4 .. got it.

I assume you only have a dedicated charging cable(with a power point plug at the other end)?

Any microUSB cable does the job, and is the best way to transfer files too BTW(faster).


have fun with it

[ameerat42]

All evidence points to cable. Will get. Ta.

[bitsnpieces]

I know when connecting my Xperia Z to a bluetooth keyboard, it asks to punch in a few numbers, although nothing comes up and of course, being a bluetooth keyboard, there's no screen, I just punch it in anyways and it works. Don't know if the computer is of similar nature or not.

Anyways, I haven't really tried bluetooth yet because I haven't found the bluetooth drivers for my laptop yet and have just given up on the bluetooth idea lol

[ameerat42]

Ta David.
This is the 1st time I've had trouble with BT. Those numbers you're talking about are the Passkeys that you have to put into the computer/device you're pairing.

Once you get it running, BT is quite OK. Even the older and slower version (??2).

Yes, SONY has not got the picture implemented very well at all with BT, IMO anyway. I'm off to get a USB cable today. I EXPECT no trouble getting the pictures
off the phone with that. If I do, though I will be EXPECTORATING SHARDS of fried starchy vegetable, I will say. so to speak.
Am.

[arthurking83]

.....

Yes, SONY has not got the picture implemented very well at all with BT, IMO anyway. .....

Could be, but my Experia Z(now two years old) is quite OK in most Bt applications.

Keyboard, OBDII dongle(for the car), Pioneer radio(aftermarket) connection for hands free and music/media connection.. etc. All end up working OK at some point.

One other thing I just thought of(because of the sometimes intermittent nature of the Experia Z connecting to the OBDII dongle) .. make sure that the phone hasn't paired with some other device via Bt.

They can only accept one pairing at a time(to my knowledge). This could depend on the devices tho. But I can't ever remember having my Sony connected via Bt to more than one device.
Because the phone pairs with the radio automatically, upon being in range .. I have to unpair it with the radio to allow it to pair with the OBDII dongle if I want to check my car.
if it's paired with the radio it just won't allow the OBDII device to pair.

Haven't checked with other devices yet to see if I can get it to pair with more than one device.

But lets say one of your Bt devices allows simple pairing events without the need to allow the security of a passkey(some older phones used to do this) .. your phone may inadvertently have connected to one of these devices without you knowing it, and thus not allowing the pairing to the PC.
(I dunno .. just clutching at straws for 'ya. but if you haven't already tried, try turning off all other Bt devices .. just in case).

[ameerat42]

That's interesting, AK. It connects very well with the hands-free in the car, but that is OFF most of the time.

I talked to 2 very separate IT-ites today, and they each said that I'd be better off using a USB cable. I did not
quite get their reason - was there one? - why. So when I went looking for the cable today, I showed the chap
what shape connector it was.

"No it's not!" he said. "That's the charger input." He then showed me the very usual connector, of which I have a few cables
lying about. I came back with the intention of trying it, INSTEAD, I was battling with a leak of water through a window and
was DRYING that. Later, I will try the cable connection.

But, I have not given up on the BT with this phone.

Ta for your input.

Am.

[bitsnpieces]

It uses a standard micro usb cable
Just make sure you get a quality cable (not a thin cheapo one) or it won't connect and charge properly

Also, set the usb connection to MTP (or something along those lines)
If connecting to the computer with that doesn't work, then you'll need to install the Sony drivers
But windows 8 should have compatible built in drivers available already

If all else fails, use mass storage for the usb mode

Just make sure photos taken are set to save on the memory card as mass storage doesn't access the phone memory

[ameerat42]

Ta Bits.

Now I have...

GOOD NEWS

to report...

The standard micro USB cable - of which I had 3 - DID WORK.

I have backed up the files from the phone.

So, TA to all for your advice/help/commiserations.

AK, I will look into MyPhoneExplorer that you mentioned in post#8 too.

Am.

[arthurking83]

.....

Just make sure photos taken are set to save on the memory card as mass storage doesn't access the phone memory

MTP mode should basically automatically load up once the phone is connected to the computer.

Windows Explorer can see the phone memory, but has limited access to it.
If you have the phone connected, in Win Explorer you should see an entry for 'Card' (or alternatively 'Internal Storage') and 'SD Card'
This depends on the phone type/brand/model/OS version, as it changes from phone to phone.

Android itself is confusing with it's storage naming.
Your phone's internal memory storage could be called 'SD Card' or SDCard0(that's a zero!!) and the removable media could be extSD Card or SD Card1.
It's annoying again, as model/brand/OS version all have a bearing on the naming of storage space.

I've had some devices change from one naming convention to another with an OS update. I think from SD Card0/1 to SD Card/ext SD Card.


MyPhoneExplorer allows you into every nook and cranny on the Phone, again look for the naming of the storage media as the clue to where you are in terms of storage space.
You can easily navigate deep into the most sensitive protected operating system areas via MPE, but as they are properly write protected you can't do much damage if you are simply curious.(unless the phone is 'rooted')

Where you only have two storage directories in Win Explorer, in MPE, you may see three. External storage/Memory Card/System Storage (or word to similar effect).
While it can appear confusing, it does make sense if you think about it. external is obviously the most external type(ie. removable type). Memory card .. doesn't really make sense to call it that, but it is in effect the same type of memory(flash memory!!).
It'd make more sense if they named it Phone Memory, or Device Memory or something .. but you get used to it.
System Storage is RAM.

[ameerat42]

Ta for this comprehensive info, AK.
Am.

- - - Updated - - -

AK.
I installed MyPhoneExplorer on laptop and... found it needed the client on Phone, so installed too.

After a few hiccups, seems to run OK over WiFi. Reckon it could not find phone over USB, but hook airs!!
Am.