Transfering Files to Windows Mobile without ActiveSync
I don't sync my phone with my laptop, because I'm using Linux and trying to get ActiveSync working with wine is too much of a headache. But getting files onto a windows mobile device without ActiveSync isn't easy.
If you try to download something like a .zip, .cab, .cer, or .exe file using "Internet Explorer Mobile", it keeps complaining Error: This file cannot be viewed on this device. In my case, I needed to install some certificates on my phone to access a corporate email account.
Here's a workaround: First, install Total Commander. This utility lets you actually *rename* files in Windows Mobile, something you can't normally do.
Next, upload the file(s) you want to download to some location you can access with IE from your phone, but change their extension to ".jpg". which you *can* download with IE Mobile. Once you've saved them locally, simply rename them.
If this sounds like an insane way to get files onto your phone, I'd love to hear some a way to transfer files to a Windows Mobile PDA without using ActiveSync!
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If you try to download something like a .zip, .cab, .cer, or .exe file using "Internet Explorer Mobile", it keeps complaining Error: This file cannot be viewed on this device. In my case, I needed to install some certificates on my phone to access a corporate email account.
Here's a workaround: First, install Total Commander. This utility lets you actually *rename* files in Windows Mobile, something you can't normally do.
Next, upload the file(s) you want to download to some location you can access with IE from your phone, but change their extension to ".jpg". which you *can* download with IE Mobile. Once you've saved them locally, simply rename them.
If this sounds like an insane way to get files onto your phone, I'd love to hear some a way to transfer files to a Windows Mobile PDA without using ActiveSync!
Browse:
Save:
Rename:
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There are a wide variety of methods, and of course your complaint omits that while its easy to rename files, the built-in file explorer does not let you change extensions.
Now, on to getting files onto WM without file explorer.
1) e-mail an attachment
2) bluetooth OBEX
3) FTP (here's a free FTP server mochaftp (http://www.mochasoft.dk/freeware/ftpd.htm) Run the server on your smartphone with WIFI, then just ftp into your phone and do whatever you want.
4) if your desktop is on a network, you could map a drive on your device and then copy files to and from it. Easiest using software like resco explorer.
5) copy files onto removable storage card
6) use software like softtick cardexport II, which will make your PDA into a removable USB drive.
There may be more ways which I missed. The one you chose seem particularly convoluted.
Thanks for the comment Surur. You're right that the built-in file explorer (annoyingly) doesn't let you rename file extensions. Total commander does.
1) In my case, I needed to transfer .cer files to my PDA in order to get email set up, so an email attachment wasn't an option. Attaching anything to an email and accessing it via webmail, putting you back to the same IE "This file cannot be viewed on this device".
2) Bluetooth OBEX is a good option if you can get it working -- on Ubuntu with a Windows Mobile PDA (T-Mobile Shadow, in my case), it does not work out of the box. I have been able to sync files to my phone between linux and windows mobile via USB with more work than I wanted, but not via bluetooth.
3) The ftp suggestion looks like a good suggestion for $20.
4) Resco explorer looks promising for mapping drives. You need Resco explorer 2008, not 2007, which doesn't seem to be available for Smartphone (? go to http://www.resco.net/pocketpc/explorer/default.asp and choose "Smartphone" and it bounces you to the 2007 version).
5) and 6) would indeed be good options if I had a storage card.