Motorola Mobile Phone Tools with USB Data Cable

Sweet When it Installs Correctly, but a Pain if it Doesn't - Find out how to Install...

Posted Apr 6, 2006 - Here's a review for those having problems and those wondering just what this software does and if they want it. Is it worth it? Definitely, if you own the V3 or other Motorola phones. It will sync Outlook on your PC with your phonebook in your Motorola phone. From there it only gets better. It will modify any file intuitively and quickly for transfer to your phone, save all files on your phone except the locked files, and you can edit just about anything. All done using USB, Bluetooth, or Infra-red. It also allows fast USB charging at your PC, using the phone as a modem for your PC, answering and making calls from your PC, and messaging using your keyboard. Wondering about Media Functions? You can use the included Multi-Media console to edit and install short MPEG-4 movies, MP3s, pictures, all which can be saved on your PC and installed at will. For one thing you will never need to purchase a ring tone in you have any MP3s you really like. The edit options here are very nice and fast. So many in fact, that it requires some getting used to. It works so well it can really be great...if there are no problems during the install. 5 stars here due to the great performance when correctly installed. Fast USB charging requires this software as the driver is proprietary and although Windows can recognize a connected device, it must have the driver from the disk to install the feature. Installation - The Big If: Microsoft and Motorola, maybe BVRP (the software writer), have some issues that prevent many installations from working. This is due in 2 parts, one to Microsoft updates and the other to the Motorola FTP servers. When it doesn't work properly after an install, it could be all, some, or no features will work correctly. The work around is not fun. That disk is called ver. 3.0, but in fact is ver. 3.11. This can entail multiple restarts to get to ver. 3.25. From there to ver. 3.28 requires no restart. Those restarts require time as the software will load slowly. The software does supply tutorials as it installs to aid the user. It is required they be read. Currently, there is no patch to solve the updates problem in Windows if encountered. The Motorola update is automatic and 20-30 Mb. to ver. 3.25. Version 3.28 is 10-16 Mb. This is not something you can download to install later as it comes straight though from the FTP updates server. BVRP does supply 2 patches at their site under Motorola Phone Tools Deluxe. These update the auto updates feature and provides some checking for proper operation before updating. The bad news is if your install didn't take well, the only way to get it working right, currently, is to clean your hard drive re-format and re-install Windows - installing the phone tools CD and updating before adding the Windows updates. Maybe, before too long, a Hotfix will repair the Windows problem and Motorola Phone Tools will be an easy install as it was once before. How do I know this? I have it installed on a number of computers and removed it from one just to see what it takes now for a re-install and a new install. I did this just to see what others were howling about. Oh, and if you have ver. 3.25 already working and properly installed, the update to 3.28 works fine - just be sure to save all old files if prompted. Is it right for you? Be well advised. At any rate it is a great software when it installs properly. The Bluetooth and USB works great for me, but the actual transfers from the phone or to it are a little slow but error free. Initialization is also a bit slow when using the software. Just wait until the phone screen on your computer has finished loading - the 8 buttons on the side will all darken. Update 4/6/06: The Motorola Phone Tools updates are now to version 4.04b. This is a full install which removes the old version. The install went well, requiring no restart, but slowly on my computers and everything continues to work properly. I noticed a marked improvement in initialization with the new version, while running the program, and a new look with improved controls.

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I bought this cable and software to download pictu ...

Posted Feb 24, 2005 - I bought this cable and software to download pictures and it works great for this purpose it works great. I've had some success getting Outlook contacts imported into the phone but there were some redundancies. I like the ability to edit the "phonebook" from the desktop and then synch that with the phone. After I installed Mobile Phone Tools software, I upgraded to v3 using the live update feature. One bug is the pull down menus for Multimedia Studio are now in French and I'm not fluent...

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I bought an older version of software that came wi ...

Posted Apr 30, 2006 - I bought an older version of software that came with the appropriate cable and the newer version of software was thrown in for free. I did not try to use the old software, but the new software installed on my XP computer with no issues except for the possible bluetooth problems noted above.

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Best to start off with a contact that is completel ...

Posted Dec 30, 2004 - Best to start off with a contact that is completely empty on either your computer or phone, same with the contacts leave one blank then the transistion might be a little easier. I loved the Ringtone editor with my V400 camera phone. Camera doesn't take the best of pics, but you can download them to your computer to clear your sim card.

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The software is average at best. The connection b ...

Posted Jan 14, 2005 - The software is average at best. The connection between the phone and pc is not very consistent. Transfer of files once connection is made is rather slow for a usb connection. Software updates are free.

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for transferring phone numbers from outlook it is ...

Posted Jun 19, 2005 - for transferring phone numbers from outlook it is one click easy. I have don't think this is a great synch tool, but for sending from computer to phone, it is great. it is a one trick pony, as calendar, multimedia, and even modem are things you probably won't use. so you need to judge how many phone numbers you want on your phone, and how long it might take to xfer them one by one, versus using the computer and one click. it was worth it for me, as I now have all of my work contact categorized and on the phone.

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Motorola Mobile Phone Tools

Posted Oct 31, 2005 - It's very easy to use and very reasonable price tag ( I got it for $10). Worth for the money. Very easy to manage and maintain the phone numbers and phone book. Only problem is, it has compatibility issue with my bluetooth device.

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I found this software not to be very compatible wi ...

Posted Apr 18, 2004 - I found this software not to be very compatible with Outlook. I spent many hours massaging the Outlook data to prepare for the phone by setting up a separate category, only to find that the Phone Tools software did not accept Outlook categories and I had to set up a separate folder. Then the data duplicated the data in my phone when I synchronized. I spent hours trying to clean it up and each try corrupted the data more. Also, the backup did not work and I lost the data that I had started with in my phone. Finally after uninstalling and reinstalling the software I was able to synchronize the contacts. However the Outlook folder I am "syncing" with had to be configured far differently from my basic Outlook contacts in order to get the information into the phone properly. Consequently, there is no value to "syncing" with Outlook because I essentially have a new set of data anyway. It might have been better to use their phone book and import Outlook contacts as v-files, but the manual gave no clue that was an option. The help screens were of no use. It would be nice if they gave you information about the data configuration before you start. That would save a lot of trial and error to get the data to look the way you want.

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DOES NOT WORK WITH V325

Posted Aug 11, 2006 - Do NOT buy if you just got a 325 - all multimedia disabled, online support useless. Instead, hit Google for freeware "Send to Phone" - free, and you can alter ringtones & wall paper to your hearts content.

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motorola phone tools

Posted Aug 30, 2005 - the tools worked great with the included cable, but my usb-bluetooth port needed special installation to be compatable with windows service pack 2. This is not a fault of the motorola phone tools - it's a known bluetooth-windows SP2 issue.

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Yeah, it works!!

Posted Apr 2, 2006 - Overall, this is a good program. I really like the fact I don't have to pay my phone carrier for ringtones. As I said in weaknesses, the download time for updates seem to take awhile even on DSL. Approximately 20-30 minutes overall (includes install on downloads). As for the MP3's I do not know why some are not accessible. I have noticed it more on Downloaded music than on my CD's I own. Must be the copy protection. I also like the option of blending MP3's together to make one ringtone. It is a neat feature. I give it 4 stars, because it does take a litte time to figure out how to use all the features and sometimes it hangs up, which requires a reboot. But it may be my computer. I do recommend it.

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Motorola Phone Tools

Posted Feb 8, 2006 - This program is not what I thought it was going to be. I do not like this program and cannot recommend it to anyone. In a way I'm sorry I bought it.

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Motorola Phone Tools is terrible

Posted Aug 2, 2006 - It does have a redeeming factor; (why I wouldn't go and microwave the CD right away) is that I can keep a running backup of my phone's contacts, and what-not, on my PC and work with them as I need too. That is about where that ends. The Text messaging interface is a cheap rip off of an early Outlook Express Interface, with less functionality. It does not properly receive texts from the phone on demand, however it sends texts alright.. but it is still a poor attempt. Working with the picture/file manager is one of the worst experiences I think I've encountered with this program. Though the interface allows you to "manipulate" more than one file.. DON'T. Especially with pictures. Every time you even think about looking at a file, it has to "copy" it again from the phone. God forbid you drag select a bunch of files, because it has to "copy" every file, one by one, before it selects them Oh and don't click anything else because it has to do it all over again. you could easily get stuck in a loop where its constantly copying files and you can't even close the program while its "copying".. All in all, a VERY frustrating program to work with. but unfortunately, not many options out there.

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Its simple to install and use. It works exactly f ...

Posted Jun 23, 2004 - Its simple to install and use. It works exactly for what I needed, which it hooks me to the internet via my cell so I'm completely mobile with my computer now!

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I received this a week ago. I have tried to sync m ...

Posted Nov 23, 2004 - I received this a week ago. I have tried to sync my v710 phone to my PC with WIN ME and when that did not work, another PC with WIN XP. Both OS's have all updates. No luck even in the remotest sense. I went to Motorola for help. They are not responding. I checked the web site for help and found a troubleshooting description of the problem. I followed it and it still doesn't work. And the reason I bought this was because I want to sync up my Outlook address book with my phone and you can't do that out of the box with Bluetooth. You need the special cable. Save your money!!!

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