Sharing and Working with Devices in Your Network

Transferring Files Between Mobile Phones and Your Windows 7 Computer via Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a popular wireless technology used to exchange data between devices over short distances. One very common use for it is transferring files between two mobile phones or between a mobile phone and a laptop or netbook computer. An important downside of Bluetooth support for Windows 7 is the fact that some manufacturers do not provide full support for Windows 7 in their drivers. Therefore, you might experience problems connecting your mobile phone to your Windows 7 computer. This is especially true for older or less expensive mobile phones. Newer, more popular and expensive models generally benefit from good support and drivers that enable successful connections to Windows 7 computers.

Before trying to connect your computer to your mobile phone, it is highly recommended that you install the latest drivers for the Bluetooth device on your computer and the latest drivers for your phone. These usually come packaged in the PC suites created by the manufacturer of your phone (for example: Nokia Ovi Suite, Sony Ericsson PC Suite, Motorola Phone Tools, or Samsung PC Studio). Another aspect worth keeping in mind is that desktop computers generally are not equipped with Bluetooth devices, so you cannot use them to establish such connections. If you want to establish Bluetooth connections on your desktop computer, you need to purchase and install a separate adapter.

Also, not all mobile computers such as laptops or notebooks have Bluetooth devices. Therefore, it is best for you to check the configuration of your specific model and confirm whether it has Bluetooth support. If it does have a Bluetooth device, then read the next sections.

If your computer does not have a Bluetooth device, then your only solution is to connect your mobile phone via a computer cable. This is usually provided by the manufacturer of your phone in the original packaging.

Assuming that you have a Bluetooth device on your computer and the latest drivers are installed, you need to follow a series of steps—in the correct order—before you begin transferring anything via Bluetooth. These steps are covered comprehensively in the next sections, so read them carefully; otherwise, you might run into some problems.