Database Users

Stupid question - USB cable...

Just received my second-hand SPV M700. Pleased with it so far, but as far as I could tell there wasn't a USB synchronisation cable included in the box.
Presumably I can use a standard Mini USB cable to synchronise? Don't have to use one of the custom connectors, right?

phone Orange and complain it should have been in the box, however any old USB cable (with the right sized ends ) will do just fine

deech said:
phone Orange and complain it should have been in the box, however any old USB cable (with the right sized ends ) will do just fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Second-hand unfortunately, so Orange have had nothing to do with it. But thanks anyway, now I know that I can use a standard USB cable that'll do me

Of course this is mini USB like a lot of other devices...
The special shape is designed for audio device, but is fully compatible with mini USB

Any USB cable for connecting Blackstone to PC?

Can I use any standard USB cable for syncronizing the Blackstone with my PC?

I'm sure you can.

fronk1 said:
Can I use any standard USB cable for syncronizing the Blackstone with my PC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The connector in the Touch HD is a ext-USB but it's compatible with standard mini usb cables (and with my old HTC Universal Car charger and home charger). So you can use any mini usb cables you have (for ex. those usually used for cameras)
The ext-USB standard is required for special headsets like those where you have a minidisplay and buttons for track changing, skip, etc.....
At the moment I don't know if other devices that use ext-USB have been released.
Have fun

Yes the Touch will accept any USB cable, however dont think that the lead provided will work the other way as it does not. Its squared off and will not fit my N95, PSP or any other of the gadgets sitting around

Why don't certain USB cables work?

I am a little confused why certain usb cables don't let me synch with my computer. I have a couple of non-original cables which work fine but then certain ones don't..."not recognised" on computer though they are able to charge the Touch HD.
This is annoying as I wanted a small portable rectractable cable but the one I bought from ebay doesn't work!
Any ideas?

From Wikipedia
"HTC manufactures Windows Mobile-based Communicators and the T-Mobile G1 which have a proprietary connector called HTC ExtUSB. The ExtUSB combines mini-USB (with which it is backwards-compatible) with audio/video input and output in an 11-pin connector."
Pins 1 and 5 on the mini plug (1 & 4 on the std. USB) are power so some leads are sold as power extenders and only use the two circuits.

Thanks, but that doesn't explain why certain usb cables non-HTC still work fully, for example my Sony PS3 lead works as does a non-standard one I got with a hard-drive, whereas others don't?
Does anyone know where I can buy a small retractable usb-mini usb lead that works fully with the Touch HD?

Never experienced something like this... all the standard mini-USB cables work for me. there could be differences in the pins. Look closer to the cables, maybe you will see a difference

all miniusb cables works for me too

No, I got 5 of those retractable cables off of ebay too, none work Work fine for 2.5" hdd and digital camera but not HD.

In the retractable cables there are two formats.
4 core (twin screende cables)
6 core (triple screened cables)
The 4 core cables will charge and sync in standard (Enable faster data synchronisation unchecked in settings/USB to PC) and sometimes with only certain HTC phones.
The 6 core cable works in all modes.
Found this out myself sometime ago and mentioned it before here in the Kaiser forum.
Buy one from RS, they have a six core retractable.

Farsquidge said:
In the retractable cables there are two formats.
4 core (twin screende cables)
6 core (triple screened cables)
The 4 core cables will charge and sync in standard (Enable faster data synchronisation unchecked in settings/USB to PC) and sometimes with only certain HTC phones.
The 6 core cable works in all modes.
Found this out myself sometime ago and mentioned it before here in the Kaiser forum.
Buy one from RS, they have a six core retractable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will try that but what is RS? Can you give me the website please. And have you personally tried this retractable cable with the Touch HD and confirm it works
Thanks

maybe
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/ ?
another factor could be mechanical if the cable's connector is a bit loose
and the connector on the htc is a bit thinner then some cables may not get the connection

Rudegar said:
maybe
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/ ?
another factor could be mechanical if the cable's connector is a bit loose
and the connector on the htc is a bit thinner then some cables may not get the connection
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the link.
It can't be a mechanical connection problem as the Touch HD charges when connected but the computer says "USB device not recognised"

sarwarkashif said:
Thanks, but that doesn't explain why certain usb cables non-HTC still work fully, for example my Sony PS3 lead works as does a non-standard one I got with a hard-drive, whereas others don't?
Does anyone know where I can buy a small retractable usb-mini usb lead that works fully with the Touch HD?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all previous HTC could use all the non HTC cables around. from the touch §G and HD on they do not work anymore to sync. Boxwave.com has retractable cable which sync and charge.

WELL!
Here's another one to shake the mould...
I have just bought a Sony Viao P series and no matter what cable I use it will not recognise the HD.
I have noticed it has a trial version of Windows Onecare live installed and the Mobile device center does not automatically appear as an allowed program on the firewall.
Maybe more to this than a cable for some...
Will report when I get it working.

That's interesting. I tried my different cables on two different laptops (HP and Toshiba) and both with the same results

Farsquidge said:
WELL!
Here's another one to shake the mould...
I have just bought a Sony Viao P series and no matter what cable I use it will not recognise the HD.
I have noticed it has a trial version of Windows Onecare live installed and the Mobile device center does not automatically appear as an allowed program on the firewall.
Maybe more to this than a cable for some...
Will report when I get it working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This happened to me with Vista too, I had to install the latest device center from here http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/help/synchronize/device-center-download.mspx to get it to work.

AHHH !!! I understand!!! I had the same problem at the Notebook of my girlfriend! She has VISTA installed and I cannot sync my phone! The problem are not the cables, but VISTA! the same cables work fine at Windows XP!

Koffein Schluck said:
AHHH !!! I understand!!! I had the same problem at the Notebook of my girlfriend! She has VISTA installed and I cannot sync my phone! The problem are not the cables, but VISTA! the same cables work fine at Windows XP!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought that too but tried mine on both XP and Vista and the same outcomes

OK,
Two things... with a possible third...
Refer to my previous post of retractable cable types for one...
Secondly, if you have Onecare installed....
Widows live Onecare does not automatically allow Mobile device center through and causes a hang when syncing (Vista only).
Go to the Windows Live Onecare under Startmenu (NOT the Windows Firewall in Control Center as they are different!)
Select "Change Settings" Then "Advanced Settings"
Add programs (In Windows\WindowsMobile\)
wmdc.exe and wndSync.exe
If you have a failed partnership (recognises phone but does not sync) open Windows Mobile device center, delete the partnership with the phone when its connected. Disconnect and open Activesync on the phone, select options and delete the partnership there.
Re-establish connection and set it up again, all should be OK. If you lose any contacts or details, you will find them in the deleted items of Outlook and you can just return them to the applicable directories in Outlook and sync again.
Then it should work.
If all else fails, the third possible item is found with a search of "Possible micro-USB failure" as mentioned many times in XDA.

Anyon thought that it could be a power issue from the USB ports?
Not sure if it's likely with this, but seen as though it charges at the same time... Maybe try a different USB port.
My Western Digital Passport wont work on my front USB drives but works perfectly on my back ones.
Could simply be a power issue?.......Maybe......

Anyon thought that it could be a power issue from the USB ports?
Not sure if it's likely with this, but seen as though it charges at the same time... Maybe try a different USB port.
My Western Digital Passport wont work on my front USB drives but works perfectly on my back ones.
Could simply be a power issue?.......Maybe......

evildead4eva...nope I tried all 3 USB ports on my laptop and no change
Farsquidge...I looked into your suggestions and you must be right! For me its probably down to having a 4 core retractable cable or the "Possible micro-USB failure"...
I've read the posts in the thread... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=362679
...and the problems sound similar to what I've been having
Thanks for your help
I just need to find the 6 core retractable cable that works now (I checked RS website but they don't seem to stock it now)

"USB" connector

I have previously made up very short charging leads to use with earlier PDAs and my Arkon car mount. Having just got the Touch HD I was dismayed to see the "non-standard" USB connector. I cannot find a supplier of plugs to fit these anywhere. There are plenty of cheap car chargers around claiming to fit Touch HD, but I wonder if they do? Do they expect me to use the cable that came with the HD? I don't want to hack that one around. So any ideas? Can I buy a cheap sync cable and modify that? Can I get the plugs I need?

I thought the same thing but it turns out the normal usb plugs fit the HD.

You can just use a normal mini-usb male connector, it fits the same way as in a normal female usb-connector, at least for charging and mounting the phone as harddisk on a pc it works. i think even acticesync should work, 'cause its a normal usb-connection it uses.
greetings
Seth

Well, even activsync will work, at least it work on my HD, you can even flash your HD trough normal USB cable. Check - http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=BlackstoneFAQ.
Jakkuz

Wonderful! Many thanks everyone. I already have a car and mains charger with normal mini-usb connectors. Problem solved
I wonder why they made the connector like that?

pastyman said:
Wonderful! Many thanks everyone. I already have a car and mains charger with normal mini-usb connectors. Problem solved
I wonder why they made the connector like that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspect they were considering some proprietary nonsense at some point

Is the HD extremely picky on USB connections?

I have used several WM phones before this, the two last were Atom and Atom Life. But this phone does not want to play ball with the USB extension cables I've been using all the time. First: No, the cables are all right: I can still sync my Atom Life without any problems. And I have used the original USB cable for the HD that comes with the box at the end (even though I've heard that syncing works just as well with a regular mini USB).
But neither a 3 m long extension cable (which is well below the 5 m USB limit) nor plugging it into a USB hub helps. Sometimes I can get a bit further with unticking the "advanced network" part of the USB to PC connection. But not allways. Has anybody here found a solution to that or even had the same problem?

Mine works fine on a Belkin 5 metre extension cable.

I can only sync with the cable that came with the phone. Other mini USB cables (ones that fit but are a different shape) only charge.

barryfell said:
I can only sync with the cable that came with the phone. Other mini USB cables (ones that fit but are a different shape) only charge.
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Click to collapse
r u serious?! damn..!!! i've never tried it with the HD. my touch pro used to work perfectly with non-factory mini usb cable...

This happened to my HD.
Phone call to orange later and they insisted on replacing it under insurance.
All they wanted to check was whether the HD and PC would sync. I told them no and the response from the script that they have to work through, was that the phone is marked as "broke" and needs replacing.
In my case I suspect that the USB port may have been damaged when the car charger cable was pulled out accidently in the car with some force. Seems that they are a little delicate, especially with none HTC cables (i.e. without the odd shaped plug with only one corner truncated). I have read that non HTC ones fit a little less snug and can put stress on the board inside the phone when plugging / unplugging.

nickallison said:
Seems that they are a little delicate, especially with none HTC cables (i.e. without the odd shaped plug with only one corner truncated). I have read that non HTC ones fit a little less snug and can put stress on the board inside the phone when plugging / unplugging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You hit that on the money. I see it as a design flaw as well as a scheme to get people to buy HTC-specific accessories. But you are right, generic cables with the different connector do fit loosely and can cause issues after time if you are not gentle with it. Also, the USB connector itself on the device and internally on the solder points is poorly designed. This doesn't help.

I can sync with any cable, but it seems to be to problems:
1. If the extension is too long, it will fail.
2. If it's run by more than one USB hub it will fail. The first hub is a Toshiba docking station with a one meter cable from the laptop. The second is a D-Link powered USB hub. No matter what cable I use then it won't sync. With the cable connected to the Toshiba docking I can sync both with a regular mini USB and the original cable. Strange thing is that it only works on one of the two the front USB connections and not on one of the four at the rear! Then again Windows isn't supposed to be logical, I guess...

Normal miniusb cable works perfectly for either charging and syncing.
I even had a 7m usb cable (5m and a 2m usb extending cable), worked perfectly for either charging and syncing (I need my phone to be next to my bed, and my PC is like a few meters away from my bed).
Seriously don't know how your HD refuses to work with a cable other than the stock HD USB cable.

Hi,
are you using a custom ROM?
i used all sorts of cables, whatever happens to be lying around, infact i never use the stock one, as this is plugged it at a very inaccesable wall socket for mains charging!
generally my cables go through a hub, and then a 1m extension.
the reason i ask about the ROM is that i have flashed loads of different ROMS, and all worked fine, except one ROM (think it was topix 2.6), where it would only connect for a brief moment before auto-disconnecting. i suspect it was a 'bad flash' as they say, and so if you are using a custom ROM would suggest a re-flash. if not, you could consider a hard reset, or trying a different ROM (perhaps if it the stock ROM it has a 'bad flash' at the factory)
Tom

This thread has been hijacked (I never asked about regular mini USB versus the proprietary HTC version), but if you're asking me, I'm using the latest official HTC version (Norwegian).

mine is not picky at all...

Thank god, I checked with a mini usb that came with my external HDD and it worked perfectly...

I tried 3 other cables and none of them work apart from to charge.
I'll see if it's an issue with using my hub.

barryfell said:
I tried 3 other cables and none of them work apart from to charge.
I'll see if it's an issue with using my hub.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried updating usb drivers?

Fallen Spartan said:
Have you tried updating usb drivers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No i'll try that when I get home.
Thanks

I have this issue with a specific cable on vista64, the phone only charges, but if I connect it to a Ubuntu box, I can sync, share network etc.
I think M$ is the issue in that case.