Troubleshooting tips and FAQ
Different types of cables and how to tell the difference
Drivers required and installation
Choosing the right com port in bitpim
I suspect my cable may be bad, what do I do?
The cable doesn't charge my phone
My item works partially but not how I thought it
would
Different
types of cables and how to tell the difference
Straight through cable vs. Prolific Serial to USB cable
The cable you received may not be clear whether it's a True USB or
a Prolific cable. Most Prolific cables we provide will have a large
oval blob in the middle of the cable however some will have the chip
in the USB end connector.
How can you easily tell the difference?
If you hook up a straight through cable to the computer without having
the phone attached, the computer will do nothing and recognize nothing.
You must connect the phone for the computer to react as if it sees something
connected.
If you hook up a cable with a chip in it with no phone attached, Windows
will recognize the device immediately and start the New Hardware Wizard.
Please note, a defective cable will not act this way. The wizard may
not run if the cable is bad.Normally a bad prolific cable does nothing
when plugged in the first time.
Click here to contact Customer Support
Drivers
Required
True USB straight through cable: The drivers required
when using this cable are specific for your phone or a group of phones
and can be installed from the specific model phone page. If you don't
see your phone listed email us to verify which driver to use.
Prolific Cable: The only driver required when using
this type of cable is the prolific driver. No specific driver is required
for your phone. You can install the driver from the specific model pohne
instructions page or you can obtain
the latest version driver here.
Driver Installation tips: Driver installation can
be tricky. It's very important that you do not hook up the cable and
phone to the computers USB port until after you've installed the correct
software driver from the instructions pages. If you do not see your
model phone there use the Other set of instructions.
Basic steps to driver installation - Prolific Cable
- Install software driver using link on instruction page
- Hook up cable alone to a USB port on your computer
- The Windows New HardwareWizard won't run, you will see a small window
pop up in the bottom right hand corner of your screen with the following
sequence.
- Found New Hardware - USB to Serial Controller
- Found New Hardware - Prolific USB to Serial Controller
- Found New Hardware - Installed and Ready to Use
- At this point, it's finished and successful.
- If you do not see the windows in the corner or you see something
about it malfunctioning, unplug and reboot the computer.
- After the computer is fully booted up, plug into a different USB
port.
- If you still receive the same message about it malfunctioning, contact
us.
- The Operating System will not see the phone when connected. This
is very important. Many people email me saying the phone isn't detected.
When using a prolific cable, the phone is not detected by Windows.
You must install a software application to see the phone. Each model
phone we provide instructions for has a software installation step
in the instructions. If your phone isn't listed, refer to the partially
works section.
Basic steps to driver installation - Straight Through USB Cable and
phone
- Install software driver using link on instruction page
- Hook up cable and phone to a USB port on your computer (phone must
be on)
- TheWindows New Hardware Wizard will start.
- If the wizard does not start did it ever start? meaning, if this
isn't the first time you've hooked up the cable, the wizard may have
ran and installed the driver already. If this is the case, the wizard
won't run again.
- Normal operation. This is what you should see when installing the
drivers.
-
The first window asks if you want to connect to
windows update to search for a driver.
Choose "no, not at this time" and click Next.
- The next Window will show that it's helping to install for a particular
device. Depending on the model phone you have, the actual device listed
may vary. Choose to Install the software automatically and click Next.
-
You may receive the following message regarding
windows logo testing, ignore and and click "Continue Anyway."
-
The next screen shows that the wizard has completed.
Click Finish.
- After you've completed that, depending on the model phone you have,
the wizard may start up all over again automatically. This is normal.
Just answer each prompt the same as above.The Wizard may run 3 times
and install each of the following devices:
- LGE CDMA Composite USB Device
- LGE CDMA USB Modem
- LGE CDMA USB Serial Port
Once the Wizard doesn't run anymore, the drivers have installed successfully.
Click here to contact Customer Support
Choosing
the right Com Port in bitpim
- Click Edit, Settings
2. See #2 below. Click the Browse button.
Prolific Cable:Choose the prolific com port from the
available ports list and click Ok. The actual com port number will vary
on each system and will be different plugged into each USB port. If
you don't see the prolific com port under available ports refer back
to the driver installation section here and make
sure you've installed those correctly. Also check the cable
troubleshooting section.
Straight through cable: Depending on the model phone
you have you may see any of a few things here. I am using a VX8100 as
an example. You'll see it shows my phone both as an LGE CDMA USB Serial
Port (COM9) and also as LGE CDMA USB MODEM. In the case of the VX8100,
the Serial Port is the one that needs to be selected. Bitpim won't work
if I choose the modem. If you are using a different model and they both
show below, you most likely need to choose the Serial Port. If that
port doesn't show up, select the modem. If you remember back to the
driver installation... this is why the wizard run multiple times. It
actually installs the phone as 3 different devices. If you don't see
the phone as a com port or modem under available ports refer back to
the driver installation section here and make
sure you've installed those correctly. Also check the cable
troubleshooting section.
I
suspect my cable may be bad, what do I do?
Prolific Cable:
- If you connect the prolific cable to a working USB port, the new
hardeware wizard should start. Note, this may only happen the first
time you connect the cable if the drivers are installed properly.
Once the drivers are installed properly each time you connect or disconnect
the cable from the computer you should hear a beep from your speakers.
Sound must be on for that to work.
- Another way to verify the cable is making a connection to the computer
is to open device manager. while device manager is open on your screen,
connect and disconnect the cable from the USB port. The device manager
window should refresh each time the cable is plugged in or unplugged
from the computer. Please note, the screen refreshes quickly after
connecting so if you can't see the screen when hooking up the cable,
have someone else either look at the screen or do the plugging and
unplugging.
- If you get no indication from the computer at all when you hook
up or disconnect the cable it may be bad. Verify the USB port you're
plugging the cable into is good then email us for support.
True USB straight through cable:
- When you connect this cable to the computer alone the computer should
not show any indication that anything has been hooked up. You must
connect a powered on phone for the computer to show any activity.
- If you connect the to a working USB port with the phone connected
and turned on, the new hardeware wizard should start automatically.
Note, this may only happen the first time you connect the cable if
the drivers are installed properly. Once the drivers are installed
properly each time you connect or disconnect the cable and phone from
the computer you should hear a beep from your speakers. Sound must
be on for that to work.
- Another way to verify the cable is making a connection to the computer
is to open device manager. while device manager is open on your screen,
connect and disconnect the cable (with phone attached and turned on)
from the USB port. The device manager window should refresh each time
the cable is plugged in or unplugged from the computer. Please note,
the screen refreshes quickly after connecting so if you can't see
the screen when hooking up the cable, try disconnecting the phone
from the cable instead of unplugging the cable from the USB port.
This will have the same effect.
- If you get no indication from the computer at all when you hook
up or disconnect the cable it may be bad. Verify the USB port you're
plugging the cable into is good then email us for support.
Click here to contact Customer Support
The
cable doesn't charge my phone
We very rarely carry any charging cables. Most likely the product is
not advertised to be a charging cable.
My
item works partially but not how I thought it would
Our product descriptions are very detailed and provide alot of information.
We try very hard to provide all necessary information for potential
customers to get a true picture of what is and isn't provided. If the
product doesn't provide the functionality you expected I would recommend
you first look back at the original product description. Our items are
always provided as advertised. We normally have compatibility lists
showing what the cable is compatible with and in a couple other places
we'll have software compatibility charts showing which model phones
are supported by the software provided and which features will work
on each model.
If you would like a software recommendation for your model phone you
can contact us via email.
Click here to contact Customer Support
Contacting
Customer Support
Items required to get a helpful response:
- Make sure to have a subject line on the email. ex: Order #2007-01-43257
- need help with item (use your order no.)
- Include your full name
- Order number and/or eBay item number
- The model phone you're trying to use this with
- What you've done so far and where you're getting stuck in the process
- Noting what you've done from the toubleshooting and the results
will help alot and get you a meaningful/quick response.
- Please make sure you check your spam and junk folders for replies.
If after using this troubleshooting guide you cannot get the item to
work, please email us at ecity@twoshea.net.
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