In this section I will explain and example how to connect a bluetooth device (my Samsung Monte S5620 mobile phone) to Windows 7 so that files can then be transferred between that bluetooth device and Windows 7 wirelessly (bluetooth technology uses its own wireless signal).

Begin by installing your bluetooth gadget, if need be, and then make sure it is switched on. A bluetooth device may already be installed on your computer's motherboard (circuit board) in which case it might already be switched on. If it is installed but not switched on you might have to switch it on by flicking a switch somewhere on your computer and/or on the bluetooth device itself. You might also have to switch it on via its bluetooth control panel, by making sure its TURN DISCOVERY ON setting is ticked (on), or by clicking on one of the keyboard keys (i.e. FN and F9). It really does depend on the bluetooth device and Windows operating system you are using.

In this example I used a generic USB Bluetooth Device, which only cost me £6, whereby I simply plugged it into a spare usb socket and Windows 7 then recognised it and installed its necessary device drivers (softwares) for me. It was then automatically activated (switched on).

Fig 1.0  My generic Plug 'N' Play usb bluetooth device has been installed and activated (switched on) automatically

To get to your bluetooth device's settings you can use the DEVICES AND PRINTERS control panel - Go to the control panel and then click on the DEVICES AND PRINTERS icon. From there, click on your bluetooth device's icon (select it) and then click on the FILE menu. This will show various menu-items, but the menu-item you want to click on is called BLUETOOTH SETTINGS. Doing so will bring up the Bluetooth Settings window (Fig 1.2 below).

Fig 1.1  Use the PRINTERS AND DEVICES control panel to get to the bluetooth device's settings




Fig 1.2  The Bluetooth Settings window

One of the important settings on the Bluetooth Settings window is the setting called ALLOW BLUETOOTH DEVICES TO FIND THIS COMPUTER. When switched on (ticked) it does exactly this; it allows mobile phones and other bluetooth devices within an area of up to 50 feet to find (see/list) your computer. For security reasons this is switched off (unticked), and normally you want this to be the case simply because you do not want other bluetooth devices snooping your computer files and so on.

So with the ALLOW BLUETOOTH DEVICES TO FIND THIS COMPUTER setting switched off (unticked) the next thing to do is add a bluetooth device (my Samsung Monte S5620 mobile phone) to Windows 7. Once added Windows 7 can then allow files to be transferred from the computer to the bluetooth device (my mobile phone) via my usb bluetooth device (wireless transmitter). So the usb bluetooth device is really only used to transmit data/files wirelessly. In other words, I could transmit data/files via a usb cable from the mobile phone to the computer, but here I want to use the usb bluetooth device (wireless transmitter) instead.

You add a bluetooth device (i.e. bluetooth mobile phone) manually by clicking on the ADD DEVICE button, located on the PRINTERS AND DEVICES control panel window. This then starts the ADD A DEVICE Installation Wizard which guides you through the bluetooth device installation process.

Fig 1.3  Click on the ADD A DEVICE button to start up the Installation Wizard




Fig 1.4  The ADD A DEVICE Installation Wizard is now searching for new Bluetooth Enabled Devices

At this point the first step of the installation wizard (Fig 1.4 above) is to search for new Bluetooth Enabled devices. Meaning, your bluetooth device (i.e. mobile phone) must have its own "Broadcast Bluetooth" setting switched on. On the Samsung Monte S5620 mobile phone you need to tap on the grey bluetooth icon via its bluetooth widget icon. If this is not switched on (Blue in colour, when tapped/switched on) the first step of the installation wizard will fail as Windows 7 will forever search for your mobile phone (bluetooth device).

When your bluetooth device has been found, perhaps amongst other bluetooth devices, it will be listed in the display area of the Add A Device window (below). Simply click on your bluetooth device to select it and then click on the NEXT button.

Fig 1.5  Select your bluetooth device and then click on the NEXT button to continue




Fig 1.6  Enter the code into your bluetooth device (i.e. mobile phone) to authorise the connection

After clicking on the NEXT button (Fig 1.5 above) you will be presented with a Pairing Code (connection code) that when entered into your bluetooth device (i.e. mobile phone) will authorise the connection between Windows 7 and your bluetooth device. With the Samsung Monte S5620 mobile phone you enter the code into the prompt that appears and then tap on the OK button. This then continues the installation process whereby your bluetooth device (mobile phone) is then installed as another device connected to Windows 7.

If you take too long typing the pairing code into your bluetooth device a timeout message requester will appear (below) whereby you will then have to enter a new pairing code.

Fig 1.7  You took too long to enter the pairing code - Click on the TRY AGAIN button to continue




Fig 1.8  Type the new pairing code into your bluetooth device (i.e. mobile phone)

When the correct pairing code has been entered click on the CLOSE button to continue. Doing so may mean you then receive a notification area message stating "Your device is being installed..." - This is quite normal and just means Windows 7 is setting up additional network drivers and other bluetooth related drivers/softwares before continuing to the next installation step.

Fig 1.9  Click on the CLOSE button to continue

Once the bluetooth network connections (drivers/softwares) have been installed and set up, and the Add A Device window has closed, the DEVICES AND PRINTERS control panel window will then display the newly installed bluetooth device; in this case my Samsung Monte S5620 mobile phone.

Fig 1.10  The newly installed bluetooth device (my Samsung Monte S5620 mobile phone) is now listed as a new device




Fig 1.11  Select the newly installed bluetooth device and then click on the FILE menu for its options/settings

If you select (left click on) the newly installed bluetooth device and then click on the FILE menu (above) you will see the options/settings available for that bluetooth device, such as the option (menu-item) to remove the device from WIndows 7. Explore these options/settings, if need be, bearing in mind that some of them can vary between bluetooth devices.

If you want to transfer a file (a copy of it) from your computer to the newly installed bluetooth device simply right click over that file and then use the SEND TO sub-menu to perform the transfer - Right click over the file, hover over the SEND TO sub-menu and then select the BLUETOOTH DEVICE sub-menu menu-item.

Fig 1.12  Right click over a file, hover over the SEND TO sub-menu and then select the BLUETOOTH DEVICE sub-menu menu-item.

After selecting the BLUETOOTH DEVICE sub-menu menu-item the Bluetooth File Transfer window will appear (below) whereby you then need to select the bluetooth device that will receive the file (a copy of it). From there, click on the NEXT button. In this example I only have one bluetooth device installed, which is my Samsung Monte S5620 mobile phone, but if I did have more bluetooth devices installed I could select one of those instead to receive the file (a copy of it).

Fig 1.13  Select the bluetooth device that will receive a copy of the selected file and then click on the NEXT button




Fig 1.14  A copy of the video file is now being transferred via bluetooth connection from my computer to my mobile phone




Fig 1.15  The video file (a copy of it) has successfully been transferred from my computer to my mobile phone

After clicking on the NEXT button (Fig 1.13 above) you just need to wait for the file copying process to FINISH (Fig 1.15), which may take some time depending on the type of file being transferred. In this case the video file did not take too long to transfer (I was actually impressed by the speed of bluetooth).

You can select more than one file to be transferred, by selecting files in the same way as you would select multiple photos for example (i.e. using the CTRL keyboard key and SHIFT keyboard key methods), but I would not recommend it. Bluetooth connections in general can be haphazrd sometimes.

Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.  As stated here by the Microsoft Corporation.