Fix for DL09 USB Connectivity/VCast Issue on PC (AKA Bootstrap is not your friend)

[mer]

Playing Field:
Tested on:
- Windows XP SP3 PC (tested on two computers, one had samsung drivers, one had never had the phone plugged into it before)
- Fascinate with recent OTA DL09, never been rooted, pretty much stock (just Launcher Pro). Stock Kernel 2.6.29. (Might provide info location of guilty app in the phone OS for those with root access).
- McAfee Security-As-A-Service Virus Scanner (similar may also work - not needed for solution 3)
- Warning: I'm not a developer, but pretty good at troubleshooting.

Problem:
After OTA baseband update (FYI, you can only defer the update once), USB connectivity is impaired. Device shows as a CD ROM drive and no contents of SD Card are shown.
OR
You install the crap it wants you to install, it then open IE every time you plug in the phone and takes you to the V Cast website.

Company Line:
I just spent two hours on the phone with Samsung/Verizon and they did not have a solution for this. All Samsung was able to do was confirm that the issue is in the OS of phone after update, it's not in the SD card. I had the Verizon tech submit this to their equipment guys and hopefully it will become part of their knowledge base and save everyone some time.
Sure no problems with PCs, yeah, whatever.

Solution 1 - My Fav:
- Home, Menu, Settings, USB Settings, Check "Mass storage"
- Plug in phone to computer
- If McAfee or another virus scanner pops up asking to allow/block "\DosDevices\E:\ToolLaunder-Bootstrap.exe" or something similar. Select block. (If no pop up, later go to your virus scanners applications list and block access to this... for me it was under "ToolLauncher")
- Pop up that computer wants to install Samsung/Verizon software to help you access your device called Atlas (SCH-I500)
- Click Yes.
- Wait 10-30 seconds for "USB Connected" to appear in notifications bar. Tap and "Mount."
- Contents of USB Card can be seen.

Future Uses:
- Plug phone with mass storage enabled.
- Wait 10-30 seconds for "USB Connected" to appear in notifications bar. Tap and "Mount."
- Contents of USB Card can be seen.
PRO: No IE pop-up, Only see Atlas prompt once
CON: 22.86MB of your computer harddrive space is taken up by the Atlas program, called "SAMSUNG USB Drive or Mobile Phones" in Add/Remove programs, uninstaller lives in C:/ProgramFiles/SAMSUNG/USB Drivers

Solution 2:
- Home, Menu, Settings, USB Settings, Check "Mass storage"
- Plug in phone to computer
- If McAfee or another virus scanner pops up asking to allow/block "\DosDevices\E:\ToolLaunder-Bootstrap.exe" or something similar. Select block. (If no pop up, later go to your virus scanners applications list and block access to this... for me it was under "ToolLauncher")
- Pop up that computer wants to install Samsung/Verizon software to help you access your device called Atlas (SCH-I500)
- Click No.
- Wait 10-30 seconds for "USB Connected" to appear in notifications bar. Tap and "Mount."
- Contents of USB Card can be seen.

Future Uses:
- Plug phone with mass storage enabled.
- Pop up that computer wants to install Samsung/Verizon software called Atlas (SCH-I500)
- Click No.
- Wait 10-30 seconds for "USB Connected" to appear in notifications bar. Tap and "Mount."
- Contents of USB Card can be seen.
PRO: No IE pop-up
CON: Have to click No on Atlas pop up everytime

Solution 3:
- Home, Menu, Settings, USB Settings, Check "Mass storage"
- Plug in phone to computer
- You don't have access to an applications block/virus scanner with app blocking.
- Pop up that computer wants to install Samsung/Verizon software called Atlas (SCH-I500)
- Click No.
- Wait 10-30 seconds for "USB Connected" to appear in notifications bar. Tap and "Mount."
- Contents of USB Card can be seen.

Future Uses:
- Plug phone with mass storage enabled.
- Pop up that computer wants to install Samsung/Verizon software called Atlas (SCH-I500)
- Click No.
- Wait 10-30 seconds for "USB Connected" to appear in notifications bar. Tap and "Mount."
- Contents of USB Card can be seen.
PRO: Requires no application blocker.
CON: Have to click No on Atlas pop up everytime, will still have IE popup (but at least you're able to mount the card)

ANDROID CENTRAL MODS: Feel free to test to confirm and cross post to other forums, I gotta go get some of my real job done now.

 

[Nuke#AC]

I tried your methods but did not get them to work on my phone. However, I plugged my phone in in Mass Storage mode and when the CD Drive came up, I right clicked on it and then eject. An error came up and I closed it. The first time in days I have had the usb notification. I was able to access the phone as before. Each time I will have to eject the CD but ....I have access. I did not have a way to block so I went this path and....

 

[Nuke#AC]

I tried your methods and they did not work on my phone. However, I plugged my phone in while in Mass Storage and when the CD drice came up, I right clicked on it and then eject. It splashed an error window that I closed and the usb notice came up for the first time in days. It was your blocking requirement that sent me down this path. I thank you for your post as the suppliers did not have a clue what to do. I am filing a complaint with the BBB every time this happens. I do not want to tinker with the phone, just use it. Thanks again!

 

[DroidXcon]

I tried your methods but did not get them to work on my phone. However, I plugged my phone in in Mass Storage mode and when the CD Drive came up, I right clicked on it and then eject. An error came up and I closed it. The first time in days I have had the usb notification. I was able to access the phone as before. Each time I will have to eject the CD but ....I have access. I did not have a way to block so I went this path and....

One of our other Forum members Landshark said that adrynalyne's test 5 undervolted and standard volted nonvoodoo kernel works for him and he can connect everytime. http://forum.androidcentral.com/ver...3-test-kernels-adrynalyne-updated-1-21-a.html

 

[x-FRANKIE-x]

Pretty useful, was having the same problem

 

[lindnick]

Like so many others, none of the solutions worked for me either. I finally got my phone to connect (XP) but I guess it was somewhat of a drastic measure I had to take. Although the phone wouldn't connect to my main computer after the DL09 update, it had no problem connecting to the one where I work or another one in my house that had not previously been used to mount the phone. I thought this was odd and must somehow be due to a file that the phone previously placed on my main computer.

The drastic solution??? Well, my computer has been running slow for the past several months and I had been looking for that one last good reason to wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows. Well, that last good reason is called DL09.

I'm sure all of you know the steps and aggravation to getting the computer back up to speed with a new install of Windows--all the updates and reinstalling all the other apps. But, after I did this, I connected the phone to the computer and--voila!! It worked....that little Atlas box popped up, the Verizon window opened and the dialog box asking me to view files opened up. And best of all, after "mounting" the phone, I could view all the files and transfer back and forth without a hitch.

This worked the first time, the second time, and every subsequent time I tried to connect the phone. So, if any of you are looking for a good reason to clean up your computer and make it run like a brand new one, maybe you now have that good reason.

Oh, by the way, I too spent several hours on the phone with Verizon and Samsung and they were absolutely no help.

Good luck.