New to Android...frustrated. :(

[Scootinbry]

Hi, I am new here and I am really hoping that I can get some help. I have a new LG Spectrum, I have had it almost a week now and I am struggling with it.

Understand, that I came from being a long time Blackberry user, and so I am having to learn a new phone and a new system and I am really trying to be patient, but it is REALLY different.

My first problem is that my phone did not come with any disk or anything and when I plugged it in to my computer (running Windows Vista) it tried to download some CDC somethingorother driver, but it was not successful and then it tried to find the driver on the internet and could not find it there either, so now it has given up. I don't know if it needs to be able to connect to my computer or not, but it seems that it can't. If it does not need to, then I am fine with that, but if it does, then I need to find out what to do about this.

My second frustration is that I am trying to figure out how to add to my ringtone selection. I sent several of my favorite older ringtones to myself by text message and I can play them to my heart's content from the text message, but I can't seem to add them or save them or do anything but push the little button and listen to them. This is not very useful to me, as you can probably imagine. With my BB all I had to do was push the button and a menu popped up that asked me if I wanted to set as my ringtone and viola, it was all done.

I would REALLY appreciate some help with these two issues, as I try to figure some of the other things out by just poking and looking around.

Thanks,
Riji

 

[Isaiah.Israel]

It should install the phone automatically as that is what windows has always done for me. But here are the drivers on LG's website. Official LG Phone Forum.

As far as getting your ringtone the only way I know how to do that is to hook up your phone to your PC and when you see the little usb icon pop up in the status bar pull the status bar down and click on the usb connected notification. Then that will open up a window that ask you if you want to charge only, mass storage, or internet. Chose mass storage and then your phone will be like a usb flash drive and the sd card window will pop up. From there find your ringtones folder (Not sure where it is off the top of my head because I never used the default sd card in my spectrum) and take your ringtones you want and drop them in there.

I'm in a rush to go to work this morning so sorry if I didn't explain that clearly enough. Someone else will hopefully help you if this doesnt.

 

[liteon163]

Yeah, I was going to say what he said. So why am I saying anything, then?

Just to let you know we're here to help. Once you get comfortable with Android in general and the Spectrum in particular, I think you will wonder why you stuck with BB so long. If there's anything we can do to help you, just let us know and we'll do what we can.

Enjoy!

 

[TheBigKahuna72]

I pulled my mini-SD card from my phone, stuck it into the SD adapter, and plugged it into my laptop. Then I loaded my ringtones and photos, etc onto the card. You can also just plug the phone into your computer and accomplish the same thing though.

 

[Ataraxia212]

Here is how I learned how to add custom audio for Android: create a folder named "Media" on the root of your SD card. In that folder create an "Audio" folder. In the audio folder create folders named "Alarms" Notifications" and "Ringtones". Mp3s that you put in these folders will display when you are assigning ringtones etc. I'm on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) and it works. Of course to create folders on your SD card you first need to fix your first issue. In the meantime, if you have a cardreader handy, unmount your SD in SD card and phone storage in settings, pull your card and use your cardreader.

 

[Scootinbry]

You guys really are awesome, thanks for the help!

I ended up trying plugging my phone in to my netbook, instead of my laptop and I am pretty sure that it downloaded stuff, I had to accept some terms and conditions (which I, of course, read carefully and considered before clicking the I accept buttonO LOL)

Anyway, I then disconnected and reconnected my phone, and it seems to be doing something, but it did not put an icon on my desktop and I don't know what the program that I am supposed to be looking for is called. (I wish they would just put an icon on my desktop that says something like "THIS IS THE ICON FOR YOUR NEW PHONE!" with big red flashing arrows and lights and maybe a creepy little paperclip dude with googly eyes that watches every move I make or something super obvious for people like me that are morons...

Anyway, now, when I plug my phone in, it asks me if I want to "Run TL_Bootstrap.exe" and if I do that, it just takes me to Verison's website which seems to be trying to sell me something called Backup Assistant Plus. I am not interested in adding yet more crap on to my plan to increase my bill any more than it already is.

Can someone tell me, using very small words and step by step directions (maybe with arrows or something, pass on the creepy paperclip though) how to figure out if I actually did download what I need to download? I went to the site Isaiah suggested and I tried to download from there, I am not sure if it did it or not, though. I can't seem to find anything new on my computer that talks about phones or LG or Android or Droid or anything like that and the only Verison stuff I have is my internet connection software.

Sorry for being such a nincompoop, I appreciate the help!

I am going to try taking my old memory chip from my BB, which, as it so happens, has my ringtones on it, and putting it in my phone to see if I can find it that way. I might have to wait until my son comes home and tries to see if he can figure out putting the chip into the adapter and then into the little slot on the computer...I am not sure if I am technologically savvy enough for that. :-\

Thanks,
Riji

 

[Cory Streater]

Forget backup assistant. It's evil Verizon bloatware that isn't necessary. Especially if you are syncying with Gmail.

For file transfers be sure and check out WiFi Explorer in the Market. When you open the app, it will display an IP address. Type that IP address into any web browser on your network and you will have full access to up and download files right there in your browser.

 

[hollywoodS14]

Plug your device into your computer. After plugging pull down the notification bar at the top of the device. It should have an option to change your connection options, select that. Change to mass storage and it then give you access to your sd card( kind of like a flash drive). I believe all the other stuff you down loaded was just for teathered software updates, and dont worry abgout the back assistant crap either.

 

[liteon163]

You keep expecting things to be more difficult than they really are... But that's because you're coming from a BlackBerry.

Eventually you'll get used to drag-and-drop. That's how ALL devices should be.

I'm glad you're being patient and sticking with it. We'll help and you'll get more out of your device as you become more comfortable with it.

 

[Isaiah.Israel]

1. while phone is turned on Plug it into the computer using the usb cord that came with the phone

2. on your phone at the very top where the signal bar and time and connection icons are place your finger and drag it down the screen to open the notification window

3. press on the usb connected message (this will open your connection options in settings.)

4. In connections chose mass storage.

You should hear your PC make some noises, don't worry, it's normal.

5. Now a window should pop up on its own but if it doesnt then you can access the phone by going to start on windows (bottom left corner) then computer. you should see the phones sd drive there and be able to open it up to view the files.

hope this helps.

PS. the website I linked to has all the drivers to the different LG phones, just scroll down to the LG spectrum and download and install those. It's not going to place any icon on your PC though because they are just drivers and not a program that you actually interface with. If you installed the spectrum drivers from that site then hooking your phone up to the pc shouldn't be an issue.

Also, the bootstrap thing that pops up isn't an issue. I always click on it because I couldn't get my phone to hook to my PC without clicking on it. When I rooted this phone for the first time I couldn't get it to work without clicking on bootstrap. You shouldn't need to click on it to use mass storage though, but it's not going to hurt. The first time i ever clicked on it, it opened up LG's site, and thats how I got the drivers. But after that it's never opened anything for me. if for some reason it's taking you to verizon or to something you don't think you need then just close it. But i do recommend clicking on it as for the reasons previously stated.