There may be some hard heads at Motorola and BVRP- Motorola Mobile Phone Tools.(Deluxe)

Author's Rating:

Pros: Does all that it should and more than "Free" software provided with other phones.

Cons: Recent Windows updates can make an attempted install useless.

The Bottom Line: 
If you want to access and fully utilize all the features of your Motorola phone (such as the V3), fast USB charging, transfers, and the phone book, require it.

Author's Review
Interesting title? Well if following instructions provided on software is not your forte, this software isn't for you and right now there is some information that isn't included for a proper install. If you have purchased this and are having problems, read on. I may be of help.

That above average rating here is only because of what this software can do when properly installed. If it isn't, you will be out of luck on most if not all features.

The problems I've noticed others having, has prompted this review of Motorola Phone Tools 3.0. 3.0 is a misnomer as this software is actually version 3.11 as shipped by Motorola. It presently has two further updates, via a free Internet auto update to version 3.25 and then again to 3.28, by Motorola FTP server. Two patches supplied at the BVRP web site for the Motorola Deluxe Phone Tools will install and check Live Updates if your live updating fails. As I purchased this software to compliment my Motorola RAZR V3 you will note many references herein.

For those already having a standard USB to mini USB connector needed for the V3 you will only need to purchase the disk and not the combo. Motorola offers this software at the http://www.hellomoto.com web site or in a combo with the cable if you wish to make your purchase this way.

I was a computer software programmer working in business systems management with the IBM 360 Compatibles Systems at my then place of employment some 30 years ago, but after so many years it's doubtful that gives me any real advantage with this software. What this means is anyone should be able to use it easily after some getting used to it, just as I needed - and this was not an excessive amount of time.... but read further down.

Installation:

Load the disk. A tutorial will appear prompting you to follow its instruction. Nothing hard here but you must follow and complete the steps as they are presented. Oh, and be sure to turn off any other programs you may have running.

The disk will offer 3 choices after language and registration: USB, Bluetooth, or Infra-red. If you have the Motorola RAZR V3 as I do, Infra-red is not an option but can still be installed. What this means is you can install all 3 by simply using the small browser provided to give each a different name or just leaving or installing one as "default". This small window will appear each time you open the software for you to choose which version here.

On with the install, you will need to enable Bluetooth on the V3 or other Motorola using the phones menus. Of course, your computer must also be Bluetooth equipped and your phone set for "Bluetooth enabled".(USB must be plugged into the phone if installing it at this point.) There will then be a discovery with a small timer running on you computer monitor until discovery takes place. Your phone will notify and ask you whether or not to connect if making a Bluetooth connection and you must press its corresponding button to connect as this occurs. The initial discovery only takes a minute or two if everything is well, but could take several more. The software prompts you well on what and when to do.

*****That's how the install used to go.

If you have this software already running properly, you can upgrade to the newer 3.28 version.

I had version 3.25b running well from earlier this summer but the recent update from Motorola would crap it out if you didn't click to save files when prompted - actually, had I known, I wouldn't have taken that update. Motorola's updates FTP server was not providing the needed updates. Had I run the "Checks" software first, all my computers would have still been running the 3.25 version instead of only three of them having it. That bit of software fom BVRP will show an error present. Regardless, the update to 3.28 will work properly

What has gone wrong:

Ahh, those lovely Microsoft updates! Yes, once again - just as they stumped users earlier this year with Norton's SystemWorks Premier 2005 - those updates are preventing users from installing Motorola Mobile Phone Tools so it actually will work. Not necessarily the updates and security updates, but the multitude of Windows hotfixes.

For the lack of a better solution at this time, I would suggest removing the Windows updates and then completely installing Phone Tools, later updating from Motorola and then Microsoft - but that doesn't work. You should wipe that hard disk, re-format, and re-install Windows without the Internet updates, and then install Motorola Phone Tools. Norton corrected their problem with Microsoft, but so far Motorola or BVRP don't seem to be corresponding with the Windows giant or vice-versa. Until someone works out a patch, just forget a simple install.

Yuck! What this means is I would only purchase if I didn't mind re-installing Windows and my other software.

I was lucky as I had a Ghost copy of my C drive and restored it in 20 minutes to the earlier state with my working 3.25b Phone Tools version and was then able to take the 3.28 update without problem.

Back to the Install:

Normally after the phone discovery, the software style you just selected will be installed. Don't expect to be ready if you own the V3 however. When the phone shows on your computer monitor during the initial install, you may need to look for the feature to check for updates on its menus. Have your Internet connection on and activate updating. Depending on your connection this could be quick or take a more than a few minutes as the update is about 23.2Mb. (3.25 ver.) with another at 11.7Mb. (3.28 ver.). The current update download from Motorola does this with no restart to complete updating. The former BVRP patches took a number of restarts as it updated though a number of software levels to the previous 3.25b version.

After the install and updates have taken place (be careful not to interrupt them as they initialize slowly on computer restart) you will then see an onscreen version of your phone model. This phone GUI will show status as the phone looks for and makes the connection. After this, all the features will become available from the buttons shown on the right side of this picture as well as from the buttons shown on the keypad. But wait until all the 8 buttons darken as the connection takes place before trying to use the features - the loading can be slow. Even slower if you aren't using the USB cable and haven't turned the phones Bluetooth on and granted access on the phone when prompted.

Proprietary drivers:

Remember this software must be installed for the V3 (probably others too) to be able to fast charge using a USB port and cable. Windows can recognize a device but the drivers for this are only available from the CD.

The software in use:

In my experience, the software did work just as specified in all modes. All modes worked very well (USB and Bluetooth - I didn't try Infrared). I was able to make and receive calls from my computers, charge the phone quickly from USB, transfer MP3's/wallpaper/photos/etc., edit-backup-restore the phone book, work with the calender, and edit music and pictures for lower phone memory use without affecting quality. I was even able to transfer short movie clips, but they have to be MPEG 4.

While transfers are a bit slow, I experienced no errors with my Motorola RAZR V3. All features work as described and do work as one would expect. One nice thing is how intuitively and quickly it processes the operation you have selected in the Multi-Media console.

Outlook is used with the software and it works well. You can even type a message and send it using the phone connection. Synchronization allows you to get your email, messages and multimedia transfered to your computer. Here it can be read or discarded. About anything can be easily saved, modified, or transfered, between your phone and computer except the locked files on your phone.

Still.....SOMEBODY AT BVRP AND/OR MOTOROLA NEEDS TO WAKE UP AND ADDRESS THE MICROSOFT AND DOWNLOAD ISSUES!

Consumers don't buy software to look at - or fight with to install. I paid $29 for this and think it should work without fail, regardless of Windows updates - my other software does. If I hadn't had last months C: drive backed up with Ghost I would really be ticked off having to re-install Windows. But then, I really didn't have any problems to start with as I only made my changes to see what the problems were others were having.

Hope this helps,

Alex

Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes, because of what it can do and how well it can do it. But, definitely NO if it's not repaired soon for proper installation in Windows without the present hassles. I also feel those updates to 3.28 have had time to be on the disk when you get it now. Those updates should also be available for saving and installing later and not only through an automatic Internet update.

Update 5/6/06:

For a more complete review of included features and of the new Motorola Phone Tools 4, left click here. The version 4 is also provided free to earlier owners of 3.0 from Motorola's FTP servers. It is a complete new install of about 20 Mb., providing the same features with greater simplicity, you may be interested in.