Apparently, many users working with Windows of the latest modifications noticed that a special applet called the “Windows Mobile Device Center” appeared for them. Based on the name, it is easy to guess that this application is a kind of bridge for synchronizing mobile devices with desktop systems. However, at the same time, many do not take into account some specific aspects related both to the center itself and to connected devices, as a result of which sometimes there is a misunderstanding why all this is needed and how it works. Let's try to understand these issues, and at the same time try to solve the well-known problem that sometimes the "Windows Mobile Device Center" does not start, as evidenced by numerous user reviews on the Internet. But first things first.
What is the Windows Mobile Device Center, and why is it needed?
Many users really somewhat underestimate the capabilities of this platform, believing that it was created exclusively for synchronization with mobile devices. On the one hand, it is.
However, if you dig deeper and understand some of the features of this package, you can understand that you can not only control the connected device, but also access some other features, including synchronizing music, video, photos, browsers, cloud storage, etc. Alas , “Windows Mobile Device Center” works only if the mobile device itself operates exclusively under the control of one of the versions of Windows.
A bit of history
As for the history of the creation of this platform, despite its current name, it was present in earlier modifications of the system as an ActiveSync component (Windows Vista users probably remember it in that form).
The new version was created exclusively as its successor, and as a whole for the main purpose is not particularly different. The very first version of the package was released in the form of an official release back in 2006 and was focused on modifying Vista based on Windows CE mobile systems. Over time, dramatic changes affected exclusively the expansion of the main features and support for newer desktop versions of the main OS. Compared to ActiveSync, the new platform has ceased to support systems based on Pocket PC 2000 and 2002. Nevertheless, even now such devices can be synchronized with stationary systems. To do this, just install one of the modifications of the redesigned ActiveSync package. It may be required to install it, provided that the user computer still uses outdated Windows XP.
Key features of the center
As for the capabilities of the “Windows Mobile Device Center” for Windows 7 or any other supported OS, among them, oddly enough, you can find a lot of similarities with such a notorious “apple” utility as iTunes. Among all that is offered to the end user, the following can be especially noted:
- managing photos stored on your mobile gadget directly from your computer, including editing and tag support;
- access to all multimedia, audio and video files with the ability to play in random order;
- viewing files and directories of a mobile device from a computer and applying simple operations to copy, move or delete them;
- the ability to view and edit email, contacts and calendar.
In a sense, it might seem that, for example, the Windows Mobile Device Center for Windows 10 can be used as a remote access client (RDP). This is not entirely true. The main problem concerns the fact that synchronization is possible only through direct connection of the smartphone to a computer or laptop, for example, using a conventional USB cable or via Bluetooth. There can be no question of any access via the Internet. So do not flatter yourself about this.
Download and install the latest software (6.1)
If there is such a need, install the appropriate version of the labor package will not be. On the same official Microsoft resource, in the Downloads section, you can find the “Windows Mobile Device Center” of the 64-bit version or the x86 modification, after which you will need to save the installation file on your computer.
The installer starts in systems of the seventh and higher versions by launching the file on behalf of the administrator, after which, unlike many other applets, it is not necessary to follow some instructions of the “Installation Wizard”. The application will be installed almost in the background without user intervention, and at the end of the process, the program will appear in the list of recently installed programs in the Start menu. After that, the application can be launched.
Synchronization of mobile devices with different versions of Windows
To make communication, it is enough to use the simplest methods. In the most primitive case, you can connect the mobile device via the USB interface, although it is just as easy to use the connection via Bluetooth.
After determining the connected gadget from the list of possible actions, select the necessary item. However, it will not be difficult to deal with all the settings, so it is better to perform such operations yourself. However, it is worth paying attention to some of the conditions mentioned above. In particular, if you use Windows XP, you need to install not “Windows Mobile Device Center”, but ActiveSync (the new platform will simply not work in an outdated environment). In principle, with a direct or wireless connection, the device is automatically detected, but sometimes you can meet some problems when the center seems to start, but for some reason the program’s launch is interrupted at some stage, without explaining the reasons for what is happening.
Windows Mobile Device Center does not start: causes and troubleshooting
The most basic reason, apparently, is that the required service responsible for the operation of the center is in a disconnected state. Less common are situations where a mobile device is outdated and the platform is simply not supported. In any case, based on the recommendations of specialists, we can offer two options for resolving this situation.
To get started, go to the services section (services.msc), find the connection options based on Windows Mobile and Windows Mobile 2003 there, for each of them, on the login tab, set the login permission to the system account, save the changes, and then through the menu RMB, restart the services.
The second method is to call the registry editor (regedit), find the RapiMgr section in the HKLM branch, through PCM create a new 32-bit DWORD parameter with the name SvcHostSplitDisable and value as a unit, then create the exact same parameter in the WcesComm section of that branches, exit the editor and reboot the system. After that, the problem will disappear.
Brief summary
It remains to find out for itself how appropriate it is to use this platform on your computer or laptop. Judging by the feedback from users of the tenth modification, there is absolutely no need for this, since this version already has a special “Sync Center”. For other systems, this is also in question, since mobile device drives are defined as removable drives without it. You can install the applet in cases where you need to access the sharing of email, Outlook, contact lists, calendar events, etc.