If I try to connect the Nokia N8 to a Windows XP PC, I do get is a E: drive letter; but both the phone memory as well as the SD Card memory contents appear mingled (for example two Images folders, etc).
To solve it, I needed to install Nokia OVI Suite. Now N8 appears as “Portable Media Player” and I am able to see the phone’s contents properly appearing in an ‘Explorer’ look-a-like window; I believe is not an real Explorer window since Irfan View or other file viewers can’t navigate to the next image.
Also.
Double clicking on a file in that Nokia Explorer window, the path of what is opened in Irfan View is a temporary path (which makes me believe that file is first copied into the TEMP folder and then opened).
Copy/paste is the only thing that works to copy ALL things from that Nokia Explorer window to a standard Windows folder, where then I can navigate properly with an image viewer.
Why I am forced to copy the files manually to a temporary folder and a 30Mb softwarre ?
Conclusion: If I would be a Big manager in Nokia, I would quit forcing Nokia OVI Suite on people, because if people want an phone forcing you to interact with its PC companion – they already have a range of products doing that, available from Apple.
Monty
I actually don’t use OVI suite at all because i find the interface and application too busy and slow and a bit buggy. I only used it so far to back up the phone and download a few ovi maps! I have an older version of pc suite for everything else as it’s compatible with the n8 and i really like the minimalist interface.
With regards to xp recognising the n8, my pc has bluetooth and after pairing, i can browse all three drives on my phone using the bluetooth explorer. If connected by usb in flash drive mode, then the drives come up (E and F) in my computer and can be used like any other drive by passing ovi completely.
I think u may have a problem with your xp or smthing. Nokia def don’t force you to use OVI to run the phone that’s for sure!
JackieLee
I had the same problem when connected over USB where selecting the N8-00 device from My Computer on XP just showed a bunch of files, many with duplicate names. However, after a bit of google-ing, I found the solution. There are a couple ways to have your N8’s filesystem presented in XP, both of which are accessible through the same area on the N8:
Goto menu -> Settings -> Connectivity -> USB
Setting 1 – “Nokia Ovi Suite”
My N8 was set to “Nokia Ovi Suite”, which is most likely the same as yours because this is the one with the weird presentation.
Setting 2 – “Mass storage”
If you change the setting to “Mass storage”, it will connect your phone’s memory and your sdcard as two separate drive letters (e.g. G:\ for the phone, H:\ for the sdcard). (Monty may have hinted at this one, although his lack of detail wasn’t helpful.)
Setting 3 – “Media transfer”
If you change the setting to “Media transfer”, you’ll have the same method of connecting to your N8’s filesystem as the “Nokia Ovi Suite” (i.e. your phone will show up as N8-00 in My Computer), but you’ll get a simple list with 3 logical areas (mass memory, phone memory, sd card) allowing you to browse the files like you normally would on your computer.
Setting 4 – “Conn. PC to net”
The last setting, “Conn. PC to net” I haven’t tried, so I can’t comment on this one.
I like the “Media transfer” setting as it makes the phone’s filesystem easily distinguishable from other flash drives you have connected to your computer (so that you don’t accidentally move or delete files from various randomly-assigned drive letters in XP). However, “Media transfer” and “Mass storage” will both solve your problem.
Hope this helps.