1. How to Use a
Windows PC to Send and Receive SMS Messages (Non-Developer's
Perspective)
Sending
SMS messages with a mobile phone has a major problem -- it is very
time consuming to write a text message using the small keypad of a
mobile phone. Luckily, it is possible to use a PC (desktop or
notebook computer) to send and receive SMS messages. This way you can
use a full-sized QWERTY keyboard to write text messages.
In
this article, we will demonstrate how to send and receive SMS
messages on a PC that runs Microsoft Windows. This article was
written for non-developers. If you are a software developer who wants
to learn how to develop a program for sending and receiving SMS
messages from a PC, you can find some useful information from our SMS
tutorial.
1.1. Requirements
To
send and receive SMS messages via a mobile phone using a Windows PC,
you need:
a
mobile phone that can be connected to your PC (some mobile phones do
not have an interface for connecting to a PC)
a
Windows program that can control the mobile phone to send and
receive SMS messages
Today,
most mobile phones support at least one of the following options to
connect to a PC:
Via
infrared (IrDA)
Via
Bluetooth
Via
a USB cable
Via
a serial cable
The
infrared and Bluetooth option should be very useful to many notebook
computer users since nowadays many notebook computers have built-in
infrared or Bluetooth support.
The
Windows program for sending and receiving SMS messages is provided by
some mobile phone manufacturers. For example, Nokia offers a software
package called Nokia PC Suite to their mobile phone users. It can be
downloaded free of charge from Nokia's web site. Microsoft has also
released a free program called SMS Sender that enables Windows users
to send SMS messages via a GSM mobile phone from a PC.
In
the following sections, we will explain how to use Microsoft SMS
Sender to send SMS messages on your Windows PC.
1.2. Using Microsoft SMS
Sender to Send SMS Messages from a Windows PC
1.2.1. Introduction
Microsoft
SMS Sender is a Windows program for sending SMS messages from a PC
via a GSM mobile phone. It can be downloaded free of charge from
Microsoft's web site (click here).
Localized versions of SMS Sender are available in more than 20
languages, including Arabic, simplified Chinese, French, German,
Italian, Russian and Spanish.
One
major limitation of this Windows program is that it cannot read SMS
messages from a mobile phone. Besides, it does not support message
formats other than ordinary text messages. For example, it does not
support concatenated SMS messages, flash SMS messages, MMS messages
and SMS messages that contain ring tones or logos.
Note
that SMS Sender can only be installed on Windows XP and Windows
Server 2003. If your PC runs Windows 2000 or Windows 95/98/ME, you
need to use other SMS software.
1.2.2. Installing the
Modem Driver of a Mobile Phone on a PC
To
use SMS Sender, you must install the modem driver of the mobile phone
on your PC. If not, your mobile phone will not be shown in the
Available Device combo box
in the main window of SMS Sender. Take out the CD or disk that came
with your mobile phone and check if it contains the modem driver of
the mobile phone. If you cannot find such CD/disk, or if you cannot
find the modem driver in the CD or disk, go to the web site of the
mobile phone manufacturer. Usually you can find the modem driver
there. If you cannot find the modem driver on the web site, you can
still use Windows' standard modem driver.
Generally,
if the modem driver package contains a setup program, first you
should run the setup program. Then connect the mobile phone to your
PC. Usually Windows will prompt that new hardware is found and
install the modem driver automatically. If this does not happen, you
have to go to Control Panel -> Phone and Modem Options
(on Windows 2000 and Windows XP) to install the modem driver
manually.
If
the modem driver package contains no setup program but just some .inf
files, first you should connect your mobile phone to your PC. Next,
Windows will prompt you that new hardware is detected. (If this does
not happen, you have to go to Control Panel -> Phone and
Modem Options [on Windows 2000 and Windows XP] to install the
modem driver manually.) If the modem driver already exists in
Windows, Windows will install the modem driver automatically.
Otherwise it will pop up a window to guide you through the
installation process. At some point of the installation process,
Windows will ask for the location of the modem driver and you should
enter the path of the folder that contains the .inf files.
Read
the modem driver documentation for more detailed instructions if you
have difficulty in installing the modem driver. As an example, we
will demonstrate how to install the modem driver of the Sony Ericsson
T68i mobile phone on Windows XP below. The procedure for other mobile
phone models and on other Windows versions should be similar.
1.2.2.1. Example 1:
Connecting Sony Ericsson T68i to a PC via Infrared and Installing the
Modem Driver on Windows XP
1.
Start Microsoft Windows XP.
2.
Turn on the infrared port of the T68i mobile phone.
3.
Put the infrared port of the T68i mobile phone and that of the PC in
line of sight with each other. Windows XP will detect the T68i mobile
phone automatically and pop up the Found New Hardware Wizard
(see the screenshot below) to guide you through the modem driver
installation process. If the mobile phone is not detected, make sure
the infrared port of the PC is turned on and the mobile phone is
within range.
In
the Found New Hardware Wizard, select the No, not this time
option since we do not want Windows to connect to Windows Update.
Then click the Next button.
4.
If you select the first option Install the software automatically,
Windows XP will automatically install the standard modem over IR link
driver. It should work fine with SMS Sender. However, as we
have the modem driver specifically written by Sony Ericsson for T68i,
we select the second option Install from a list or specific
location. Then click the
Next button.
5.
Select the Search for the best driver in these locations
option, check the Include this location in the search
check box and enter the path of the folder that contains the modem
driver. We have already downloaded the file T68_series_IR.zip
from the web
site of Sony Ericsson and
extracted all the files (erit68ir.cat,
erit68ir_nt.inf and
erit68.inf) contained
in the zip file to the folder T68_series_IR
under the root of the C: hard disk. So, we enter "C:\T68_series_IR"
in the text box. Then click the Next
button and the installation begins.
6.
Click the Finish button to
close the wizard.
1.2.2.2. Example 2:
Connecting Sony Ericsson T68i to a PC via Bluetooth and Installing
the Modem Driver on Windows XP
1.
Download the setup program MobileModemSettingsDrivers_R3A_english.exe
from the web
site of Sony Ericsson.
Execute it to install the modem driver files.
2.
Turn on the Bluetooth function of your T68i mobile phone and the
Bluetooth adaptor of your PC. Using software such as BlueSoleil
(usually you can find the software in the CD that came with the
Bluetooth adaptor), go through the pairing process and assign the
T68i mobile phone to a certain virtual COM port. In this example, we
use COM 7.
3.
Go to Control Panel and
double click the Phone and Modem Options
icon (see below). If the Control Panel
is in Category View, you can find the Phone and Modem
Options icon in the
Printers and Other Hardware category.
4.
In the Phone and Modem Options
window (the screenshot is shown below), click the Modems
tab and then click the Add
button.
5.
The Add Hardware Wizard
appears (the screenshot is shown below). Check the Don't
detect my modem; I will select it from a list
item and click the Next
button.
6.
Select Ericsson ->
Ericsson T68 Bluetooth (TM) Modem.
Then click the Next
button. (Windows' standard modem drivers also work fine with
SMS Sender.)
7.
Select the Selected ports
option. Then select the COM port that you assigned to the T68i mobile
phone in step 2. Since we assigned COM 7 to the T68i mobile
phone in step 2, we select COM7
in the list box. After that, click the Next
button.
8.
A dialog box appears warning that the T68i modem driver may not be
compatible with Windows XP. Click the Continue Anyway
button.
9.
If you see the following screenshot, the modem driver of T68i has
been installed successfully. Click the Finish
button to close the wizard.
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