Are you transferring to the public documents folder, or are you trying to transfer them to your user accounts document folder?

The phone doesn't ask me where to transfer the file to, other than the device. When I select Bluetooth transfer, it lists the XPS12 (the transfer fails) and the XPS8700 (the transfer succeeds). When I transfer a file to the XPS8700, it winds up in C:\Users\MyName\Documents\Bluetooth Folder\..

So at least with Windows 7, it goes to my user account Documents folder.

--Larry

Can you transfer files from the windows 7 machine to the Windows 8 machine?

You may need to turn on filesharing, and adjust the settings for filesharing on the windows 8 machine. Take a look at this page, http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/share-files-folders#

Here's what happens when I try to transfer a file from the XPS8700 (Windows 7) to the XPS12 (Windows 8.1):

The XPS12 lists the XPS8700 in the PC settings/PC and devices/Bluetooth window (along with a couple of other devices).

When I right-click a file on the XPS8700 (I chose a simple 1K text file for this test) and hover over "Send by Bluetooth to", only my Samsung phone is listed.

When I select "Other device..." from the context menu, the XPS12 is included in the Select Bluetooth Device window.

When I select the XPS12 and click OK, the Bluetooth FileTransferManager window opens and shows that the file is being transferred. The progress bar never gets past 0%, and after about 40 seconds the window simply closes.

When I then open the FileTransferManager window and look at History, the file I tried to transfer has a green check mark by its name, and the Status reads as finished. Yet when I do a thorough search for that file on the XPS12, it isn't there.

Similar to the situation with my phone, FileTransferManager never asks me exactly where the file should be written to, it just asks what device, then goes from there.


I just checked some older notes taken when I first got the XPS12 a few weeks ago. At that time, I WAS able to transfer a file from the XPS8700 to the XPS12.

What could have been clobbered on the XPS12, and how can I unclobber it?

--Larry

I just attempted to transfer a file from the XPS12 to the XPS8700 (the reverse of what I tried in the previous post).

When I first got the XPS12, this transfer worked correctly. Now when I try I end up with a message that reads "Unable to connect to remote device. Please check that the remote device is turned on and properly configured."

Another test: I used to be able to transfer files from the XPS12 to the Samsung phone. Now that fails, too. The file appears to transfer successfully, but when I check the file on the phone (I used a 200K JPG image this time), the file is of the correct size but the file name "test image" is now "test imagenull" and there is no file extension, so the phone can't open the file.

From where I'm sitting, Bluetooth seems to be hopelessly clobbered on the XPS12, so I'll repeat my plea from before:

How can I unclobber Bluetooth on my Windows 8.1 machine?

--Larry

Actually I think you are looking at this wrong. It is not a bluetooth issue but I think it is a file sharing issue. There is a tutorial in the link below that will show you how to setup filesharing on the two computers. Once that is done, then the phone should also be allowed to share files as well.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sharing-files-printers-help#sharing-files-and-printers=windows-7&v1h=win81tab1&v2h=win7tab1&v3h=winvistatab1&v4h=winxptab1

One of the first things I tried when I received the XPS12 in February was Bluetooth file transfer. Out of the box, I was able to transfer files as follows:

XPS12   -> XPS8700
XPS8700 -> XPS12
XPS12   -> Phone

I was able to perform these file transfers without setting up any file sharing on the XPS12.

I was not able to transfer files from the phone to the XPS12. The only indication of failure (besides the fact the file never showed up on the XPS12) was a quick "File not sent" message on the phone.

For the sake of completeness, I routinely transfer files from the phone to the XPS8700 and vice versa.

A couple of days ago, I visited the Dell support site and had it scan for driver updates. It found several, including an update for Bluetooth. I installed the update for Bluetooth. There's no way to know for sure, but I have a gut feeling that update broke the XPS12's Bluetooth capability.

I've seldom needed to roll back driver updates, and the idea makes me a little nervous. Can anyone point me to a step-by-step process of (I guess) deleting the existing Bluetooth drivers and installing fresh drivers?

--Larry

Assuming that file sharing does have something to do with this, how would I know what directory or directories to share? When I try to transfer a file from the phone to the XPS12, there's nowhere to indicate where that file is going (well, should be going if I can ever get it to work).

On my XPS8700, there's a directory, C:\Users\MyName\Documents\Bluetooth Folder. The phone somehow just knew about that directory the first time I transferred a file to that PC almost a year ago (or maybe the folder was created the first time I did a transfer). There's no equivalent directory on the XPS12.

--Larry

As a further test, I shared the entire Documents directory with Everyone. The transfer still failed.

--Larry

double click the bluetooth receiver on the device manager, go to the driver tab and click the rollback button.

Chances are you swill still have sharing issues after. Sometimes driver installs can change settings.

The Bluetooth glitch has been resolved. I'm not completely sure what the issue was, or what I did that fixed it, but Bluetooth transfers are working flawlessly now.

I rolled back any and all Bluetooth-related drivers in Device Manager, restarting the XPS12 multiple times in the process, and voila. It works now. I can seamlessly transfer files among the XPS12, XPS8700 and the Samsung phone using Bluetooth.

The first time I successfully transferred a file from the phone to the XPS12, a new folder named "My Received Files" was created in the Documents folder. Now I know where to look for these files!

I wasn't required to change any file sharing settings to get things working. When I initiate a transfer from the phone to the XPS12, the XPS12 opens a dialog asking me to give permission for the transfer. I'm guessing that replaces file sharing when it comes to Bluetooth transfers.

ZAGuru_Hoov, thanks for working with me on this, your help and suggestions are appreciated.

--Larry

As a test only turn off User Account Control and try the transfer and then turn User Account Control back to where it was.

Ok, new one on me. You may want to contact Dell and let them know there is an issue with the bluetooth drivers. They may want to work with you to fix it.

I'll do that when I get a chance; thanks again!

By the way, your signature is one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite books. :emotion-2:

--Larry