Saturday, June 02, 2012

Successfully Getting Kies to Work with Samsung Devices

by J. Bradley Bulsterbaum

This is yet another method to make Samsung Kies work, among others online. The real trick, however, is that it wasn't a problem with Kies per se, but miscommunication on Samsung's part: or failure to communicate at all. As with nearly all on this particular blog, it is written a little hastily and personally, because this is a Q&D howto scratchpad for me and the world, or whatever portion thereof which can benefit from this information.

Put another way, this is a fix for a Kies connection issues. Note that the specific device I am using is not a phone but the Galaxy Player 5.0, which has the same internals as a Galaxy S minus the cellular component as far as I know: one can even change its Device ID to that of a Galaxy S to make the Play Store stop mistaking it as incompatible with many Galaxy S apps. Another attempted fix online, which works for some is here, http://www.careace.net/2010/08/25/how-to-fix-samsung-kies-connection-problem/ But seriously, try my little guide below first: if it works for you, it'll be far easier, save time, and address the root of the problem!

In many forums where people complain they can't use Kies with their Samsung Device, the message is the same one I dealt with: 
reconnect the device in Samsung kies(pc studio) pc studio mode. current connection mode not supported by kies.
I found that this could be dealt with rather simply, if one knows what, exactly, that mode has to do with: it seems this is a case of company in-speak, and Samsung never communicated the meaning of this to their now largely incensed (me included) customer base:

"PC Studio" actually refers to a USB mode, which can be reached by:

(1) Hitting the "Menu" button on the device from the "desktop" screen (i.e. not while an app is open),
(2) pushing "Settings" on the little menu that appears,
(3) selecting "Wireless Networks"
(4) selecting "USB settings", and
(5) then selecting "Samsung Kies".

If (1) a USB cable is plugged in, or (2) "USB Debugging" is turned on (for whatever reason), it won't be possible to change the USB mode until turning off "USB Debugging", which is accomplished by:

(1) Hitting the "Menu" button from the "desktop".
(2) pushing "settings" on the little menu that appears,
(3) the "settings" screen appears, and one selects "Applications",
(4) hitting "Development" in the resultant "Applications" screen,
(5) toggling (by a push) "USB debugging" to off (unchecked) if the green checkmark is present in the grey box to the right of "USB Debugging". (If it's not, don't touch it.)

Once that's done, return to the USB Settings screen and choose "Samsung Kies".

[After figuring the "S. Kies" and "USB Debugging" issues out, I found that "take out of debugging mode" (it  seems) is among the most common fix howto's online, http://www.careace.net/2010/08/25/how-to-fix-samsung-kies-connection-problem/, though I have note seen mention that "S. Kies" is a USB mode and that "PC Studio" is simply a distraction.]

With "S. Kies" setting selected:

(1) run Kies on your computer,
(2) kill all applications on the Android device (should work just by going to the "desktop", but to really be sure you can
(a) hit and hold "home",
(b) push "Task Manager",
(c) hit "Ram" near the top of the screen,
(d) Under "Ram Manager" push "Clear Memory" to kill running applications, then hit the device's physical "Home" button/sensor again), and
(3) plug the USB end of the cable into the computer, and the microSD end into your Samsung device.

In my case, though Kies takes a long time in "connecting", this solved the issue. Now it would be nice to know why the device was in USB "Mass Storage" to begin with, (though I only ever plugged it into a Linux box to browse around before getting Windows again).

Remember the different USB modes, and even the debugging option, for later too: these can be useful for other purposes, e.g. knowing about Debugging is necessary to root the device and make it more useful and flexible, and to remove the useless Samsung crapware installed by default. (Unless, of course, you have a bunch of Samsung hardware to use it with, which probably can be controlled with other more versatile apps by someone else anyways!) Also be aware that rooting is said to void your warranty: I haven't actually decided on whether I care about rooting or not myself. : )

[Note that I moderate comments, not to prohibit criticism or other POVs, but because of the spammers who kept leaving links a la kink in Simplified Chinese.]

--

Updates

1. a few minutes after initial post!):
I found some old posts online which mention the USB mode change necessary, though not in connection, it seems, with the "PC Studio" message or mentioning how to disable debugging mode. Here, http://samsunggalaxysforums.com/showthread.php/400-Samsung-Kies-will-not-connect-to-phone-any-suggestions?p=2111&viewfull=1#post2111 
And, though very far down in the content, here, http://lymond.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Connect-Samsung-Galaxy-S-with-Kies-on-your-PC

I will leave this post up due owing that it seems this solution just doesn't get mentioned enough online. 


2. A few months later: slight clarifying revisions, cleaning-up the languaged, and added a line for one missing step on reaching "Samsung Kies".

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for taking the time to post the answer.
I have a Galaxy SIII and do not have menu-settings-USB settings on my mobile. So I tried Wi-fi only to be told that Keis 2 is not support by Galaxy SIII. I have Keis 2.5 installed.

Pipxx said...

It is not under menu-settings. Go to menu-developer options-USB debugging and then menu-more-USB utilities. Ridiculous but should work! I am not a geek but have spent the last month reading everything i can find and at last it worked.

madblackeye said...

Thanks for this. It is recognizing the device (YP-G70) and is still connecting. It has taken 30 mins so far... When you say yours took some time, can you remember how long?

P.S. The navigation to USB settings was slightly different on my device : -
Home-menu-settings-Network Settings-USB Settings.

a guy said...

Hi madblackeye, apologies for such a long delay in replies: I have been overwhelmed with other things, and this blog is a hobby. That said, it shouldn't take 30 minutes. Also, my mistake: it should be Settings<Wireless Settings<USB Settings... Thank you for reminding me, I've updated the post to correct this. :)

Manahil Asad said...

Its not working, i've tried the *#7284# trick as well as the USB Debugger thing. Nothing works. And my menu doesnt have the USB utilities option. It goes as far as menu-wireless & networks and thats it. And the Kies via Wifi also doesnt work, it connects(at least it show up as connected on my s3) but the Kies software on my laptop just keeps saying "connecting"!! Help please. And GOD, it is SO hard to publish a comment, the captcha just DOES NOT recognize anything i type!!!!!

a guy said...

Hi Marissa,

Here I was about to leave a long reply to start troubleshooting and realized (something I thought first before all else): what kind of device do you have? I get people asking me about different devices since the Samsung devices are related, so I need to know if it's a Galaxy or not, Player or Phone, which version of the particular device, etc.

Regards,
a.g.

Unknown said...

ok so my samsung droid charge doesn't have the kies option on it's usb menu how do i fix this?

Delvin said...

Hi !

i have a sumsung galaxy ace and i'm trying to use kies mini,

but i'm not able to locate theusb menu in my fone.
Also i've turned off debugging and tried searching for usb setting in wireless and network but that option was not there.

any advice ?

a guy said...

@Delvin,

Hi Delvin. Unfortunately it's been a while since I bought a Kies device: I don't have that one or its interface, but this blog is increasingly a hub for Samsung Galaxy/kies questions and information, it looks like: keep checking-in and if you set your comment up to have notifications sent upon reply, you may get something. I think I'm going to contact Samsung as well, and ask if they'll send me devices to do troubleshooting for folks.

Regards,
inlin.

Prof. Pablo Gtz. said...

Hi, it happens me the same as Mary r Styles. I´ve tried all the solutions on the web and still my computer doesn´t recognize the SG.

a guy said...

Hello Prof. Gtz., it just seems like Samsung hasn't kept the ball up with their software. At least, that is, on the Western editions of Windows...some similar problems crop-up with Quickbooks, in the sense that the software is too settings-dependant on the OS rather than caring little what it's on, but I've read that in some other settings some of these problems don't appear.

I know it sounds silly, but try downloading the packages from Microsoft and setting the computer to Korean or Chinese (and make sure you take DETAILED notes and pics--probably print-out and take notes by the pics) of every screen involved in the process, so that you can set it back. Then see what happens: some people report their devices working on Windows computers in Asian countries but then find they aren't working here.

But truth be told, without such devices I can't do further troubleshooting and, even if I could find the problem, that doesn't mean I can provide a solution. I do tech support all day for companies and...they just don't tend to design things very well, even when they try very hard, even when something "should" be very "simple".

Also note, it's not just lack of the phone that makes it hard to TS these things with people here: it's duplicating the conditions. You should try the above and post the result here--with careful description and details of every step (I mean REALLY detailed), and in so doing you'll be leaving a trail of data for Samsung or anyone else interested to use, and possibly that could help fix issues they may not have encountered.

Regards,
: )

a guy said...

p.s. You can also try Japanese. And: estas a la universidad de guadalajara o proximo? Considerabas de hacer estudia alli en anos pasado. Tambien, lo siento por el espanol, tengo que repasarlo mucho.

a guy said...

And for all others: link into here, and direct people here to collect Galaxy related errors data. :)

Unknown said...

Thanks! This worked!!! Now if you ever get an update for the 5.0 player, I'll send you a hershey bar! :D LOL!

Unknown said...

I am about to put my Samsung Galaxy Xcover GT-S5690 in the bin after trawling the web for days trying to get Kies to talk to it and give me back all my contacts. USB debugging OFF, *#7284# didn't work. Have tried reinstalling Kies from latest download, have tried factory resetting phone (or should I say paperweight) have tried reinstalling drivers. There dosent seem to be any USB settings anywhere in the menue options except to allow USB tethering. If I check USB teathing ON the Kies stops even trying to connect, but tries to connect if tethering is off. The phone had previously been rooted (anyone who has ever had an Xcover will tell you that Samsung put so much bloatwear on it that its not actually usable!) but it had been working for some time OK and nothing else had been installed. Please someone any other ideas or its going in the bin. :(