Having adopted my son's Samsung phone, I'm having a play. This is my
first android type phone (I thought my last mobile was sophisticated
because it took photos as well as made phone calls), which is now
connected to the home network. Phone is running Android 4.4.4 The
phone is S3, I think.

Having installed ES File Explorer on the phone, I can see shared files
on my Netbook, using the phone. What I can't see is the phone from the
Netbook. Should I be able to? I perhaps naively assumed the phone
would appear on the Netbook (W98), but there must be a setting I am
missing within the phone. Whatever it is, I can't find. Any clues?
--
Graeme

News wrote:

What I can't see is the phone from the Netbook. Should I be able to?
I perhaps naively assumed the phone would appear on the Netbook
(W98)

Earlier versions of Android presented as USB removable storage so would
look like an external drive to a PC, but newer versions use MTP or PTP
instead, so the phone doesn't have to unmount the storage to allow the
PC to mount it.

Win98(!) doesn't come with MTP drivers, you might be able to find some
and install them, e.g.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/171263/mtp-devices-in-windows-me/?p=957830

On Thu, 28 May 2015 10:16:07 +0100, News wrote:

What I can't see is the phone from the Netbook. Should I be able to?

Yes, it should just pop up as an external drive - providing you tell the
phone to act as external storage. When you plug the USB in, does it come
up on the screen asking what to do? Charge, storage, both?

I perhaps naively assumed the phone would appear on the Netbook (W98)

That's probably your problem, right there. An OS that was released 17yrs
ago and replaced 20yrs ago...

News wrote:
Having adopted my son's Samsung phone, I'm having a play. This is my
first android type phone (I thought my last mobile was sophisticated
because it took photos as well as made phone calls), which is now
connected to the home network. Phone is running Android 4.4.4 The
phone is S3, I think.

Having installed ES File Explorer on the phone, I can see shared files
on my Netbook, using the phone. What I can't see is the phone from
the Netbook. Should I be able to? I perhaps naively assumed the
phone would appear on the Netbook (W98), but there must be a setting
I am missing within the phone. Whatever it is, I can't find. Any
clues?

Have you opened remote manager in ES File Explorer and used the address
there on your PC? That works in XP and Windows 7 but I've no idea if
Windows 98 will cope

See http://www.estrongs.com/eshelp/en/ne...#_Toc406426524
--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

Adrian wrote:

An OS that was released
17yrs ago and replaced 20yrs ago...

You are The Doctor and ICMFP
--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

On Thu, 28 May 2015 10:44:02 +0100, Robin wrote:

Adrian wrote:
An OS that was released 17yrs ago and replaced 15yrs ago...

You are The Doctor and ICMFP

I don't know what you mean...

On 28/05/2015 10:16, News wrote:

Having adopted my son's Samsung phone, I'm having a play. This is my
first android type phone (I thought my last mobile was sophisticated
because it took photos as well as made phone calls), which is now
connected to the home network. Phone is running Android 4.4.4 The phone
is S3, I think.

Having installed ES File Explorer on the phone, I can see shared files
on my Netbook, using the phone. What I can't see is the phone from the
Netbook. Should I be able to? I perhaps naively assumed the phone would
appear on the Netbook (W98), but there must be a setting I am missing
within the phone. Whatever it is, I can't find. Any clues?

I can see the shared folders on my W7 computer from my Android Moto G
phone when running ES File Explorer - but not the other way round.

In order to see files on the phone from the PC, I have to physically
connect them via USB. The phone then appears as an external drive on the PC.

Can't guarantee this will work on W98 though!
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

Roger Mills wrote:
I can see the shared folders on my W7 computer from my Android Moto G
phone when running ES File Explorer - but not the other way round.


It took me a while to discover the way see the files from Windows over a
network as the setting is not obvuous in ES but IMO it makes it much
easier to manage files. See
http://www.estrongs.com/eshelp/en/ne...#_Toc406426524


--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

On Thu, 28 May 2015 09:46:54 +0000, Adrian wrote:

On Thu, 28 May 2015 10:44:02 +0100, Robin wrote:

Adrian wrote:
An OS that was released 17yrs ago and replaced 15yrs ago...

You are The Doctor and ICMFP

I don't know what you mean...

Time inversion.

On 28/05/15 10:16, News wrote:

Having adopted my son's Samsung phone,

OK - first mistake!

You are supposed to get the best on contract yourself and 2 years later,
pass it onto him as a cast off!

;-

I'm having a play. This is my
first android type phone (I thought my last mobile was sophisticated
because it took photos as well as made phone calls), which is now
connected to the home network. Phone is running Android 4.4.4 The
phone is S3, I think.

Good - the S3 is still perfectly serviceable.

Having installed ES File Explorer on the phone, I can see shared files
on my Netbook, using the phone. What I can't see is the phone from the
Netbook. Should I be able to? I perhaps naively assumed the phone
would appear on the Netbook (W98), but there must be a setting I am
missing within the phone. Whatever it is, I can't find. Any clues?

Stick an SSH server on the phone:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...apps.sshserver

and use SFTP from the netbook (using typically WinSCP as you said
Windows, or Cyberduck from a Mac).

You need to choose an ssh port number on the phone (22 is not permitted
unless you root the phone, pick a random memorable number =1024 and =65535

Note the phones IP on the network (system settings/About Device/Status)
or install a "widget" app that tells you.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hiess.ipwidget

Set up a user and password in the SSH app.


Connect to WIFI (as most cell operators block incoming IP connections)

Use WinSCP to connect to the IP above using the port and user and
password you setup.

Hey presto, GUI explore type access to your phone's filesystem.


It is a lot less hassle once you have the apps installed an dthe basic
setup done.



The other option is AirDroid.

In message , Andy
Burns writes
News wrote:

What I can't see is the phone from the Netbook. Should I be able to?
I perhaps naively assumed the phone would appear on the Netbook
(W98)

Win98(!) doesn't come with MTP drivers, you might be able to find some
and install them, e.g.

*Major* embarrassment. Sorry chaps. XP not 98! I know I'm in a time
warp, but not quite that far back :-)
--
Graeme

On Thu, 28 May 2015 12:04:47 +0100, News wrote:

*Major* embarrassment. Sorry chaps. XP not 98! I know I'm in a time
warp, but not quite that far back :-)

grin Should just play, then.

Check the preferences on the phone, that it's not been set to default to
charge-only. Does it play nicely if you plug it in to a different PC?

In message , Tim Watts
writes
On 28/05/15 10:16, News wrote:

Having adopted my son's Samsung phone,

OK - first mistake!

You are supposed to get the best on contract yourself and 2 years
later, pass it onto him as a cast off!

grin I never use the bl**dy thing. PAYG and a tenner will last me
years. Most of the top ups I buy die after six months, long before I've
used the credit. Seriously. Having got this latest one alive and
kicking, I must remember to use it twice a year, just to keep it going.

Stick an SSH server on the phone:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...apps.sshserver

and use SFTP from the netbook (using typically WinSCP as you said
Windows, or Cyberduck from a Mac).

Thank you. I'm going to read all that slowly at least six more times,
then have a go.

--
Graeme

In message , Adrian
writes
On Thu, 28 May 2015 12:04:47 +0100, News wrote:

*Major* embarrassment. Sorry chaps. XP not 98! I know I'm in a time
warp, but not quite that far back :-)

grin Should just play, then.

Check the preferences on the phone, that it's not been set to default to
charge-only. Does it play nicely if you plug it in to a different PC?

I'm having a bad morning :-)

When I connect the phone to my Netbook (running XP!) via USB lead, I can
see it and access it as an attached device,just like a USB stick, camera
etc.

When I connect the two wirelessly, via the home network, I can 'see' the
Netbook from the phone, and access shared files.

What I cannot do is see the phone from the Netbook wirelessly, through
My Network Places, Entire Network etc. That is what I hope to achieve,
not because I need to, but just because I think it should be possible.

More to the point, my son who is, like all teenagers, a World Gadget
Expert, told me he thought I couldn't.
--
Graeme

In article ,
News wrote:
When I connect the phone to my Netbook (running XP!) via USB lead, I can
see it and access it as an attached device,just like a USB stick, camera
etc.

Yes - that's what happens with my Samsung here.

When I connect the two wirelessly, via the home network, I can 'see' the
Netbook from the phone, and access shared files.

What I cannot do is see the phone from the Netbook wirelessly, through
My Network Places, Entire Network etc. That is what I hope to achieve,
not because I need to, but just because I think it should be possible.

Think it's more a Windows thing. My smart TVs see any Windows computer on
my LAN - but not the other way round.

More to the point, my son who is, like all teenagers, a World Gadget
Expert, told me he thought I couldn't.

If you download My Phone Explorer to both the PC and phone, you'll be able
to share stuff pretty easily both ways via Wi-Fi without using a cloud.
It's one of those 'free' progs where they prompt you to make a donation.

(Thanks to Dave Liquorice for the heads up on this prog - it does exactly
what I wanted)

--
*OK, who stopped payment on my reality check?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

News wrote:

When I connect the phone to my Netbook (running XP!) via USB lead, I
can see it and access it as an attached device,just like a USB stick,
camera etc.

OK.

When I connect the two wirelessly, via the home network, I can 'see' the
Netbook from the phone, and access shared files.

That's because the PC is acting as a file server, and ES explorer is
acting as a CIFS client.

What I cannot do is see the phone from the Netbook wirelessly, through
My Network Places, Entire Network etc.

Your PC is a CIFS client, but Android doesn't act as a file server.
That's why people have suggested mounting over SSH etc.

On 28/05/15 14:21, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Thu, 28 May 2015 13:30:26 +0100, News wrote:

What I cannot do is see the phone from the Netbook wirelessly, through
My Network Places, Entire Network etc. That is what I hope to achieve,
not because I need to, but just because I think it should be possible.

Well, you'd think.

Welcome to Android. Where **** all "just works".

You need the phone to act as a server to the Netbook. Either via SMB
(Samba - Windows stylee) or FTP.

Or the other way around - possibly enabling a share on the netbook.

It may be possible to crowbar the bluetooth OBEX stack into the equation.
But Androids version of bluetooth is even more sucky than Windows - which
is saying something.

Tim Watts wrote:

Jethro_uk wrote:

Welcome to Android. Where **** all "just works".

You need the phone to act as a server to the Netbook. Either via SMB
(Samba - Windows stylee) or FTP.

Or the other way around - possibly enabling a share on the netbook.

I think he's got that working, and it makes sense for the phone *NOT* to
be a server, sucking up battery power just in case someone wants to
access it, far more sense to have the PC with its mains power be the
server, ready for the occasion when then phone wants to access it, you
can pull or push files using the phone after all ...

On 28/05/15 15:42, Andy Burns wrote:
Tim Watts wrote:

Jethro_uk wrote:

Welcome to Android. Where **** all "just works".

You need the phone to act as a server to the Netbook. Either via SMB
(Samba - Windows stylee) or FTP.

Or the other way around - possibly enabling a share on the netbook.

I think he's got that working, and it makes sense for the phone *NOT* to
be a server, sucking up battery power just in case someone wants to
access it,

One usually turns the SSH server on just when needed - but otherwise, I
tend to agree.

far more sense to have the PC with its mains power be the
server, ready for the occasion when then phone wants to access it, you
can pull or push files using the phone after all ...



Although the PC can be a nicer client to use than the phone...

In message , Andy
Burns writes

I think he's got that working, and it makes sense for the phone *NOT*
to be a server, sucking up battery power just in case someone wants to
access it, far more sense to have the PC with its mains power be the
server, ready for the occasion when then phone wants to access it, you
can pull or push files using the phone after all ...

Thanks all. I have reached the same conclusion. I don't *need* it to
work without cable - just trying to prove a point to smartarse son :-)

He'll be impressed that I've managed to download an app AND get it
working so I can see the Netbook from the phone wirelessly.

Talking wireless and cable works, why are all these USB cables
different? WTF haven't the mini plugs been standardised yet? Half a
century ago, connecting a tape recorder to a record player was a
nightmare with any combination of jack plugs, DIN, banana and phono to
choose. Nothing has changed in fifty years.
--
Graeme

In article ,
News wrote:
Talking wireless and cable works, why are all these USB cables
different? WTF haven't the mini plugs been standardised yet? Half a
century ago, connecting a tape recorder to a record player was a
nightmare with any combination of jack plugs, DIN, banana and phono to
choose. Nothing has changed in fifty years.

Obvious. They want to sell you 'their' cable at an inflated price.

--
*Starfishes have no brains *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Thu, 28 May 2015 15:59:37 +0100, News wrote:

Talking wireless and cable works, why are all these USB cables
different? WTF haven't the mini plugs been standardised yet?

They have. It's just that some manufacturers ignore the standard MicroUSB.

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/apple...rop-lightning-
connector-microusb-3471219/

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
News wrote:
Talking wireless and cable works, why are all these USB cables
different? WTF haven't the mini plugs been standardised yet? Half a
century ago, connecting a tape recorder to a record player was a
nightmare with any combination of jack plugs, DIN, banana and phono
to choose. Nothing has changed in fifty years.

Obvious. They want to sell you 'their' cable at an inflated price.

Does *nobody* else just use the "remote manager" facility built into ES
File Explorer which, as I've already posted, gives an ftp address to use
to manage files on the device from a PC?
--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

On 28/05/2015 10:59, Robin wrote:
Roger Mills wrote:
I can see the shared folders on my W7 computer from my Android Moto G
phone when running ES File Explorer - but not the other way round.


It took me a while to discover the way see the files from Windows over a
network as the setting is not obvious in ES but IMO it makes it much
easier to manage files. See
http://www.estrongs.com/eshelp/en/ne...#_Toc406426524



Many thanks for that. I wasn't aware of that - and can now see some of
the files stored on the phone in its internal storage (pseudo SD card).

But I *can't* find a way of navigating to the *real* SD card - where
most of my data are stored. Am I missing something?

I sometimes wish to transfer music files and photos from my PC to my
phone so that I can play them or show them to other people when I'm out
and about. I want them to go onto the external SD card[1] - but I can't
see how to do that without using USB. Where am I going wrong?

[1] OK, I can copy them to internal storage and then move them within
the phone - but that rather defeats the object of the exercise!
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On 28/05/2015 17:22, Roger Mills wrote:
On 28/05/2015 10:59, Robin wrote:
Roger Mills wrote:
I can see the shared folders on my W7 computer from my Android Moto G
phone when running ES File Explorer - but not the other way round.


It took me a while to discover the way see the files from Windows over a
network as the setting is not obvious in ES but IMO it makes it much
easier to manage files. See
http://www.estrongs.com/eshelp/en/ne...#_Toc406426524



Many thanks for that. I wasn't aware of that - and can now see some of
the files stored on the phone in its internal storage (pseudo SD card).

But I *can't* find a way of navigating to the *real* SD card - where
most of my data are stored. Am I missing something?

I sometimes wish to transfer music files and photos from my PC to my
phone so that I can play them or show them to other people when I'm out
and about. I want them to go onto the external SD card[1] - but I can't
see how to do that without using USB. Where am I going wrong?

[1] OK, I can copy them to internal storage and then move them within
the phone - but that rather defeats the object of the exercise!



Sorry - forget all that! I hadn't taken on-board the bit about using
Settings to set the root directory. Have now done this, and can see
everything!
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On 28/05/15 15:59, News wrote:
In message , Andy
Burns writes

I think he's got that working, and it makes sense for the phone *NOT*
to be a server, sucking up battery power just in case someone wants to
access it, far more sense to have the PC with its mains power be the
server, ready for the occasion when then phone wants to access it, you
can pull or push files using the phone after all ...

Thanks all. I have reached the same conclusion. I don't *need* it to
work without cable - just trying to prove a point to smartarse son :-)

He'll be impressed that I've managed to download an app AND get it
working so I can see the Netbook from the phone wirelessly.

Talking wireless and cable works, why are all these USB cables
different? WTF haven't the mini plugs been standardised yet? Half a
century ago, connecting a tape recorder to a record player was a
nightmare with any combination of jack plugs, DIN, banana and phono to
choose. Nothing has changed in fifty years.

At least they all used 1V PP - so a Samsung Galaxy S5 will happy drive
the line in to a valve amplifier made in 1950 (as long as you have a
3.5mm to phono or whatever lead). Suck that Apple!

But yes, I don't like the micro USB. Mini was OK, micro is too flimsy
for little gain. And the Franken-connector new version is horrid - but
sadly micro was too ambitious and could not carry the high charging
currents of some modern phones hence the upgrade.

I wonder if they had just stuck with the mini USB...

On 28/05/15 16:25, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
News wrote:
Talking wireless and cable works, why are all these USB cables
different? WTF haven't the mini plugs been standardised yet? Half a
century ago, connecting a tape recorder to a record player was a
nightmare with any combination of jack plugs, DIN, banana and phono to
choose. Nothing has changed in fifty years.

Obvious. They want to sell you 'their' cable at an inflated price.


I wonder if Russ Andrews does oxygen free aligned crystal USB cables to
ensure you only have the finest undisturbed electrons charging your phone...

On 28/05/2015 17:01, Robin wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In ,
wrote:
Talking wireless and cable works, why are all these USB cables
different? WTF haven't the mini plugs been standardised yet? Half a
century ago, connecting a tape recorder to a record player was a
nightmare with any combination of jack plugs, DIN, banana and phono
to choose. Nothing has changed in fifty years.

Obvious. They want to sell you 'their' cable at an inflated price.

Does *nobody* else just use the "remote manager" facility built into ES
File Explorer which, as I've already posted, gives an ftp address to use
to manage files on the device from a PC?

I do *now*! But I hadn't discovered it until you pointed it out - and I
guess that many others are the same.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

Tim Watts wrote:

I don't like the micro USB. Mini was OK, micro is too flimsy

Micro is supposed to survive many more mating cycles than mini.

On 28/05/15 20:13, Andy Burns wrote:
Tim Watts wrote:

I don't like the micro USB. Mini was OK, micro is too flimsy

Micro is supposed to survive many more mating cycles than mini.


Which is surprising given the number of times I've nearly rammed it in
the wrong way round!

"News" wrote in message
...
In message , Andy Burns
writes

I think he's got that working, and it makes sense for the phone *NOT* to
be a server, sucking up battery power just in case someone wants to access
it, far more sense to have the PC with its mains power be the server,
ready for the occasion when then phone wants to access it, you can pull or
push files using the phone after all ...

Thanks all. I have reached the same conclusion. I don't *need* it to
work without cable - just trying to prove a point to smartarse son :-)

He'll be impressed that I've managed to download an app AND get it working
so I can see the Netbook from the phone wirelessly.

Talking wireless and cable works, why are all these USB cables different?

Because the first ones are too physically big for
stuff like phones and other small devices like that.

WTF haven't the mini plugs been standardised yet?

There are just two commonly seen now with another one
coming that supports more current then the first two.

Half a
century ago, connecting a tape recorder to a record player was a nightmare
with any combination of jack plugs, DIN, banana and phono to choose.
Nothing has changed in fifty years.

At least now they are physically incompatible so its easy
to see which one is needed.

"Tim Watts" wrote in message
...
On 28/05/15 15:59, News wrote:
In message , Andy
Burns writes

I think he's got that working, and it makes sense for the phone *NOT*
to be a server, sucking up battery power just in case someone wants to
access it, far more sense to have the PC with its mains power be the
server, ready for the occasion when then phone wants to access it, you
can pull or push files using the phone after all ...

Thanks all. I have reached the same conclusion. I don't *need* it to
work without cable - just trying to prove a point to smartarse son :-)

He'll be impressed that I've managed to download an app AND get it
working so I can see the Netbook from the phone wirelessly.

Talking wireless and cable works, why are all these USB cables
different? WTF haven't the mini plugs been standardised yet? Half a
century ago, connecting a tape recorder to a record player was a
nightmare with any combination of jack plugs, DIN, banana and phono to
choose. Nothing has changed in fifty years.

At least they all used 1V PP - so a Samsung Galaxy S5 will happy drive the
line in to a valve amplifier made in 1950 (as long as you have a 3.5mm to
phono or whatever lead). Suck that Apple!

But yes, I don't like the micro USB. Mini was OK, micro is too flimsy for
little gain. And the Franken-connector new version is horrid - but sadly
micro was too ambitious and could not carry the high charging currents of
some modern phones hence the upgrade.

I wonder if they had just stuck with the mini USB...

Its main disadvantage is that it is asymmetric and easy to damage
when being forced in the wrong way by technoklutzes.

"Andy Burns" wrote in message
o.uk...
Tim Watts wrote:

I don't like the micro USB. Mini was OK, micro is too flimsy

Micro is supposed to survive many more mating cycles than mini.

And is deliberately designed so that the easy to replace cable connector
is what wears, not the much harder to replace connector it plugs into.

On 28/05/15 21:09, Simon263 wrote:


"Tim Watts" wrote in message

I wonder if they had just stuck with the mini USB...

Its main disadvantage is that it is asymmetric and easy to damage
when being forced in the wrong way by technoklutzes.

? Micro is assymetric and easier to try to force the wrong way. Mini has
wopping (relatively) big lugs on one side.

It would have been much nicer if someone just said "lets make the bloody
thing reversible and put matching contacts on both sides - spread the
amps too".

On 28/05/15 21:20, Simon263 wrote:


"Andy Burns" wrote in message
o.uk...
Tim Watts wrote:

I don't like the micro USB. Mini was OK, micro is too flimsy

Micro is supposed to survive many more mating cycles than mini.

And is deliberately designed so that the easy to replace cable connector
is what wears, not the much harder to replace connector it plugs into.

Ah - that'll be why I had to replace the bottom PC in SWMBO's Galaxy S2
when the socket (regular micro) fell to bits...

******* job, but cheap enough...

Tim Watts wrote:

It would have been much nicer if someone just said "lets make the bloody
thing reversible and put matching contacts on both sides - spread the
amps too".

See the USB Type C connector ... If Nokia would get their finger out
with the N1, I'd have one ...

"Tim Watts" wrote in message
...
On 28/05/15 21:09, Simon263 wrote:


"Tim Watts" wrote in message

I wonder if they had just stuck with the mini USB...

Its main disadvantage is that it is asymmetric and easy to damage
when being forced in the wrong way by technoklutzes.

? Micro is assymetric and easier to try to force the wrong way.

Yes, and that is why the latest version is symmetric and can't be used the
wrong way.

Mini has wopping (relatively) big lugs on one side.

And has the main disadvantage that it isn't symmetric so it can go in either
way.

It would have been much nicer if someone just said "lets make the bloody
thing reversible and put matching contacts on both sides - spread the amps
too".

And that is what the latest has done.

And that isn't just seen with USB either, Apple has gone the
same route with the lightning connector over the previous
one. Main downside with the lightning connector is that
the contacts are too exposed on the power end for my taste.

"Tim Watts" wrote in message
...
On 28/05/15 21:20, Simon263 wrote:


"Andy Burns" wrote in message
o.uk...
Tim Watts wrote:

I don't like the micro USB. Mini was OK, micro is too flimsy

Micro is supposed to survive many more mating cycles than mini.

And is deliberately designed so that the easy to replace cable connector
is what wears, not the much harder to replace connector it plugs into.

Ah - that'll be why I had to replace the bottom PC in SWMBO's Galaxy S2
when the socket (regular micro) fell to bits...

No one ever said that no one would ever stuff up the design
of the connector that is in the device rather than on the cable.

Mostly it is the one on the cable that wears out first tho.

******* job, but cheap enough...

Blimey I thought I was out of date with xp.
brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Andy Burns" wrote in message
o.uk...
News wrote:

What I can't see is the phone from the Netbook. Should I be able to?
I perhaps naively assumed the phone would appear on the Netbook
(W98)

Earlier versions of Android presented as USB removable storage so would
look like an external drive to a PC, but newer versions use MTP or PTP
instead, so the phone doesn't have to unmount the storage to allow the PC
to mount it.

Win98(!) doesn't come with MTP drivers, you might be able to find some and
install them, e.g.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/171263/mtp-devices-in-windows-me/?p=957830

In message , Robin writes

Does *nobody* else just use the "remote manager" facility built into ES
File Explorer which, as I've already posted, gives an ftp address to use
to manage files on the device from a PC?

I do now :-) Thank you. It just works. I can now access phone from PC
and PC from phone, both over home wi fi. Even son was impressed.

--
Graeme