How to install applications on your Nokia N95 via USB

I’m going to focus on installing applications on your N95 after first downloading the installation files to your PC and transferring them to your phone via USB. Installing applications by downloading them directly to your phone over the air is so trivially easy, it’s almost automatic.

Please note: I am using Linux, Fedora 9 to be precise, but most of these instructions apply equally to Windows and Mac users. Also, if you don’t have a USB cable handy, you can install apps on your N95 via Bluetooth.

I’m going to use mConnection in this example. mConnection is an application that shows the amount of network traffic used and your current network speed in real time. I use it while connected to the wireless access point at the local coffee shop to make sure I’m still connected. The latest version at the time of writing is 0.05b and can be found here.

1. Download mConnection or whatever file you want to install and save it in a folder on you hard drive.
2. Connect your N95 to your computer with a standard USB cable. Your phone will prompt you to select your connection mode. Select Data Transfer.
3. You will see a warning telling you that you can’t use the phones Mass Memory during data transfer more. Select OK.
4. My Fedora 9 system automatically recognizes the phone as a USB Mass Storage Device and mounts it as /media/disk-1. If you’re using Windows it should just show up as another drive letter in Explorer.
5. On the phones filesystem, create a temporary folder. I called mine “temp”. This is where you’re going to copy the installation file you downloaded above.
6. Copy mConnection(005).sis into temp on the phones filesystem just as you would copy any other file.
7. Now close any open windows displaying the phones filesystem and unmount it. This is the same as clicking on the little hardware icon in the Windows System Tray and choosing Safely Remove Device.
8. Now that you have safely unmounted the device, disconnect the USB cable.
9. On your phone, select Menu -> Tools -> File Manager. Note the little tabs at the top of the File Manager indicating which part of the memory you are browsing. File Manager defaults to browsing the phones internal memory.
10. Press the right toggle to switch to the Mass Storage memory. Note the difference in the little tabs at the top of the File Manager.
11. Scroll down to the temporary folder you created earlier (temp) and open it. There should be one file named mConnection(005).sis.
12. Open mConnection(005).sys (or your downloaded file) and you will be asked if you want to install it. Select Yes.
13. Click Continue at the Details prompt.
14. Next, you are prompted to choose your language. I chose English (UK).
15. Choose whether you want the application installed in your Phone Memory or Mass Storage memory. I chose Mass Storage.
16. At the Application Access prompt, choose Continue.
17. Now that the application is installed, connect to a network, then press Menu -> Applications -> mConnection.
18. If you press the Back button, the main mConnection screen will disappear but the little popup window showing your current network traffic and download speed will always stay on top.
19. One thing I don’t like about this application is the fact that it doesn’t show up in the task manager. If you want to close the application you have to press Menu -> Applications -> mConnection, then choose Options -> Exit.