How to Retrieve Files From a Lenovo IdeaPad

You can transfer files from your IdeaPad to other devices using several methods.
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You can retrieve files from a Lenovo IdeaPad tablet in several ways. Connect the tablet to your computer using the USB data cable that ships with the IdeaPad to transfer files between the device and your computer. Establish a Bluetooth connection to transfer files between your tablet and computer. You can copy files directly off of the SD card you use in the tablet, or you can use a cloud storage service to establish a common file location that you can access from any device.

1 USB Connection

The Lenovo IdeaPad ships with a USB cable that you can use to connect the tablet to your computer. No software is required to transfer files between the device and your computer. Simply connect the micro-USB end of the cable to the IdeaPad, then plug the standard USB end of the cable into a free USB port on your computer. The tablet registers as a removable drive. Open Windows File Explorer and click the Removable Drive entry in the left sidebar to open the IdeaPad file system. Drag and drop files between your computer and the tablet.

2 Bluetooth

Many Lenovo IdeaPads are shipped with Bluetooth adapters installed. If your tablet is Bluetooth-enabled, you can transfer files between your computer and device through a Bluetooth connection. If your computer does not have an internal Bluetooth adapter, inexpensive peripheral adapters are available for transferring files.

3 SD Card

The Lenovo IdeaPad supports the use of a micro-SD card. If you have an SD card reader installed on your computer, you can use the adapter that shipped with card to read the card with an SD card reader. The card reader enables the computer to read the card as a removable drive. Open Windows File Explorer, then click the Removable Drive entry in the left sidebar panel to open the file system on the SD card. Drag and drop files between your computer and folders on the SD card.

4 Cloud Storage

The Lenovo IdeaPad’s Windows 8 mobile operating system seamlessly integrates with Microsoft’s SkyDrive cloud storage service. However, you are not limited to SkyDrive. You can use other cloud storage services to share files between your IdeaPad and other devices, including your computer. Google Drive, Amazon S3 and Dropbox all offer free and paid storage plans for users.

5 Email

As a last resort, you can email a file to yourself from your IdeaPad to quickly transfer a file when no other options are available. When you need to quickly retrieve a file off of the tablet and get it onto your computer, just attach the document to an email message. Send the message to an account you can check from your computer. Open the message and save the attachment.

Randall Blackburn has worked for several Fortune 1000 companies as a technical writer over the past seven years. He has produced a wide variety of technical documentation, including detailed programming specifications and research papers. Randall has also acquired several years' experience writing web content. Randall lives and works in Austin, TX.

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