How to fix if the computer does not see the phone connected via USB. additional methods

If your phone does not connect via USB to a data-capable computer but only charges, try the following methods to fix the problem.

The computer does not see the phone via USB. why and how to fix it

If you are faced with the fact that the phone does not connect via USB, that is, the computer does not see it to transfer files, but only charging occurs, while the connection sound is playing, this manual provides details on how to fix this and enable the ability to View content phone memory when connected via USB cable.

The steps described below are suitable for both latest and previous Android phones in case the smartphone is not visible after connecting via USB on a computer with Windows 10, 8.1, Windows 7 and XP or Mac OS.

• Why the computer does not see the phone via USB, only charging. simple reasons
• Additional methods to fix if Android phone is not visible on computer
• Instructions
• Additional Information

Why Android phone is not visible on the computer via USB and only charging takes place. simple reasons and solutions

Before proceeding with additional methods for solving the problem when the phone is not visible through the USB connection, I recommend Pay attention to the following simple points: very often the reason turns out to be one of the following:

• If you took a USB connection cable that’s not an original cheap charging or that comes bundled with another device (for example, for charging wireless headphones or a second device that is NOT intended for receiving and transmitting data), then the reason may be this: not all cables can transmit data, there are corresponding contacts, and outwardly it is not noticeable. The solution is a working cable with GOOD data transfer capability.
• If you are faced with the fact that when you connect a smartphone to a computer, it is not visible, and the phone was recently repaired and something related to the board or connector was repaired, it is highly likely that the repair caused the problem: very often the connectors are soldered so that after that only charging works properly. The solution is just to redo.
• If you have Mac OS, just install Android File Transfer app for data transfer capability, official website: https://www.Android.com/filetransfer/
• If you still have Windows XP, install the MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) driver. https://www.Microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.Aspx?Id=19153

Additionally, considering that connecting even with a working cable via a USB hub (USB port splitter) to a faulty USB connector on a computer or laptop, and sometimes to the front of a PC may cause the problem in question. Try a direct connection to USB, another connector, the back of the PC, if connected to a USB 3.0 connector (usually blue). check if the problem persists when connecting to USB 2.0.

And the last simple moment: after connecting the phone to the computer, in order for it to start displaying in the explorer with the ability to view photos worthy of files, you need:

• Unlock phone when connected if it is locked. Accessing data on locked modern Android phones will not work.
• In the notification area, click on USB connection notification (by default, most phones are connected only for charging). If the notification does NOT appear, or rather, it is not reported that this is a USB connection, but only a text in charging, then with points of view phone connection does NOT serve for data transfer (wrong cable, damaged cable, connector on the phone or computer) Below are screenshots with the appearance of the notification on pure Android 9 and 8, on Samsung Galaxy and on Android 6-7.
• Select MTP file transfer mode for USB connection. On older versions of Android, there may also be an item for connecting as USB Mass Storage, it will also work, and it may work even better.

If the listed methods did not help, let’s move on to more complex fixes.

Android safe mode, developer mode motherboard drivers and other nuances

Among other things, if the problem in question occurs, please note the following points:

• Enable developer mode on Android, and then enable USB debugging in the developer options and, separately, find the default USB configuration item in the developer settings and set the mode File transfer. May be helpful here: How to enable USB debugging on Android.
• If you used the USB tethering mode on your phone, in the settings (usually in the section Connections or Network and Internet. Access point and modem) Turn off the option USB modem.
• If the phone is no longer visible after reinstalling or updating Windows, install the original drivers of the motherboard, chIPset from the website of its manufacturer or from the website of the laptop manufacturer if you have a laptop.
• Try restarting your Android phone in Safe Mode. If after that it became visible when connected to a computer, then most likely the reason is in some third-party applications, most often related to protection, control and similar.
• Try using the built-in troubleshooting in Windows: go to Control Panel. Troubleshoot. Hardware and Sound. Device Setup (in recent versions of Windows 10, the item is missing).
• If possible, try connecting your phone to a second computer. If it is also NOT visible there, again, the matter is most likely in the cable or connector. over, the connector on the phone may stop functioning for transferring files simply due to the ingress of dirt or water, followed by oxidation of the contacts.
• They can also help (or they can create problems with other USB drives, so take it only if you are ready for this) methods regarding cleaning the drivers from the instructions The computer does not see the USB flash drive.

If none of the options helps to solve the problem, and the computer still does not see your Android smartphone, describe the situation in the comments: what was done, after which the problem appeared, how does your device behave when connected via USB, has the cable been checked with another phone, a Problem device on another computer. I’ll try to help.

Checking the phone (MTP device) operation in device manager

• Open Device Manager on your Windows 10, 8.1, or Windows 7 computer while your phone is connected. To open Device Manager, you can press the WindowsR keys on your keyboard, type devmgmt.Msc, and press Enter. Windows is the OS logo key.
• See if there is a device in the device manager named MTP (MTP Device) or your phone name (may be in the Portable devices).
• If there is, double click on it, go to the tab Driver, click Update driver. Search for drivers on this computer. Select from the list of available drivers on your computer and see the list. If it has more than one compatible device, try to select the wrong driver that is currently installed, usually you need to select USB MTP device.
• If no new devices appear in the manager when disconnecting and connecting the phone via USB, this is another argument in favor of problems with the cable, connector on the phone or computer.

on this topic, if the device appears in the device manager with an exclamation mark, in a separate instruction Incorrect service installation section in this MTP INF file.

What to do if the computer does not see the Android phone connected via USB. instructions. Additional Information

If you come to the conclusion that physical problems (socket, something else) are a prerequisite for problems when connecting the phone, or you just do not want to understand the reasons for a long time, then you can transfer files from and to the phone in other ways:

• If you have Windows 10. use the built-in phone app (photo transfer only), if your Samsung phone. Samsung Flow app.
• Synchronization via Cloud storage Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Yandex Disk.
• Using programs like AirDroid (convenient and easy for novice users).
• Create an FTP server on your phone or connect it as a network drive in Windows.

This concludes, and if you have any questions or additions after reading, I will be glad if you share.

Check if the computer sees the connected USB flash drive in Disk management (Disk Management)

Start the disk management utility in one of the following ways:

• Start. Run (Win R), enter the command diskmgmt.Msc. Press Enter
• Control Panel. Administrative Tools. Computer Management. Disk Management

In the disk management window, note whether the flash drive appears and disappears when it is connected and disconnected from the computer.

Ideal. if the computer sees the connected USB flash drive and all partitions on it (usually one) are able to properly. In this case, it is enough to name it with the right mouse button, select in the context menu Make a section active, and, perhaps, assign a letter to the USB flash drive. this will be enough for the computer had seen USB disk. If the section is faulty or deleted, then in the status you will see Not allocated. Try to name it with the right mouse button and, if such an item is found in the menu, select Create simple volume to create a partition and format the flash drive (this will delete the data).

If a label is displayed in the disk management junk for your flash drive Unknown or Not initialized and one section is able Not allocated, this may mean that the flash drive is damaged and you should try data recovery (more on this later in the article). Another option is also possible. you have created partitions on a USB flash drive, which are NOT fully supported for removable media in Windows. Here the instruction can help you How to delete partitions on a USB flash drive.

If the flash drive does not see Windows XP

The most common situation I encountered when calling for setting up and repairing computers, when a computer with Windows XP installed on it did not see a USB flash drive (even if it sees other flash drives), was caused by the fact that the necessary updates were NOT installed to work with USB drives The fact is that many organizations use Windows XP, and often in the SP2 version. Updates due to restrictions on internet access or poor performance of the system administrator, and were not installed.

So, if you have Windows XP and the computer does not see the USB flash drive:

• If SP2 is installed, update to SP3 (during the update, if you have Internet Explorer 8 installed, uninstall it).
• Install all Windows XP updates, regardless of which Service Pack is used.

Here are some of the fixes for working with USB flash drives released in the Windows XP update:

• KB925196. fixed errors when the computer does not detect the connected USB flash drive or IPod.
• KB968132. Fixed bugs when, when connecting multIPle USB devices in Windows XP, they ceased to function normally
• KB817900. USB port stopped working after pulling out and re-inserting a USB flash drive
• KB895962. USB flash drive stops working when the printer is turned off
• KB314634. the computer sees only old flash drives that were connected before and does not see new ones
• KB88740. Rundll32.Exe error when inserting or removing a USB flash drive
• KB871233. the computer does not see the USB flash drive if it has just been in sleep or hibernation mode
• KB312370 (2007). Windows XP USB 2.0 Support

By the way, despite the fact that Windows Vista is almost never used anywhere, it should be noted that installing all updates should also be the first step when a similar problem occurs.

The computer does not see the USB flash drive. what to do?

In this manual I will describe all the ways I know to solve this problem. First, the most simple and, at the same time, the most effective ways will go in most situations when the computer does not see the USB flash drive, reports that the disk is NOT formatted or gives other errors. There are also separate instructions on what to do if Windows says that the disk is write-protected, How to format a write-protected USB flash drive.

There are many reasons why you may face the fact that the computer does not see the USB flash drive. The problem can manifest itself in any version of the operating system from Microsoft. Windows 10, 8, Windows 7 or XP. If the computer does NOT recognize the connected USB flash drive, this may manifest itself in several variations

• The computer writes insert disc even when the flash drive was just plugged in
• The icon of the connected flash drive and the connection sound just appear, but the drive is NOT visible in the explorer.
• Writes what needs to be formatted, since the disk is NOT formatted
• A message appears stating that a data error has occurred
• When you insert a USB flash drive, the computer freezes
• The computer sees the USB flash drive in the system, but the BIOS (UEFI) does not see the bootable USB flash drive.
• If your computer writes that the device is NOT recognizable, you should start with this instruction: USB device is NOT recognizable in Windows
• Separate instruction: Failed to request a USB device descrIPtor in Windows 10 and 8 (Code 43).

If then the methods that are described at the beginning will not help cure problem, go on to the next. until the problem with the flash drive is resolved (unless it has serious physical damage. then there is a possibility that nothing will help).

Perhaps, if the following does not help, another article will be useful to you (provided that your flash drive is not visible on any computer): Programs for repairing flash drives (Kingston, Sandisk, Silicon Power and others).

Additional actions

• Check your computer for viruses. they can serve as a prerequisite for inappropriate behavior of USB devices
• Check the Windows registry, namely the HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer key. If in this section you see a parameter named NoDrives, delete it and restart your computer.
• Go to the Windows registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control. If the StorageDevicePolicies parameter is present, remove it.
• In some cases, a complete blackout of the computer helps. You can do this as follows: Unplug the flash drives, Turn off your computer or laptop, Unplug from the outlet (or Remove the battery if it’s a laptop), and then, while the computer is off, press and hold the power button for a few seconds. Then release it, reconnect the power supply and turn it on. Oddly enough, it can sometimes help.

Windows 10 does not see a USB flash drive after updating or installing (it will work for Windows 7, 8 and Windows 10)

In this case, the free USBOblivion utility can help, which removes from the Windows registry all information about previously connected flash drives and external hard drives. Before implementing the program, I recommend creating a Windows 10 restore point.

Disconnect all flash drives and other USB storage devices from the computer, run the program, Check out the Perform a real cleanup and Save undo reg file, then click Cleaning.

After cleaning is complete, restart your computer and connect the USB flash drive. with a high probability, it will be detected and become available. If there is, then try also to go to the device manager (through the right click on the Start button) and Follow the steps to remove the USB drive from the Other devices section and then update the hardware configuration (described above). You can download the USBOblivion program from the Official developer page: www.Cherubicsoft.com/projects/usboblivion

But, in relation to Windows 10, another option is also possible. Actual incompatibility of USB 2.0 or 3.0 drivers (as a rule, then they are displayed with an exclamation mark in the device manager). In this case, the recommendation is to check the availability of the required USB drivers and chIPset on the official website of the laptop or PC motherboard manufacturer. At the same time, I recommend using the official sites of the manufacturers of the devices themselves, and not the sites of Intel or AMD to find such drivers, especially when it comes to laptops. Also, sometimes updating the BIOS of the motherboard helps to solve the problem.

Further simple steps

Try to go to Device Manager and see if your device appears as unknown, or under Other devices (as in the screenshot). the drive can be called there by its real name or as a USB storage device.

Click on the device with the right mouse button, select Uninstall, and after deleting it in the device manager in the menu, select Action. Update hardware configuration.

Perhaps this action will already be enough for your flash drive to appear in Windows Explorer and be available.

Among other things, the following options are possible. If you connect a USB flash drive to your computer via an extension cable or USB hub, try connecting directly. Try plugging into all available USB ports. Try turning off your computer, disconnecting all extraneous devices from USB (webcams, external hard drives, card readers, printer), leaving only the keyboard, mouse and USB flash drive, then turning on the computer. If after that the flash drive works, then the problem is in the power supply to the USB ports of the computer. perhaps there is not enough power from the PC power supply. A possible solution is to replace the power supply or purchase a USB hub with its own power supply.

Windows USB troubleshooter

I recommend starting with this, the safest and easiest way: recently, on the official website of Microsoft, its own utility has appeared to fix problems with connecting USB drives, compatible with Windows 10, 8 and Windows 7.

After starting the utility, all you need to do is click the Next button and see if the problems have been fixed. During the error correction process, the following items are checked (descrIPtions taken from the troubleshooter itself):

• USB device may NOT be recognized when connected via USB due to the use of high and low filters in the registry.
• USB device may NOT be recognized when connected via USB due to damaged top and bottom filters in registry.
• USB device does not print. This is most likely caused by a print failure or other problem. In such a case, you may NOT be able to disconnect the USB printer.
• Cannot remove USB storage device using Safely Remove Hardware. You may receive the following error message: Windows cannot stop the device Universal volume. because it is used by programs. Quit all programs that may be using this device and then try again. “
• Windows Update is configured so that drivers are never updated. If updated for drivers is found, Windows Update cannot automatically install them. For this reason, USB device drivers may be out of date.

In case something has been fixed, you will see a message about it. It also makes sense to try reconnecting your USB drive after using the USB troubleshooter. You can download the utility from the official Microsoft website.

Remove old USB drivers completely

This option is suitable if the computer writes Insert disc, when you insert a USB stick. Old USB drivers available in Windows can cause this problem, as well as errors associated with assigning a letter to a USB flash drive. In addition, this may also be a prerequisite for the fact that the computer restarts or freezes when you insert a USB flash drive into the USB port.

The fact is that by default Windows installs drivers for USB-drives the moment you first connect them to the corresponding port of your computer. At the same time, when the flash drive is disconnected from the port, the driver does NOT disappear anywhere and remains in the system. When connecting a new flash drive, conflicts may arise caused by the fact that Windows will try to use the previously installed drivers Corresponding to this USB port, but to the second USB drive. I will not go into details, but simply describe the steps required to remove these drivers (you will not see them in the Windows device manager).

How to remove drivers for all USB devices

• Turn off the computer and Disconnect all USB storage devices (and not only) (flash drives, external hard drives, card readers, webcams, etc. The mouse and keyboard can be left on, provided that they have a built-in card reader.
• Turn on your computer again.
• Download the DriveCleanup utility http://uwe-sieber.De/files/drivecleanup.ZIP (compatible with Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8)
• Copy the 32-bit or 64-bit version of drivecleanup.Exe (depending on your Windows version) to the C: \ Windows \ System32 folder.
• Run Command Timeline as Administrator and type drivecleanup.Exe
• You will see the process of removing all drivers and their entries in the Windows registry.

When the program finishes, restart your computer. Now, when you insert the USB flash drive, Windows will install new drivers for it.

Update 2016: It is easier to perform the operation to remove mount points for USB drives using the free USBOblivion program, as described above in the section on non-working flash drives in Windows 10 (the program will work for other versions of Windows as well).

The computer does not see the phone via USB. software reasons

After describing the hardware reasons, we will list the main software reasons, if your computer still does not recognize a cell phone connected with a USB cable, follow the further instructions.

1. We work with the settings. We go into the settings of our device, select there Memory, click on the three points at the top (Properties), select USB connection to computer and put a tick opposite Media device ( USB stick). If you have a checkmark next to using USB as a modem. Uncheck it.

USB connection settings to computer on Android

Windows Update (to download drivers for your phone) and New Device Discovery must be enabled on your PC. Remember to unlock your phone when connected to your computer, this is important.

If you are a conservative and have Windows XP, download the MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) for XP from the Microsoft website and install it on your computer.

2. If your USB.Ports drivers have failed, the computer may NOT see the phone. If the drivers for the USB ports are dysfunctional, the latter simply stop working. To fix this problem, install USB drivers c native disk with drivers for your PC motherboard, or download the latest drivers from the motherboard manufacturer’s website.

Also, due to some reason, power may be turned off for a number of ports.

• Go to the section Nutrition (Control Panel. Hardware and Sound. Power Options)
• Please select “Setting up a power plan opposite the meal plan you are using;
• Then click on Change advanced power settings;
• Find in the list that appears ParametersUSB, click on the plus sign opposite;
• And then on the plus sign next to Temporarily disable USB port parameter;
• Change the parameter to Forbidden both in the case of mains supply and battery power;
• Click Apply and OK.

Turn on USB ports

3. The device drivers have flown. Go to device Manager and see if there is a question mark or exclamation mark in paragraph Portable devices.

Check if your device is there and Verify that it is working properly by right-clicking on it and pressing Properties. If it is there, or you are in doubt, uninstall the driver, Disconnect the phone from the computer, and then turn it back on, and let the system install the driver again. This can help solve the problem that the smartphone does not connect via USB to the computer.

Installing device drivers

Also, it will not be superfluous to enter the website of the manufacturer of your smartphone and download the latest drivers for it on your PC (for example, for Samsung there is a special software called Samsung Kies).

4. Install update KB3010081 (KB3099229). Windows 10 owners may need to install update KB3010081, which is responsible for working with Windows Media Player. This player is directly related to the normal operation of the MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) service, so download and install these updates.

Also, a common prerequisite may be an unreliable assembly of the OS itself on a PC. Only rearranging Windows to a more working version will help here.

5. Inoperative custom firmware. The desire of many fans to play with the firmware for their Android device can do them a disservice in the form of the device’s failure to work normally with the computer. Try restoring to stock firmware or recovering from a backup (if available).

There are no drivers for the phone on the computer

Although, usually, a computer with the latest OS detects and sees a smartphone via USB without problems, the opposite can be observed. Try to search for a driver for your smartphone on the network, sometimes a driver may come up for similar models of this brand.

The phone may NOT be detected by the computer due to viruses

It is trite, but all kinds of virus programs can block work with external mobile devices. Try to scan your computer with Dr. Web CureIt !, in some cases it can help.

So why does the computer not see the phone via USB, but is charging. hardware reasons

1. The USB cable is damaged. It often happens that the cause of this dysfunction is damage to the USB cable itself. Little-known cables or noname manufacturers do not have a large margin of safety, and may fail literally in a couple of months from the start of operation, and as a result, the computer will NOT detect the connected phone.

Check if the USB cable is damaged

In addition, even the most reliable cables from global brands are susceptible to stochastic damage. they can be accidentally damaged during use, can be chewed by pets or spoiled by children. After that, first of all, inspect your USB cable for the possibility of mechanical damage, and, if the external cable is intact, try using it to connect your device to a second computer. If the device is NOT recognized on another PC. try replacing the cable.

2. The USB port on the computer is damaged. The USB ports used in a computer are also susceptible to various mechanical damage, including damage to the USB controller as well as the south bridge of the motherboard. Try to insert the cable into a different USB connector, if this does not help to fix the connection of the phone to the PC, follow the further tIPs.

Check if the USB port on the computer is damaged

3. Damaged cable jack on the phone. Has water got into the socket of the smartphone and is it damaged? If yes, then it needs to be replaced.

Turn off the battery, Pull the battery out of it for a few seconds, then turn it back, and turn back on your device.

Reasons for not connecting your phone via USB

The whole complex of reasons for the problem that the NK does not see the smartphone through the USB cable, I would divide it into hardware and software, and below I will list each of them, simultaneously providing instructions for its correction. But before using the methods I have indicated, try restarting your computer and smartphone. this does not help as rarely as it seems. This problem mainly occurs with devices from Samsung, Lenovo, HTC, LG and Fly.

The computer does not see the phone via USB, but it charges

Why the computer does not see the phone via USB, but is charging

Many users, when trying to connect a phone to a computer using a USB cable, are faced with the fact that the computer does NOT recognize the connected gadget. The connected device is charging, while there is no access to the smartphone itself and its internal content. I also encountered this synchronization problem, and in this material I will tell you why the computer does not see the phone via USB, and I will also share various methods for solving this issue.

Phones are connected via USB to computer

If the problem of detecting a mobile device by the computer has not yet been resolved, reset the settings

If, until now, your computer does not see the phone via USB, it should help resetting the smartphone using Hard Reset. Go to your phone settings, select the menu item Backup, and in it select Data reset.

But I warn you right away that you will lose your files and settings located in the internal memory of the phone (files on the SD card will remain intact), so this item should be used only as a last resort!

Conclusion

As you can see, problems with the lack of visibility of the connected phone on the PC can be of both software and hardware nature, and there are a lot of such problematic factors. I would advise you to first pay attention to the possible mechanical damage in the cable and device, and only then switch to software methods.

In many cases, a simple restart of the smartphone (temporary removal of the battery), as well as working with the phone’s USB connection settings, can help. If all of the above does not help and the computer does not see the phone via USB, but is charging, then you may need to contact a qualified service center.

Device drivers have flown

Go to device Manager and see if there is a question mark or exclamation mark in paragraph Portable devices.

Check if your device is there and make sure it works fine. Click on it with the right mouse button and pressed Properties. If it is there, or in doubt, uninstall the driver!

Disconnect the phone from the computer and then turn it back on and let the system install the driver again. This can help solve the problem that the smartphone does not connect via USB to the computer.

Also, it will not be superfluous to enter the website of the manufacturer of your smartphone and download the latest drivers for it on your PC. For example, for Samsung there is a special software called Samsung Kies.

Install update KB3010081 (KB3099229)

Windows 10 owners may need to install update KB3010081, which is responsible for working with Windows Media Player. This player is directly related to the normal operation of the MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) service. Then download and install the update data.

Also, a common prerequisite may be an unreliable assembly of the OS itself on a PC. Only rearranging Windows to a more working version will help here.

Try to remove the battery

Turn off the battery, Pull out the battery for a few seconds, then put it back! And turn on your device back.

So why the computer does not see the phone via USB, but is charging. hardware reasons. The computer does not see the phone via USB. software reasons

After describing the hardware causes, let’s list the main software causes. If your computer still DOES NOT recognize the cell phone connected with the USB cable, follow the further instructions.

Data connection is not enabled on the phone

The top pop-up menu of the phone has a button “data transfer”, you need to press it! On android, for example, this is a double arrow.