How can you delete a media file on an Android phone from a desktop computer?

[AC Question]

Hello,
I have a lot of files I want to review and, in cases, delete, and I would like to do this from a larger screen. So, I connected my phone to my desktop with a USB cable, and I can see and view the files successfully, but I cannot delete them from my desktop computer. (I am able to delete them from my phone.)
Any ideas?
Many thanks.
Keith

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Which phone? Is the USB connection set to MTP? Which directory are you trying to delete from?

 

[KeithHoward]

Hi.
The phone is a HTC One M9.
When I plug the phone into my computer I select ‘Use USB for file transfers’ and the phone says ‘Connected as a media device’.
I am trying to delete from the ‘DCIM\100Media’ folder. I cannot delete, copy, or make any other modifications to photo and video files in that folder.
Many thanks.
Keith

 

[B. Diddy]

Is that directory on Internal Storage or the SD card?

 

[KeithHoward]

Hi, it is on the internal storage.

 

[B. Diddy]

That's odd. You can't even drag and drop those files to your computer hard drive?

Try using a different USB cable, in case the current one is faulty.

 

[KeithHoward]

Hi,
Viewing the files isn't the problem. I can open them when I double click on them, though for some reason the file gets copied to a downloads folder on my computer first. The problem is that I can't delete the files from my phone using my computer. When I press delete in Explorer on my pc, I get an error message saying that I do not have permission.
I have tried on several PCs with several USB cables, each time getting the same result.
Thanks,
Keith

 

[B. Diddy]

Is the card or the phone encrypted?

Make sure your HTC USB driver is up to date. It's included in the Sync Manager: Download HTC Sync Manager

 

[KeithHoward]

HTC Sync Manager is installed on my pc, but it says that there is no phone connected. (I can still see the phone in Windows Explorer.)

 

[Monkey God]

May be its a issue with the usb port or with the usb driver .

 

[KeithHoward]

The USB port on the phone and on the computer are fine. I can see the files that are stored on the phone in Explorer. The problem is that I can not delete them in Explorer - I get an error message saying that I do not have permission. I can delete them on my phone, but it would be far easier to delete them via Explorer. I have HTC Sync Manager installed so I believe my driver is up to date.
Thanks