USB problems with Froyo

[retrev]

I just got a new Fascinate and it's running Froyo. I'm trying to connect via USB and I'm having trouble. Windows XP-64 and Vista 32-bit both give me an Unknown Device error and Ubuntu doesn't even show the phone with lsusb. I've tried installing the Samsung USB drivers a few times and it doesn't seem to help. I do get power and Windows recognizes there is a device there but it doesn't find drivers.

Any ideas?

 

[Kevin Gossett]

Two things you can try:

Go to Menu>Settings>Applications>Development and select "USB Debugging"

Also try Menu>Settings>USB settings and select "Ask on connection"

 

[voodoochild03]

I am having the same issues. I have had my Fascinate for quite some time now (last November I believe) and didn't have the issue until a couple of OTA updates. I have just never bothered trying to figure it out much yet. I've downloaded Samsung drivers and installed them and I have seen several posts in different places about this; using usb debugging doesn't work and any options within usb settings don't work either. The phone appears to be doing everything correctly, allowing the questions when I plug in a usb device (ask on connection) and the "USB connected" screen with the android man. "Connect USB storage" brings me to the "USB storage in use" screen, but again, the computer doesn't recognize anything.

Any help/ideas? I would like to perhaps root at some point, but I figure if the computer can't recognize the phone, how could I root?

 

[Landshark]

I am having the same issues. I have had my Fascinate for quite some time now (last November I believe) and didn't have the issue until a couple of OTA updates. I have just never bothered trying to figure it out much yet. I've downloaded Samsung drivers and installed them and I have seen several posts in different places about this; using usb debugging doesn't work and any options within usb settings don't work either. The phone appears to be doing everything correctly, allowing the questions when I plug in a usb device (ask on connection) and the "USB connected" screen with the android man. "Connect USB storage" brings me to the "USB storage in use" screen, but again, the computer doesn't recognize anything.

Any help/ideas? I would like to perhaps root at some point, but I figure if the computer can't recognize the phone, how could I root?

After you connect your phone and you get the pop up on your phone with the droid and you click connect and usb storage in use shows, then below the droid, the grey box should read "stop" when it is connected. If you don't get an autoplay pop up on your computer, try clicking start menu on your computer, go to computer in the start up menu, click on it and see if there is a drive that wasn't there before. Double click on that drive as it should be your phone and you should see your phone directory. I had that happen to me once before and after I did those steps my computer always recognizes my phone and I get the autoplay pop up every time.

 

[voodoochild03]

After you connect your phone and you get the pop up on your phone with the droid and you click connect and usb storage in use shows, then below the droid, the grey box should read "stop" when it is connected. If you don't get an autoplay pop up on your computer, try clicking start menu on your computer, go to computer in the start up menu, click on it and see if there is a drive that wasn't there before. Double click on that drive as it should be your phone and you should see your phone directory. I had that happen to me once before and after I did those steps my computer always recognizes my phone and I get the autoplay pop up every time.

Thanks for your reply. I just realized I never responded to this. I have followed those steps and no drive pops up. The pc does not appear to recognize the phone, so therefore no drive letter available to choose. I have tried this on several computers... it will only charge, not connect and allow file transfers, etc.

 

[Lttlwing16]

Have you tried un-installing the device in device manager on your pc after you plugged it in?

 

[voodoochild03]

Have you tried un-installing the device in device manager on your pc after you plugged it in?

If you could clarify how I would do that, perhaps I can try that. Device manager does not appear to display any obvious or easily recognizable references to the phone. Any suggestions/ideas on what device/areas I should be looking?

 

[Lttlwing16]

Here's what I would try..

on your PC.. navigate to "(My) Computer" and right click . Select Manage or Device Manager
This should launch a window. Look for a "Device manager" on the left side of the window and double click.
This will open a whole tree of options.
Go to the Universal Serial Bus tree and single left click to open the tree.
This will show all your active USB connections.

NOW

Plug in your phone via USB and watch the Tree to see if a "unknown" device shows up or even Samsung Android Device. you don't have to do anything on your phone..it should pop up on the device manager tree if it's connected via usb. If you don't see anything at all change in the tree, plug in something else via usb and see if it shows up on the list.

If your phone doesn't trigger any change in the USB tree, I would try a different USB cable. Its important to try to use the same one that came with the Fascinate. If you don't have that one, order a OEM replacement off Amazon (they're like a 1.40). If your using that one, try a different one, even if it isn't OEM.

Hopefully, plugging in your Fascinate will cause a "unknown device" or "Samsung Android Device" to show up in the USB tree.

If it does, navigate to the device that pops up when you plug in your Fassy via USB and right click on it. Select Un-install from the options.

After it finishes the un-install process, unplug your fascinate from the PC, reboot your computer, let it fully boot, and plug your Fascinate back in.

It should go through the whole motion of "Found New Hardware" installation once you plug it in, and hopefully you'll be good to go when it finishes.

 

[voodoochild03]

I used your suggestions/instructions and unfortunately nothing. I do want to note that my girlfriend has a Fascinate as well - when connecting her phone to my computer (same cable, so the cable is not faulty) I had the problem of the phone displaying as a CD device. I was able to easily correct this and access the files on her phone using the instructions posted here:

Latest Verizon Fascinate Maintenance Upgrade Killed Your USB Mounting?

I was HOPING that installing the drivers, etc., using that suggested information would make it work for my phone... nope. It seriously seems that there is specifically something wrong/not working correctly on my phone. Any ideas??

 

[voodoochild03]

Kind of at the end of my rope with this issue. Would anyone suggest a factory reset to see if that would work (will be a major pain trying to save as much as I can from the phone) or do you think it would be a hardware issue (which I don't think it is, being that it USED to work)?

 

[Lttlwing16]

Have you tried connecting to a different computer first? Does it have the same problem on multiple computers and Windows versions?

A factory reset is a good idea, but you will lose all your data, which isn't a huge deal, seeing as you back up appropriately.

And if your going to backup everything, I would just use ODIN to flash a newer ROM. There are ODIN versions of the newest stock Froyo ROM, ED05, which I use (rooted by myself). It works great. I would start there.

Check the stickies for all you need, in doing that.

 

[voodoochild03]

Would you have any suggestions as to how to back-up my apps, etc.? To be honest I'm not TOO worried about losing things, as I can, for the most part just download an app again, but just in case?

My preference would be to root to essentially use the newest ROM like you indicate, but stripping out the bloatware and that's about it. I'm sure there are plenty of other options/ROM's out there but I would probably like to start simple.

Now the main question is - do you think the USB/connection issue is due to the software on the phone, or could it be a hardware problem and therefore not work after a hard reset?

 

[Lttlwing16]

I will answer in the reverse order you asked..

I humbly believe it's most definitely a software glitch somewhere. Your phone is indicating that the USB is connected, the computer recognizes it, just not appropriately. Honestly, I believe your problem is with Windows/PC, not your Fascinate. My personal opinion if it was my phone..

If I had exhausted all options on exploring the PC glitch, including,

1. Tried connecting on at least two different computers
2. Tried connecting on at least two different versions of Windows (not Vista)
3. Uninstalled drivers completely then tried re-connecting

, I would then try working with the Fascinate to change out ROMS.

Which leads us too..

For backup..there are a lot of good tools.. here is a thread I wrote..It says if you aren't rooted this isn't for you, but there is a lot of applicable info on backing up.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/verizon-fascinate-rooting-roms-hacks/85675-how-preparing-yourself-wipe-data-factory-reset-clockwork-recovery.html

Titanium Backup is a great tool, and I would download the free version. I would also utilize appbrain to sync your apps.

For Roms, like I said, I flashed ED01 via ODIN, then OTA'd to ED05. It took about 30 minutes to auto download and install all the new roms over the air. If you stay stock, there are options to remove the bloatware aside from having root access. You can use an app freezer to freeze an app, which basically disables it, but doesn't remove it from the phone. Using a custom launcher, Launcher Pro in specific, will allow you to remove the apps you don't want from your app drawer. You'll forget they are even on your phone. https://market.android.com/search?q=App+Freezer&so=1&c=apps

If you still want to ROOT, which I did, we can cross that bridge at a different point. The focus now is getting your USB working correctly. Like I said, I believe this is a computer problem, and doing all this may be redundant, which is why I want to make sure we have exhausted the computer options before modifying your Fascinate.

 

[voodoochild03]

First off, thank you for all of your help/advice.

I am pretty sure that it isn't a PC glitch being that I've done all of those things... tried it on 4 different computers (3 with windows 7, 2 with 32 bit, one 64 bit - and one windows XP) and i've completely uninstalled/reinstalled drivers on a couple computers. On another it never had the drivers and i added them, and on another i never installed drivers. Nothing works on any.

Again, my girlfriend has an identical phone... same version of the software, everything. It works on my computer perfectly fine.

Regarding app freezers - i haven't been able to locate any that dont require root, any suggestions? That is really the main thing i want to do... remove or freeze apps i don't want running.


Looks like one of these days i just need to do a factory reset and see if that works.

 

[Lttlwing16]

First off, thank you for all of your help/advice.

I am pretty sure that it isn't a PC glitch being that I've done all of those things... tried it on 4 different computers (3 with windows 7, 2 with 32 bit, one 64 bit - and one windows XP) and i've completely uninstalled/reinstalled drivers on a couple computers. On another it never had the drivers and i added them, and on another i never installed drivers. Nothing works on any.

Again, my girlfriend has an identical phone... same version of the software, everything. It works on my computer perfectly fine.

Regarding app freezers - i haven't been able to locate any that dont require root, any suggestions? That is really the main thing i want to do... remove or freeze apps i don't want running.


Looks like one of these days i just need to do a factory reset and see if that works.

First off, your definitely welcome.. it's my pleasure..

Glad you ruled out the PC. It's hard to know what people have tried, haven't tried, what level of technical understanding they have, so as a result I always over explain things, and seek to confirm they've tried everything. Hope that wasn't toe stepping...sorry if it was..

I think if you called VZW....they would tell you to do a battery pull, and do a factory reset.. blah blah... basically stuff you probably already knew.. if that didn't work they would probably send you a replacement fassy, err after a two hour phone call.

In retrospect, the app freezer I used on my wife's phone a while back, was after I rooted it. You have to have root access to get to system apps, in order to freeze them. So my apologies. If you want to root your phone, it's easy, and it won't rob your phone of any user data. In a basic synopsis you just have to place the superuser.zip on your sdcard, flash a custom recovery in ODIN, boot immediately into CWM ( hold vol+ vol- and power button) and flash the superuser.zip.. it should take about 5 minutes once all the files are where they need to be.

Please follow these directions : http://forums.androidcentral.com/verizon-fascinate-rooting-roms-hacks/70058-how-first-time-rooting-walk-through-4-28-11-a.html

After you get root access I would recommend Titanium Backup Root. It will freeze/un-install the bloatware for you.

 

[gekanukr]

Hi to all. I have the same problem here. Froyo 2.2 (i897UCKB2). I tried everything except flashing new ROM. Also the phone doesn't have CWM,only System Recovery (3e), with just a few useless options like :
reboot system
reinstall packages
dele all user data
delete cache data
format SD
How can install CWM? Thanks