PC recognizes Nexus but then I can't access my storage

[Santosh Subramani]

Resolved: I got Compaq PC and my nexus 5 was not seen my device manager. But i noticed some ACER ADB driver at the very top. so i tried to UNINSTALL the Driver AND check the box which prompts to remove the software entirely(which i ignored initially.)
Bang! i disconnected and reconnected USB cable and it worked.

 

[artworksmetal]

Same for me. I did install the Google latest USB drivers, then removed the Acer ADB. But did not have to 'update' the drive. Just plugged it back in and it worked..
Thanks to all for doing the legwork on this.

 

[Stephen DeGrace]

I had a similar issue as the OP with my Nexus 5. I went into the Settings -> Storage, then USB settings from the menu, and Media Device was selected. However, with the phone connected to computer (Windows 7), I unchecked the box and rechecked the box. The phone was recognized again after reenabling MTP, and afterwards, the phone's filesystem was recognized and I could access everything.

Worth trying.

 

[GoZippy]

OK OK - Enough...

Solution:

1) Enable MTP on Nexus 5 Device:
Goto Settings, Storage, (three dots in top right corner) Options - brings up "USB computer connection" - click that, Disable Camera PTP if it is enabled, ENABLE (check) Media device (MTP) - if it is already, uncheck it then recheck it. Let you computer find the ACER ADB again... IT's GOING TO BE OK... move on...

2) In device manager on Windows (I have win 7) - choose the Acer ADB device... it might temporarily recognize Nexus 5 and have a ! yellow warning on it until it installs the device driver and it incorrectly identifies as an ACER ADB device.. after it is done - select the acer ADB device, right click it, select UNINSTALL then *** this is key *** when uninstalling CHECK THE DELETE DRIVER check box also!

3) When its done uninstalling and deleting the Acer ADB driver - if it doesn't automatically just start working - unplug the phone and plug it back in - it will usually 99% of the time - just pick up the newly detected usb device and find it as a Nexus and download the appropriate driver really quick and whammo - open up the file manager or whatever default you setup...

Try that... big thing - DELETE the acer ADB driver when uninstalling... it will force it to look for a new driver...

Of course - you can also just install the android studio SDK and install all the packages for usb drivers...

This worked on my Nexus 5 with Android 5.0 (updated this week) as well as my old 4.4 Android.

Your Welcome

-GoZippy

 

[crxssi]

Of course - you can also just install the android studio SDK and install all the packages for usb drivers...

Or you can install Linux on your desktop and not need ANY drivers or SDK. Plug in phone, detected and working. Done.

 

[Karl Fjellstad]

Hey, Can anyone help me with this. I have an unlocked (by myself) Nexus 5 and am trying to connect to a fairly new windows 7 computer (lenovo 540) I have gone through the device manager and enabled advanced options to view drivers that are hanging on and stopped and uninstalled them. Even after updating to the latest MTP (for unlocked devices correct?) I still cannot connect my nexus device. I can see it but cannot browse through it. I have turned both computer on and off and logged on and off.
Is there something else I can do?

 

[Fabrice0720]

Thank you for this great post. It resolved my problem.

 

[Hansel D]

Hi, I had the same problem of my Nexus 7 (2012) suddenly stopping to appear as a disk drive but now as an MTP Device. This meant I couldn't copy/paste data as I could previously. After trying n trying I finally found the root of the problem. While using CCleaner to clean the registry, this had also modified the wpdusb.sys file (one of the default drivers provided by Microsoft). This in no was detracts from the usefulness of CCleaner as registry mods need special care anyway! This file WAS there [/WINDOWS/Sys32/Drivers] but the size was just 18 KB. On checking online, I found out that this file should be around the 38 KB mark. Simple fix - System Restore to an earlier point and voila! You can also download this file separately and install it to replace the errant earlier one.
Wpdusb.sys is essential to have access to USB-connected MTP devices. Ensure this as well as winusb.sys is present (35 KB).
* Also ensure your PC has up-to-date drivers for the Nexus
* Note, some of the USB cables don't support data transfer, so try as far as possible to use the orig cable that came with the Nexus. It def. works!
* Ensure that the Connection type on the tab is set to MTP and not Camera & that USB Debugging is off (if you don't see Developer Options in your tab Settings, it probably is off!).
If this helps you get back on track, don't forget to leave a smile as a reply - it might help someone else! Peace out....

 

[gnr_2]

You don't really need to do that - once the phone is recognized by the computer, you can still access the phone's storage even after screen turns off.

Not once the lock screen activates

 

[gnr_2]

Has anyone had this problem? Once you connect your phone to your computer and then say, download an attachment or edit a photo, the computer doesn't show the changes. The new attachment or photo will not show on the computer. If you delete something or write over a file, the old files will still show on your computer. I've ejected the device, rebooted the device, refreshed Windows Explorer, - it even shows the same files months later when reconnected to the computer after numerous changes have been made. The only thing I 've found to work immediately is deleting the driver and letting it reinstall. And that doesn't work 100% of the time. A lot of effort to see an updated file directory. Why does it do this? HOW can it happen? This happens with all 3 of my devices - Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 5 and Nexus 7. They are all on KitKat but it did it on JellyBean too. I'm on Windows 7.

 

[Jon Rube]

thank you so much, this 100% worked for my little sisters nexus 5

 

[Fransiscus Herry]

thanks

 

[steelew]

In windows 10, I had to uninstall the device and I chose to delete the driver as well. As soon as I scanned for hardware changes I got the windows what do you want to do with this device pop-up and i chose browse files and it worked. It was using a driver from google from 2013 before so after getting rid of it I had no problems.

 

[FERX 001]

Just in case someone else is having the problem without getting a solution just try:

-Settings > Developer options > Select USB Configuration > Charging only and then > MTP again.

Works like charm!

 

[mikecamimo]

Thanks Ferx .. that worked perfectly for me !!!

 

[vivarto]

There is only help in the upper R corner. Not USB Computer Connection settings

 

[Shyam Bharadwaj]

Thank you very much.

 

[wildchild_pt]

I do not have this option on my device, I have recently upgraded to android 6.0 and am not sure if that is what caused this. other ideas?

Update - managed to find this option in Developer Options on my device, Android 6.0 must have changed things slightly.

 

[wildchild_pt]

vivarto - I had the same problem, but found that there is this option inthe Developer options, under networking.

 

[Bob Meyer1]

The only way I could get my nexus 5 to work was to go into settings >> Developer Options >> scroll down into the networking section and select "Select USB Configuration", mine was already set for MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) but I had to select PTP and then select back to MTP, then everything was recognized on my computer.