[reble]

I have a Samsung Galaxy tablet 2-10.1, GT-P5113. The tablet sees the sd card and the files on the sd card when I use ether File Explorer or Total Commander app's on the tablet. But when I connect the tablet to the laptop via the USB cable. The laptop only sees the tablet an not the sd card in the tablet. Why?

Steve

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! When connected via USB, swipe down the notification panel and tap the USB icon. Is MTP selected?

[reble]

B. Diddy. When I plug the tablets USB cable into the USB port on my (Windows) laptop. The 1st screen pops up telling me that I am connected to the laptop. See this link. https://www.dropbox.com/s/z8ad82dnh2...0play.jpg?dl=0 Then I click on "Open device to view file" I click on it and get the next screen capture picture. https://www.dropbox.com/s/sxkw8vhtgb...20see.jpg?dl=0 . I can't get into the SD card from the laptop side of the USB cable.

Welcome to Android Central! When connected via USB, swipe down the notification panel and tap the USB icon. Is MTP selected?

[B. Diddy]

I'm sorry--I meant on the tablet screen. You need to make sure the tablet is connecting to the PC in MTP mode. Sometimes it might default to Charge Only or PTP.

[reble]

The tablet is in the MTP mode.

I'm sorry--I meant on the tablet screen. You need to make sure the tablet is connecting to the PC in MTP mode. Sometimes it might default to Charge Only or PTP.

[B. Diddy]

Hmm. Is the Tab 2's internal storage broken into a smaller App Storage area and a larger "internal SD"? Can you show us a screenshot of the Settings>Storage menu? If the Tab 2 uses this older way of partitioning the internal storage, that might prevent the tablet from showing the external SD card when connected to the computer.

[reble]

Here is the screen capture that you asked for.

Hmm. Is the Tab 2's internal storage broken into a smaller App Storage area and a larger "internal SD"? Can you show us a screenshot of the Settings>Storage menu? If the Tab 2 uses this older way of partitioning the internal storage, that might prevent the tablet from showing the external SD card when connected to the computer.

[B. Diddy]

Well, that's a dead end. The tablet has "unified storage," which is the norm these days.

Let's go back a few steps. When you connect the tablet via USB and you see that dialog box on your PC screen, instead of selecting anything, just click the red X to make the dialog go away. Wait a few seconds--does the SD card pop up next?

Also, after making those dialog boxes go away, open Windows Explorer and look at the device list on the left side--do you see the tablet there? Do you see a down-arrow next to it? If so, click it and see if it shows you Internal Storage and SD Card. This is how it works for my ZenFone 2 (I have Windows 10).

Another thing to try is to make sure the proper USB drivers are installed. They should be included in Samsung Kies, or you can find them here: Download Center: Download Software, Firmware, Drivers & Manuals | Samsung

[reble]

B. Diddy I uploaded a few screen captures. 1st is what Windows Explorer see's when I 1st open it with the tablet connected. 2nd is when I click on the tablet's dir. 3rd is when my cell phone is connect. The tablet should look the same as the cell phone with the sd card showing. I also have the latest drivers for the tablet downloaded and installed.

OOO a ps. The D: drive is my external USB HDD and the G: drive is a SD card reader built into the laptop

Well, that's a dead end. The tablet has "unified storage," which is the norm these days.

Let's go back a few steps. When you connect the tablet via USB and you see that dialog box on your PC screen, instead of selecting anything, just click the red X to make the dialog go away. Wait a few seconds--does the SD card pop up next?

Also, after making those dialog boxes go away, open Windows Explorer and look at the device list on the left side--do you see the tablet there? Do you see a down-arrow next to it? If so, click it and see if it shows you Internal Storage and SD Card. This is how it works for my ZenFone 2 (I have Windows 10).

Another thing to try is to make sure the proper USB drivers are installed. They should be included in Samsung Kies, or you can find them here: Download Center: Download Software, Firmware, Drivers & Manuals | Samsung

[B. Diddy]

The PC shouldn't be recognizing the tablet as a "Portable Media Player." What other USB connection options do you have besides MTP when you connect the tablet to the PC?

When you connect the phone to your PC, is it also labelled "Portable Media Player"?

[reble]

Yes the cell phone is seen as a "Portable Media Player". There is the laser jet printer, the f: drive dvd optical drive reader, and the D: HDD. The optical drive and the D HDD are in there own external USB cases connect to a different USB port on the laptop via a powered USB hub.

The PC shouldn't be recognizing the tablet as a "Portable Media Player." What other USB connection options do you have besides MTP when you connect the tablet to the PC?

When you connect the phone to your PC, is it also labelled "Portable Media Player"?

[B. Diddy]

This is Windows 7, right? It's been a while since I've used Win 7, so I'm not sure if I'll remember any oddities that might have been associated with it.

Just to be sure you have the latest drivers, try installing Samsung Kies or Samsung Smart Switch (which should include the drivers).

Also, can you tell us what other options besides MTP show up on the tablet when you select the USB connection options?

[reble]

I am not sure what you mean by "what other options besides MTP show up on the tablet when you select the USB connection options". Here is some more screen captures. I hope this helps. Ps yes on Windows 7.

This is Windows 7, right? It's been a while since I've used Win 7, so I'm not sure if I'll remember any oddities that might have been associated with it.

Just to be sure you have the latest drivers, try installing Samsung Kies or Samsung Smart Switch (which should include the drivers).

Also, can you tell us what other options besides MTP show up on the tablet when you select the USB connection options?

[reble]

The "Speccy" attached picture was ment for a different forum. My bad.

Steve

[B. Diddy]

I am not sure what you mean by "what other options besides MTP show up on the tablet when you select the USB connection options"

Typically, if you swipe down the notification panel after connecting the phone to your PC via USB, there's a USB notification icon. If you tap that notification icon, it gives you various options for how you want to connect (typically MTP, PTP, Charge Only). Sometimes, this is located elsewhere in the system settings menu, so you may have to look through there to find it.

EDIT: Never mind, I just saw the options you found in the System Settings. It looks like you have that part set up correctly.

One of the other screenshots shows a notification for a software update--have you done the update yet?

[reble]

No on the software update. I have been trying to kill the software update on the tablet and the system update on my cell phone.

Typically, if you swipe down the notification panel after connecting the phone to your PC via USB, there's a USB notification icon. If you tap that notification icon, it gives you various options for how you want to connect (typically MTP, PTP, Charge Only). Sometimes, this is located elsewhere in the system settings menu, so you may have to look through there to find it.

EDIT: Never mind, I just saw the options you found in the System Settings. It looks like you have that part set up correctly.

One of the other screenshots shows a notification for a software update--have you done the update yet?

[B. Diddy]

Oh, that's right--I recall your other thread on that. But I wonder if that might be part of the issue.

I would also still recommend reinstalling the drivers, even if you think you have the latest.

[reble]

How is "that might be part of the issue"?

Steve

Oh, that's right--I recall your other thread on that. But I wonder if that might be part of the issue.

I would also still recommend reinstalling the drivers, even if you think you have the latest.

[B. Diddy]

I meant that perhaps not having the device's system up to date might be part of the issue with the USB interface.

[reble]

I finely figured out the problem with the sd card. How it got that way is a mystery. The sd card is unmounted and has been wiped clean. Again I have no clue as to were all the app's and the dir's on sd card went to. At lease that solves the problem as to why the laptop can't see the sd card. There is nothing for the laptop to see. The pull down menu says the sd card is "blank or has unsupported file system". All attempts to format the sd card have failed. I have the users guide for the tablet.

A ps, when I try to format the sd card. 1st thing that pops up is "sd card is been checked" then "media insert event: media _unmounted at file:///storage/extsdcard" then this pops up "media insert event: media _nofs at file:///storage/extsdcard". Then it just drops out the tablet's desktop

Steve

[reble]

I just borrowed the sd card out of my HTC Desire 626s cell phone. I just proved my theory about the sd card in the tablet been wiped clean. With the sd card from my cell phone in the tablet. The laptop now sees the sd card in the tablet. I can get into the dir's and run app's and open pictures. I still can't mount the 4gb sd card or format it. in the tablet or the cell phone.

[reble]

I am just going to have to replace the 4gb sd card in the tablet. It just won't re-format. I tried Windows deep format, 2 other Windows prog's and I tried formatting the sd card in the tablet it self. It just won't work. And borrowing the sd card from my cell phone proves there is no problem with the tablet. Thanks B. Diddy for your time and your input.

Steve

[B. Diddy]

A-ha! Good detective work. Chances are that the SD card simply failed. SD cards are not the most reliable and foolproof forms of memory around--a friend of mine who works in the industry once told me that SD cards use the bottom-of-the-barrel memory chips (when compared to eMMC), so one should never expect an SD card to last forever.