Need some help with my Android phone (won't connect to PC) (updated 7/8/18)

[krispos42]

Last edited Sun Jul 8, 2018, 08:00 AM - Edit history (1)

Phone: LG K20+ Android 7.0 phone on T-Mobile.
PC: Windows 7 Professional

Problem: when use a USB cable to connect my phone to the computer, the charging indicator comes on but there is no data-transfer connection happening. It's like plugging it into a wall charger.

This was not a problem before. When I plugged in my phone (and unlocked it) I could access my phone via Windows Explorer and move files to and fro without an issue via the MTP protocol.

Now I can't. I've turned on Developer features and turned on USB debugging, but that didn't do anything. I then restarted my phone, and that didn't do anything either.

I tried 3 different cords (two of which I've used before and know they worked) and both of the USB ports on my PC's face. Nothing.

Windows says it doesn't see any new hardware.

I didn't change anything in my phone until this problem cropped up.

I was also getting this problem on my old PC (14 years old, Windows XP) but it was so old and slow it took 5 minutes minimum to do ANYTHING so I thought it was just age.

Please help! I can't update my podcasts!

Update 7/8/18

Okay, the USB problem is still unresolved; I can't make a USB connection to anything. However, I was able to sync my podcasts via WiFi. I figured out how to use iSyncr (from JRT Studios) over WiFi. I had been using it over USB to sync my iTunes to my Android phone. I didn't think I could use the WiFi sync feature because my PC doesn't have built-in WiFi but it does it through my router.

So I'm syncing my potcasts now... Best of the Left, The Bugle, Real Time, etc., via WiFi. The problem isn't solved, but it is bypassed.

Thank you all for your help. I will have to go to the T-Mobile store and see if they know anything.

[mr_lebowski]

1. I have this same issue with my S5 ... it used to work, and I've tried all suggestions online to fix

Dev mode and all that ... have not been able to.

You know when it started for me? When I put Android Pay on the phone and it did a bunch of security lockdowns at the time, and I just agreed w/all of 'em, not really paying close attention to what was being changed.

[krispos42]

2. Hmmm... I didn't do anything like that recently, but maybe some update did?

I will check. Thank you!

[PoliticAverse]

3. Is there another computer you can try the phone and cord on? n/t

[krispos42]

5. My old one. It didn't work this time.

It worked about 3 weeks ago. That's when I last updated my podcasts via my old computer.

It's been a couple of months since I used it on my newer computer, but it worked fine.

[PoliticAverse]

7. Hmmm. What version of android is your phone using? If you can go into settings...

and check what the options for USB connection are.

Can you access the internet via WiFi with the phone? If so you can just upload your podcast file to
one of the file storage sites and then move it to where you want it.

[packman]

4. Comes a time when support will no longer support (forgive the redundancy)

old systems - Windows 7 (?) released in 2009. I would check with T-Mobile support to see if there is a problem with a dated Windows system.

[mr_lebowski]

6. Poster is saying they also tried their very old XP computer as well, not as 'the only test'

but done to confirm it's a problem on >1 PC.

I have the exact same issue on Windows 10 w/all updates installed ... my desktop, my laptop, and my work desktop. Def. 'the phone' not the PC.

[LakeSuperiorView]

8. Try a different cable.

Some cables are power only and do not have data lines. These cables will never let the phone connect as a device.

[Sunlei]

9. recent app updates on 'smartphones' only data transfer if PC has windows10

you could try to make sure your phone has the most current update & perhaps check with the podcast website to see if they have a work around.

sorry, even apps like UBER can't even access my account on a PC unless the PC has windows10.

my "workaround" was to buy an inexpensive (refurbished) laptop on amazon with windows 10 to transfer data from my phone and check app accounts.

[krispos42]

10. The hell???

Crap. This will not be fun at all then.

[Sunlei]

11. some apps still work on my windows 8.1 computer, try to google & find work arounds.

Please, let me know if you find a way to connect your phone to a non-win10 computer. My apple cell phone has the same issue. all the cord does is charge

[krispos42]

13. Well, that's not it either

There's a Windows10 computer at work, and it didn't see my phone either.

Grrrr...

[ManiacJoe]

12. Check the USB connection on the phone.

The software updates may have reset the transfer type default back to "charge".

In the developer settings, you should be able to reset the default USB connection back to MTP.

Another thing to try would be to setup the wifi connection with the computer using LG's "bridge" software from LG.com

[krispos42]

14. No, it's set property to MTP protocol

My PC doesn't have WiFi built into it though; it's hardwired to the router.

But I will check this bridge software thingy.

[krispos42]

15. Alas, this phone doesn't have the LG AirDrive feature on it

It says it has to be built into the phone's OS, and my phone doesn't have it so no help there.

I'm beginning to think it's the USB port itself. Crap.