The tablet does not see the usb drive, what should I do? Why doesn't the computer see the tablet? Several options for solving the problem

Android OS tablets today are positioned as full-fledged workplaces. It's no joke, they actually already know a lot, including working with numerous USB peripherals. Mice, keyboards, printers, game controllers and many other devices are connected to tablets using a special cable. But, without a doubt, the most familiar and popular USB device, familiar to everyone, is a regular USB flash drive. In today's article you will learn how to easily “make friends” of your tablet with absolutely any flash drive.

What is USB-OTG? This technology appeared back in 2001 and was intended for the same thing it is used for now: connecting USB devices to gadgets like mobile phones and wearable media players. The key feature of OTG is that the head device (in our case, a tablet) can operate in both “host” and “client” modes.

In other words, through the same port, our tablet can not only work with a flash drive, but also act as one itself when connected to a PC via the appropriate cable.

How it works

But how exactly does this all work? Surprisingly, the technology has not undergone any significant changes since its invention. In order to switch the tablet to the “host” mode, the OTG cable is equipped with a special jumper, which is not included in the regular USB cable included in the kit. Thanks to this jumper, the tablet “understands” that this particular cable is connected and “gives” energy to the flash drive, rather than receiving it, for example, for charging. Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it?

By the way, at the moment there are devices that allow tablets to work with OTG and charge at the same time, which is incredibly convenient for several reasons. Instead of a jumper, they use a resistance (resistor) and the voltage from the charger is supplied not only to the tablet itself, but also to the flash drive connected to it. Unfortunately, not all tablets support this function yet.

Possible problems when connecting OTG

Sometimes it happens that your cable is working properly, but for some reason the tablet stubbornly refuses to “see” the external device. We'll look into why this might happen below.

What to do if OTG does not work

If you have read the list and know why OTG does not work, let's try to find several solutions to your problem.

However, it often happens that the capabilities of FAT32 become insufficient. The fact is that this file system has one significant drawback - it does not support working with files larger than 4 GB. This drawback can be very critical for those who like to watch movies in high resolution on their tablet. NTFS does not have such a problem, and this is where the question arises of how to teach our tablet to work with this file system. There are several ways to do this. The simplest is to install programs that allow you to mount NTFS on any device running Android OS. The most common one among them is “Paragon NTFS & HFS+”. It is distributed free of charge and allows you to mount not only NTFS, but also HFS+, which Apple uses in its Macs. The program is very convenient and simple. Its only drawback is that you need ROOT rights to work with it.

As for portable HDDs. As noted above, most of them will not work with tablets due to higher power consumption. How can we deal with this problem?

The first option is an active USB hub. This is a regular USB hub, but with external power, allowing you to connect more devices without losing speed. The disadvantage of this method is that not all tablets support hubs, plus an additional occupied outlet.

Example of an active USB hub

The second option is HDD with external power supply. It’s not only tablets that lack the “strength” to spin up external HDDs. Some laptops also cannot cope with this task, so you can often find HDDs with two USBs on sale. One goes into the tablet, the second goes into the charger.

But the HDD with external power supply

Don't forget that almost all HDDs are formatted in NTFS, so before connecting the hard drive to the tablet, you should take care of this too.

The basics of working with external drives

So, we connected the flash drive to our tablet, what next? All modern file managers support USB-OTG. The most popular and functional is “ES Explorer”. In order to “get” to the flash drive, you need to select the appropriate item in the main menu. Now you can view files on it, edit them, copy, delete and perform any actions with them, just as you do with a microSD card or the memory of the tablet itself.

Main menu of the ES Explorer program

USB drive opened in the program

If it is not possible to install a file manager, you can find a flash drive connected to the tablet through the manager built into the firmware. Some standard FMs are capable of displaying external flash drives in the main menu, like “ES Explorer,” while others require you to independently search for external drives. You can find a USB flash drive at the following address - root of the tablet memory (root) - storage - usbdisk.

Tablet memory root

And here is the flash drive itself

The read/write speed depends both on the flash drive itself and on the characteristics of your tablet. New devices that support USB 3.0, for example, allow you to work with external drives at speeds that are in no way inferior to internal memory.

You can test a flash drive for read/write speed on Android, for example, using the “A1 SD Bench” program.

A1 SD Bench program

Is it possible to “make friends” between two Android tablets via OTG?

Surely, this is a question that interested many after reading this article. There are situations when you need to transfer a large amount of information from one tablet to another. For example, a folder with photos, a large game or a movie of a gigabyte or two. Of course, even if the tablet has the latest version of Bluetooth, you will have to wait more than one hour. This, of course, is not an option. This begs the question, is it possible to connect two Android tablets or smartphones to each other via OTG? The answer is yes. However, there are some limitations. With the latest versions of Android, Google is gradually moving away from mounting device memory as USB drives. Now most Android devices are connected using the MTP protocol, that is, as media devices, since this is more secure from a corporate point of view.

Smartphone connected via MTP

What does this mean? And the fact that Android does not currently support MTP connection to it. You can get around this by switching your smartphone or tablet to standard storage mode using the corresponding item in the settings. If there are no such settings, you can try to do this using special programs. Unfortunately, these programs are not a panacea and will not work with every tablet.

If the tablet does not work as a drive

As a result, if your tablet does not work as a storage device, you have only one outlet for transferring a large amount of information - WiFi. The essence of such a transfer is the following - one device is the host and opens the access point, and the other is the client, which, in fact, connects to this point. Today, many programs allow such transfer, for example, the same “ES Explorer” or the MiDrop function of Xiaomi. But the most convenient program is SHAREit

Although it was copied from the Transfer application in MIUI (they even connect without problems), it is supported by all Android devices and provides enormous data transfer speeds. There is no comparison with Bluetooth. In addition to this, it looks nice, is very easy to use and allows you to transfer data even to Apple products. In general, this is truly a “must have” for any Android device.

Or, for example, you stopped seeing a card that worked perfectly the day before, you need to take a few simple steps. First, turn off the tablet and remove the memory card. Most likely your card is MicroSD for 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 GB. So, you took out the memory card. Now check it on any mobile phone.

Insert the memory card into your phone and check if it works. Let's assume it works. Then the question is, why doesn’t the tablet see the memory card? Don't worry, we'll fix everything together now =).

What's next?

We need a computer or laptop.
Connect your phone to your computer or the card itself using a card reader.
Then open my computer, find your card.
Create a permanent directory on your desktop and copy all the files there. Copied? Amazing!
Now right-click on the flash drive and select format.
In the window that opens, select the FAT32 file system and the default sector size.
Uncheck the “quick format” box and click the Start button.
Wait 10 minutes for the process to complete. Did you wait? Now we send the contents of the created folder to the now empty, formatted card. Click on safe removal and insert it back into the tablet.

If the card still doesn't work, give it up and don’t despair. Today memory cards cost from 90 rubles for 2 GB. So it's not a big loss!
But, if you were unable to retrieve important files and data from your card, or had other difficulties, feel free to contact our service center at

Blinded by popularity, the ultra-fashionable device - the tablet - does not see the flash drive. What could be the reason, and what actions should you take to help your device “see the light”? We will touch on the most common misunderstandings in this article.

What's wrong?

Before accusing the manufacturer of incompetence, it is worth carefully understanding the very essence of the question: “Why doesn’t the tablet see the flash drive?” After all, sometimes it is the consumer who is incapable of understanding the actions required of him, which ultimately affects both the functional capabilities of the gadget and the operating efficiency of the electronic machine. Agree, not every user has extensive knowledge in the field of computer hardware. But a tablet is a miniature computer that has the ability to connect external media, in particular Flash media, of various types.

Invisible format

If someone speaks to you in a foreign language, which is a sealed secret for you, will you understand the interlocutor? Hardly! A similar misunderstanding is also inherent in the situation when the tablet does not see a flash drive that has an undetectable file format, that is, unknown to the gadget’s system. It is enough to format the Flash drive to the FAT32 standard using a computer for your device to recognize the expected “guest”. It is the aforementioned file system (File Allocation Table) that allows portable devices to work correctly with a variety of flash storage media. However, let's talk about everything in order...

If the tablet is microSD:

1. Make sure the physical integrity of the memory card. A visual inspection for mechanical damage, such as chips, deformation or deep scratches, may convince you that it is inappropriate to use a obviously faulty “keeper” of information.

2. If an adapter is used, pay attention to the contacts: they must be clean, without traces of oxidation and grease.

3. Sometimes the tablet does not see the flash drive due to the fault of the card reader - a special device that facilitates the synchronization of Flash cards of various formats and types. Check whether he perceives a previously “familiar” memory. If the result is negative, you will need to reinstall the device driver.

The connecting cord can also be the culprit of “miscommunication”. Again, a check is required both for the physical and technical integrity of the cable and for the software compliance of the established data for working with the device through the connecting element.

5. You need to make sure that the Flash you purchased is not standard or SDXC. This is an extremely important point, since the volume of such drives is often incompatible with the hardware capabilities of the device, especially if you take into account that your device does not belong to the category of prestigious ones. Typically, the type of micro CD card is limited to 8 GB. Most budget tablets are designed for eight additional memory.

Important! Operating conditions play a huge role: metro (crush), public wheeled transport (inertial risk of damage), open bus stop (rain, dampness, heat, dust) - all these factors are predetermining in the situation “the tablet has stopped seeing the flash drive.”

Universal usability

Almost all electronics today are equipped with USB connectors. A portable device is no exception to the rule. The incredibly popular and widely used serial interface, plus Flash storage, has become an integral part of the user world of high-tech digital devices. At the same time, the comfort and efficiency of using this can sometimes be a serious difficulty for those whose devices do not support “heavy” volumes.

Therefore, it often happens that the tablet does not see a USB flash drive of a critically imperceptible size. And yet, in the case when you are sure that the connected Flash memory meets all technical and system requirements, and the fact of the presence (detection) of the drive by the gadget remains a “mystery” for you, pay attention to several important points:

Most tablets supply insufficient voltage to the USB bus; This is due, first of all, to the, so to speak, economical energy consumption scheme implemented by the developers.
Some gadgets do not provide or disable the function of an embedded device that expands memory properties. In this case, it is advisable to install a file manager, or activate the detection option in the device settings.
Often the tablet does not see the flash drive only because the OTG cable used for connection is too long or mechanically damaged.

Finally

In the case when all methods have been tried to no avail, and confidence in the readability of Flash media is confirmed by indisputable evidence, your “blinded” gadget requires professional repair.

Many owners of a tablet computer are familiar with the situation when the device does not read or does not see the memory card. Moreover, this can happen with both removable and external storage. And neither expensive nor the cheapest equipment is immune from this problem. Therefore, it will be useful for users to find out why the memory card in the tablet does not work.

There are several explanations for this circumstance, as well as ways to solve the problem:

Failures and overload of the device operating system. Solving this problem is quite simple. To do this, you need to reboot the device. One restart is enough to fix this problem. If this does not happen, this option is not relevant.
Problems with contacts. This issue can be resolved by simply wiping the contacts and then reinserting the drive into the slot. In some cases, it is also necessary to clean metal elements that may have been exposed to various liquids or have become oxidized.
Checking the memory card for functionality. This is done by using the drive in another device. If it connects and works normally, the problem lies in the socket itself or in the tablet. If the other device did not detect the flash drive, the problem definitely lies there.
Incorrect formatting. You can fix this problem using a computer or laptop. You will have to format the device. After installing the drive, you need to right-click on it. In the drop-down menu, select “Format” and wait until the command is completed. The small device can then be used.

What if the tablet does not see the internal memory card?

You can decide why the tablet does not see the internal memory card after checking the operating system. Most often, the problem lies precisely there. Often the problem occurs on devices with root rights (superadministration), when access to changes to various parameters is open.

An inexperienced user can change something, and do it incorrectly. Such intervention is fraught with incorrect operation, as well as the need to perform a general system reset to the factory state. To do this, use Recovery mode. You can call it by simultaneously pressing and holding the start button and volume control. In the window that opens, you will need to select Wipe cache partition, and then reboot the system.

If you are the proud owner of a tablet, then you probably use Micro SD or USB memory cards to expand the available memory on your device. A memory card is especially useful if you prefer to play modern games on your tablet, or watch the next episode of your favorite TV series. But here’s the problem: suddenly, for no reason at all, the tablet stopped seeing your flash drive, although there seemed to be no special prerequisites for this.

In this case, you will always have time to take the device to the service center; let’s first try to resolve the problem on our own. We may be able to revive the Micro SD card without additional financial costs for repairing the product at a service center.

First of all, if you encounter such a problem, try rebooting your tablet. It is possible that the problem was caused by a normal software glitch and after rebooting the Micro SD card will be visible again. If the reboot does not lead to anything, move on and learn about other methods of flash drive reincarnation.

We take the card out of the gadget and test it on a smartphone or other tablet. If everything functions without problems in another device, then the memory card is not damaged and the problem should be looked for in the Micro SD slot on your device. If this is the case, unfortunately, there is no way to do it without a trip to the service center.

If you connected the card to another mobile device, and it also does not see it, take a card reader or an adapter from Micro SD to SD and use it to connect the memory card to a laptop or desktop PC. If the card is still not visible, most likely the flash drive is faulty and you will need to buy another one. This won't put a big dent in your wallet, as the prices for MicroSD cards on the market are quite affordable at the moment.

However, let's discuss a little about a more positive scenario: let's assume that the card was successfully detected on the computer and the flash drive is working. In this case, two options are valid:

The flash drive is visible in Windows Explorer, but it is not possible to access it;
the card opens absolutely correctly and all your data is available on it.

Whichever option is relevant in your case, the subsequent steps will be approximately identical: since the card works correctly on a computer, but not on a tablet, we dare to assume that the whole problem lies in incorrect formatting. In this case, the flash drive will have to be reformatted again. At the same time, you should take into account only one nuance - if the memory card does open, you need to create a backup copy of all the data located on it (simply create a new folder somewhere on the HDD drive and copy all the directories and file files on the flash drive into it). objects).

To start the procedure for formatting a MicroSD card, you need to right-click on it and select “Format” from the list of options that appears. A form for formatting settings will appear, where you need to set the cluster size as default, and also select the FAT32 file system. After all the manipulations have been completed, uncheck the “Quick” item and click on the “Start” control. Please be a little patient, as the formatting procedure may take up to ten minutes, depending on the size of the flash card.

We check the card after formatting. If the explorer displays it correctly, and you can freely go to it and get a list of contents, the next point in our algorithm will be the correct removal of the card from the PC.

After removing the MicroSD or USB flash drive from the computer, insert it back into the tablet and perform the test. In most cases, the previously described method returns the drive to a working state and allows you to copy backup data stored on the hard drive back to it. In case The tablet does not see the flash drive Even after formatting, the MicroSD connector or USB port, respectively, is most likely damaged, and you will still have to take the tablet computer for repair.

However, the tips described in my article are quite effective and efficient, and help with an 80% chance out of 100. I hope that your MicroSD and USB drives will serve you for a long time and reliably without the need to repair or repair any equipment.

What to do if the tablet does not see the memory card? If your tablet computer does not see the new card, or, for example, has stopped seeing a card that worked perfectly the day before, you need to do...

What's wrong?

Here's another important thing: recording multiple trackpoints means having a more accurate track, but also faster battery use on your device. That's why almost all devices take at least a few seconds between the trackpoint and the next one.

However, the margin of error can be much wider, especially in the presence of tall buildings, rocky walls and dense forests. Here's a more realistic figure. Trackpoints, as we can see, are no longer ideally located on the completed path. Moreover, for each of them we specified a specific “edge of inaccuracy”, represented by a circle whose radius varies from point to point.

Although a path is a path we take, a route is a fixed route. To make a trivial example: if we want to go to Milan by train from Turin, the route is obviously a railway line connecting the two cities. The track is the path that we actually take and that changes as the train continues, or in other words, along the route of the route. Of course, while we're recording a track, we don't have to follow the route.

Just as tracks are made up of a trackpoint, routes are made up of routing. In practice, of course, we will often be forced to choose one device. For this reason, it is now necessary to understand what is the model that, even if it is a compromise, best suits the needs of all the sports that we do.

Waypoints are nothing more than "interesting" points with a specific latitude, longitude and possibly altitude. These are waypoints, such as a summit, a step, a refuge, or a source. Waypoints are often called points of interest or, in English, points of interest.

The flash drive is visible in Windows Explorer, but it is not possible to access it;
the card opens absolutely correctly and all your data is available on it.

Inside they are simple text files. Let's try, for example, to open with any text editor what we wrote down during a hike to Mount Saben using. We'll see something like this. If we look at it better, we can recognize the track and the first tracks that make it, each with a latitude, longitude, altitude, and timestamp.

But it's interesting to know that you can do it. However, since it is a simple text file, nothing prevents you from manually editing it, for example to remove some trackpoints that are obviously "false". Have you, for example, forgotten an active recording even when returning to the car? But this doesn't bother us because we know what's wrong, we can manually intervene to remove all track points from a certain time.

Now that we understand the basics, let's see what we can expect from a hardware point of view. This way we can better understand what makes one model different from another and make informed choices. It defines the degree of protection for which the device is certified and is followed by two numbers: the first indicates the degree of protection against dust, the second indicates the level of protection against liquids. This is a great value that guarantees complete protection against dust and the effects of immersion.

The most modern devices have a barometric altimeter. With a barometric altimeter we can always know exactly our current size with good accuracy. In addition, we can display the uphill, downhill and real-time elevation profile of the path we have completed so far. Here, for example, is the height profile of the excursion.

By nature, a barometric altimeter is sensitive to changes in weather conditions. Assuming, for example, to remain perfect, if the time improves, the indicated height decreases; conversely, if the weather worsens, the indicated altitude increases. For this reason, in order to have very accurate measurements, it would be better to calibrate the barometric altimeter. To do this we need to enter the point where we are in the tool.

The most advanced devices have an electronic compass. This allows us to know the position of the cardinal points at any time and offer some very interesting features. For example, because of this, device maps are automatically oriented in the correct direction. Plus, once you specify a destination you're interested in, we'll always know in which direction to find it.

If you use a tablet, you probably know about the benefits of external memory cards in Micro SD or USB format. By inserting them into a free slot on the device, you can significantly expand the amount of memory available on the gadget by installing programs on a flash drive, recording movies and TV series, in general, using an additional drive as something. But sometimes a situation occurs when you insert a memory card into the slot, and it turns out to be inaccessible. Do not rush to go to the service center. You will always have time to do this, simultaneously shelling out a considerable amount of money for repairs in the workshop. Let's try to resolve the situation on our own, because the reasons can be the most trivial, ranging from incorrect formatting to a failure of the operating system firmware, as a result of which the flash drive can easily be detected on another device. In this article we will talk about what actions you should take if The tablet does not see the flash drive, and it is simply not detected by the desired device.

There are two or three axis electronic compasses on the market. The latter is better because, while in the first case the device must be completely flat, with a three-axis compass, this is not necessary. What really “destroys” space is cartography. If you think this is necessary, make sure your device has good internal memory, at least on the order of a gigabyte.

Better yet, make sure it has a slot to expand it via external memory. In this case, if necessary, you can expand it in the future at very low prices. The display is the means through which the device shows us all the information. Therefore, it is important that it is of high quality and perfectly readable in any conditions. Overall, unfortunately, this is a pain point of all the devices we've tried: they're not readable in full sunlight, especially if you're wearing sunglasses.

If you are faced with a similar situation, the first thing you should do is try to perform a basic reboot of the tablet. Perhaps the problem is a simple software glitch, and after a reboot, the cache will be cleared and all the difficulties that have arisen will be resolved by themselves. If the reboot did not lead to a successful resolution of the situation, let's try to dig deeper and thoroughly understand the reasons why the tablet does not see the flash drive.

Most modern displays only show us outputs, but they are also inputs. Thanks to touch screen technology, these are touch sensitive touch screens. In general, the use of touch screens is seen as a great added value as it provides a more natural and faster way to interact with a device than traditional buttons. Without going into too much detail, this is because there are two types of touchscreen: resistive and capacitive.

In conclusion, touch screens tend to drain batteries faster than classic displays and are even less readable in full sunlight. The advantage is that, being very common, we can bring some extras with us so that you can replace them if necessary. But be careful: not all batteries are created equal. Our advice is to use the ones we talked about.

The next thing we can do is to remove the card from the USB or Micro SD slot and try to use it on a smartphone or other portable device by inserting it there. If a smartphone or other tablet does not see the flash drive there, then the fault should be looked for in the drive itself. Most likely, the memory card has completely failed and will have to be replaced (fortunately, prices for memory cards are now more than reasonable, and replacing an external drive will not put a big dent in your budget). Let's imagine another situation: on a smartphone, the memory card is detected correctly, and all data is successfully read from it. In this case, there are several possible explanations for the problem. Let's try to take a closer look at them:

Some also have a barometric altimeter, electronic compass, touch screen, etc. but one of the most useful features is some mapping support. In these cases, if you think the cartography is necessary, you will have to buy it separately, doing significant numbers. Another fundamental concept to discuss is the difference between raster and vector maps.

Raster maps are so called because they are derived from raster images, where each pixel is assigned a specific color. Raster maps contrast with vector maps, which have the advantage of being resized at will without loss of quality, and the fact that the level of detail increases as you zoom in, revealing unseen map elements. This means that at first we will only see the larger details, and then as we zoom in, all the smaller ones and everything that was not mentioned before will appear.

The first possible option is when your work tablet does not see the USB flash drive: the card is displayed absolutely correctly on another device, and the data is successfully read from it.

Another alternative situation: the memory card is visible in Windows Explorer, but you cannot access it. In the current circumstances, this order of things can be explained as follows: the card turned out to be incorrectly formatted, and the procedure for marking the structure of the flash drive will have to be repeated again. This option works in both cases. If you can read data from your device, copy your important files to your hard drive to avoid losing any essential information.

This is a behavior that is actually very useful in eliminating all those little details that can lead to an overly complex map with a low zoom level. Finally, vector maps include information about points of interest, so you can search for points of interest and automatically create paths.

The maps supplied with devices or installed separately are vectors. This is a useful way, for example, to convert maps we have in paper format into digital maps. We delved into two articles: one and one. If you've made it this far, you're probably wondering what products we recommend. Among all, there is one that perfectly embodies the spirit of this article: reliability, controllability, the presence of a three-axis electronic compass and barometric altimeter, high autonomy, full support for both raster and vector cartography.

How to do it? If the drive is available in the operating system, right-click on the corresponding logical device and select the “Format” option in the context menu.

In this article, we have tried to provide you with all the tools you need to find out the most suitable device for us, as well as let you know what is hidden behind the scenes so that you can make the best use of it. Every time, before answering, I was interested in the budget. You can't recommend or even compare certain devices unless you have a set budget. It's not fair to compare a device that costs $500 to one that costs $200. The difference in prices is not only because they are different, but because of new technologies, better quality materials, money invested in innovation, etc.

As a result, a form will appear on the screen on which you should specify formatting parameters. In the “File system” section, select the FAT32 option, leave the cluster size as specified by default, and also uncheck the “Fast” option. We do full formatting because we don’t just want to clear the contents of the external drive, but to redistribute the layout of the flash card, physically changing the structure of the flash drive. The volume label is an optional parameter. You can miss it, or come up with a clear and simple name for the disc. When all the parameters have been set, click on the “Start” button. To complete the operation, you should wait from 5 to 10 minutes, everything will depend on the capacity of the drive.

But this doesn't always allow us to use the most expensive products, or our needs may be met by a device that works the way you want it to, but isn't exactly what you need. A bit of luck in the market can also find reliable devices that do the job well at a great price.

The tablet is only 270 grams and 9.5 mm thick. You can see that this is an entry-level screen, the pixel density is quite low, but you can see web pages, photos or games very well. I didn't have any problem with the screens blocking or tightening.

When the formatting is completed, remove the card from the smartphone or any other portable device you use and insert it into the original device you are looking for.

Another reason why a MicroSD or USB flash drive is not detected is its incorrect selection. Typically, a low voltage level is supplied to the USB port of tablet PCs, while memory cards, in turn, use a fairly high voltage. Therefore, the reason may be that they simply do not have enough power to operate stably.

Another logical explanation is that your tablet may not support flash drives that are too large. Therefore, if your memory card has a large enough capacity and the tablet PC does not see it, test the device for connecting drives of slightly smaller capacity.

If after this the tablet does not see the flash drive, in this case the breakdown should be looked for in the USB or Micro SD port, and, unfortunately, it will not be possible to do without a trip to a repair shop. If the problem is in the port itself, perhaps such repairs will not be so expensive. It’s worse if the controller fails and you have to replace the tablet itself, but this most likely won’t happen if the tablet itself is fairly new and its warranty period has recently expired.

We hope that the tips we presented will serve you well if the tablet does not see a flash drive connected via a USB or Micro-SD port, and repairs to restore the drive’s functionality will be unnecessary, which will save your money and precious time.

If you are the proud owner of a tablet, then you probably use Micro SD or USB memory cards to expand the available memory on your device. It will be especially useful...

Sometimes when connecting a smartphone to a computer via USB, a problem arises that the computer does not see the phone. This almost always happens with Android phones. With iOS everything is much simpler - it has its own program along with all the drivers, and the risk of lack of connection is minimized. But a phone or tablet with the Android operating system should connect to the computer automatically.

Moreover, this applies to almost any computer operating system - any version of Windows and Linux should work freely with removable storage media, including phones. But today we will look at some of the most common reasons why the PC may not see the phone and what to do in such situations. In principle, all these tips also apply to situations where the tablet does not connect.

The easiest

Quite often, the solution to a complex problem literally lies on the surface. Therefore, in this issue there are several solutions that seem to be the simplest and most insignificant. In general, when the phone does not connect to the PC via USB, the first thing to do is the following:

If you have Windows XP installed on your computer, this is most likely the problem. The fact is that many modern smartphones have a configuration that is simply incompatible with that operating system - it is too old for them. What to do in such a situation? It’s better to just update the operating system to at least seven (Windows 7). You can also try installing MTP, a protocol that is supposed to connect various devices with Windows XP. You can download it here. But this gives the desired result in rare cases.

Clue: Data from the phone can be read by transferring it to a memory card, removing it from the phone and inserting it separately into the computer. In this case, the PC will only need to recognize the memory card, and all operating systems can do this, but it will not work with the phone. So if reinstalling the OS is not your thing, you will have to buy a regular microSD card.

Check cable integrity. Sometimes it happens that data physically cannot be transmitted due to some cable defects getting in the way. You can check this very simply - take another cable. Considering that now almost all modern smartphones are charged via microUSB, there should not be any special problems with this.
Disconnect all other devices from the USB ports. Some phones, especially older ones, may not want to work with multiple connected devices at the same time. Moreover, it could even be a keyboard or a mouse - it doesn’t matter.
Try connecting your smartphone to a different USB port. Some phones do not work with USB 0 or other versions. Interestingly, in our time this already occurs much more often than before. Perhaps the developers think that we all have the opportunity to update our ports every month.
Try connecting your phone to another computer. Perhaps that is where the problem lies. The fact is that some versions of operating systems simply will not work with some phone operating system configurations. This is especially true for those versions of Windows that are pirated and downloaded from torrents - usually those who create these images greatly “cut” them. This means that they remove some elements of the image. They consider them unnecessary, but in fact the whole system can rest on them. Then you can use advice regarding situations when the computer does not want to recognize the flash drive or simply update the operating system.

Media setup

Sometimes the phone connects itself to the computer not as a storage medium, but as a USB modem or even a camera. To exclude this option, you should go to the settings, then select the item called “Wireless networks” (in different versions of Android it may be called slightly differently, but the meaning is still clear; in Android 6.0 and higher it is the item “Access and modem”).

Then you need to click on “More” at the very bottom (if Android 6.0 and higher, you don’t need to go anywhere, the menu item we need is already here) and put the slider next to the inscription “USB modem” so that it is turned off. In Figure 1 it is turned on.

As for situations when the phone is for some reason detected as a camera, everything here is also quite simple. When the phone and computer synchronize, that is, they understand that they are connected to each other, a corresponding notification will appear on both.

So, if you click on the notification on your phone, you can get to the menu shown in Figure No. 2. There you just need to uncheck the box next to “Camera” and check the box next to “Media device”.

Why this happens is quite difficult to understand. There may be some problems with drivers or device configurations. By the way, the cause of the problem in question may also lie in the drivers.

Drivers

For some devices you will need to install the appropriate drivers. Or perhaps the old drivers simply fell off for some reason or began to work incorrectly. If the phone used to connect to the computer without problems, but now it stops, there is a high probability that the problem is in the drivers. What to do in such a situation?

The answer is simple - update the drivers. This is done as follows:

Open the Device Manager program. The easiest way to do this is by simultaneously pressing the “Win” and “R” keys (the program execution window will open) and entering the “msc” command in the appropriate field.

Then there are two possible options: the first is that the device connected via USB is defined as unknown and its files, accordingly, are not displayed, and the second is that the name of the device is displayed, but the files are still not displayed.
In any case, you need to right-click on it and select “Update drivers...”. If it is still an “Unknown Device”, then you can find it in the “USB Controllers” or “Other Devices” sections. In the case of an identified device, it will definitely be in the “USB Controllers” section.

Note: If, when connected, you do not see any notifications on your phone or computer at all, then the problem is not in the drivers, but in the cable or USB ports. Only replacing one or the other, or perhaps both, will help.

In the window that opens, select “Automatic search...”.

Now all that remains is to wait for the end of the search. The system may display a message indicating that the drivers do not need to be updated. Otherwise, the user will see a list of available drivers. All he has to do is click on one of them and install it.

Another also simple way to update drivers is to simply go to the official website of the developer and find the required driver there. Then all that remains is to download it and install it like any other regular program.

You can also try the methods shown in the video below. Although they help, to put it mildly, infrequently.

When you connect your tablet to your PC, you discover that the latter did not detect . Let's look at the reasons why the computer may not see the tablet. The problem may be related to both the operation of the PC and the operation of the tablet.

Reasons why the computer does not see the tablet

First of all, check that your tablet has permission to access files. After all, you could simply forget to enable the USB drive in the settings. In this case, the gadget will be from a PC, but will not allow data exchange.

Most often, the tablet prompts you to mark the USB drive in the settings when connecting to the PC. If for some reason he “forgot” about it, turn on the USB drive yourself. Just go to settings, find the “device memory” item. It is there that you activate the desired function. The standard connection to a PC is carried out in this way.

However, tablets connecting to a PC, unfortunately, are not always easy and simple. If the previous advice did not change the connection situation for the better, try the following:

Go to the “ ” menu;
Find the “For Developers” section in it. It is usually located at the very bottom;
Find and check the “USB Debugging” checkbox.

After these simple manipulations, the PC should see the tablet.

Technical difficulites

Technical problems due to which the computer does not see the tablet via USB are much more serious than just an unchecked box. However, in this case too the problem can be solved.

There may be several reasons. The wire or controller has failed. If the computer no longer sees the tablet due to a damaged cable, then this is not a problem. Prices for cables are relatively low, so if you don’t have a spare cable, then you’ll have a direct route to the store. But don’t be lazy and before purchasing, make sure once again that this is the case. To do this, simply connect the tablet to the PC using a different cable.

If the controller is faulty, then you cannot do without the help of a service center. It happens that everything is ok with both the controller and the cable, and the problem lies in the incompatibility of the ports. Some new PCs have USB 3.0, while your tablet may only have 2.0. This can easily be determined by eye: 3.0 has blue interfaces, 2.0 has white ones.

Drivers

Drivers are one of the most common reasons why a computer may not see the tablet via USB. Similar things happen, for example, after flashing a tablet. And the necessary drivers are not always installed on the PC. If you have Windows XP or lower - even more so. In those operating systems, drivers are not installed automatically, so you will have to do it manually. For this case, the simplest solution would be to simply download the required driver.

It is best to download the software that is suitable specifically for your tablet model. If this is impossible to do for some reason, then try downloading Driver Pack Solution. The program itself detects the necessary drivers and installs them.

We looked at the most common reasons why a PC may not “see” via USB.