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windows can't see files on Galaxy S7 Edge via usb

K

kyleknapp

Lurker
I plugged my new S7 Edge into my Windows 7 desktop with a USB cable, instantly Windows popped up the Autoplay window. I click "Open device to view files using Windows explorer"

My phone shows up in the explorer window, but does not expand when I click on it. No folders, no files.

I vaguely recall something like this happened the first time I tried with my S4, and that there was some simple setting that needed to be changed on the phone. But I can't remember, and I've been Googling for a half hour and can't seem to find anything about this problem.

Help?
 
Found it. (after rewording my search a few different ways)

I found a few references which suggested "pulling down the notification shade" - damn jargon... took me awhile to figure out what that meant.

I actually had already checked my notifications, and saw one that said "USB Charging connected" or something like that. I know it was charging, but didn't care so I ignored it.

When I looked a second time, I noticed that the same notification also said, in smaller letters, "tap for options". Silly me, I assumed this would mean "charging" options, but no, there was a list of options including "file transfer". Once I selected "file transfer" it works fine.

Don't know yet whether I will have to do this every time...
 
I take it back. I'm able to see files, but not reliably. Folder names seem to appear and disappear, and I seem to be able to transfer files (when I find them) from my phone to the desktop, but can't transfer files from the PC to the phone. I get an error window saying "Your device has either stopped working or been disconnected"

Grrr.
 
That error usually means a problem with thr connection, like a bad USB cord or port. I used to have that a lot with my old cord.
 
I tried, it didn't help. For example, I have a .doc document that used to be in the Documents folder of my phone. Now I see 20 or so folders, one called "Documents" and another called "My Documents" - the document I know is there is not in either folder. Earlier I found it in a folder called something like "Datastore10001".

This time, that folder no longer seems to exist. A search shows my document in a folder called "maxofficecache". I still cannot copy anything to that folder.

The phone's built-in "My Files" app shows it in "My Files > Documents", though I have no idea whether that reflects the actual hierarchical structure of the phone's file system.
 
No it doesn't. You go 'My Files>Device Storage'. That's where you see how it looks like in Windows. Seems like the file you need was created on the phone with an app that locks the file down into a system folder that's classified as read only for Windows. If that file has 'Save As', you need to save it in the proper location for Windows to see and interact with it.
 
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