Windows PC won't recognize Windows Phone nor Android Phone.

[Windows Central Question]

When I connect my Lumia 640 to my PC (both running 8.1), it sees the phone in the disconnect area but doesn't show up in Windows explorer as a separate drive. (It usually says Windows Phone.)

I also tried connecting my Android phone and the PC didn't see it at all.

Both phones charge when connected.

Up until today, both phones connected fine and I could transfer data between them and the PC.

How can I fix this?

 

[Maurizio Troso]

When I connect my Lumia 640 to my PC (both running 8.1), it sees the phone in the disconnect area but doesn't show up in Windows explorer as a separate drive. (It usually says Windows Phone.)

I also tried connecting my Android phone and the PC didn't see it at all.

Both phones charge when connected.

Up until today, both phones connected fine and I could transfer data between them and the PC.

How can I fix this?

Try changin usb ports or cables.
Reboot your pc

 

[fbrown627]

I tried rebooting all the devices and used different cables. No luck.

The PC only has one USB port.

I should add that my Kobo ereader and "My Passport" HD work fine. It's just the phones that are having a problem.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

I tried rebooting all the devices and used different cables. No luck.

The PC only has one USB port.

I should add that my Kobo ereader and "My Passport" HD work fine. It's just the phones that are having a problem.

can you remove the devices from device manager and then let them install again?

 

[fbrown627]

I did that. I

I spent 2 1/2 hours with Windows tech support. They kept trying to install drivers over and over again and they kept getting error messages. (I don't think the tech person knew what he was doing.) He said I had to talk to the phone manufacturers.

One phone rep said the drivers in my phone were up to date and suggested I try plugging it into another PC to see if it works. (I only have one so I'm going to try this.)

I can understand one phone having a problem but two different phones, with two different operating systems?

 

[Chintan Gohel]

I did that. I

I spent 2 1/2 hours with Windows tech support. They kept trying to install drivers over and over again and they kept getting error messages. (I don't think the tech person knew what he was doing.) He said I had to talk to the phone manufacturers.

One phone rep said the drivers in my phone were up to date and suggested I try plugging it into another PC to see if it works. (I only have one so I'm going to try this.)

I can understand one phone having a problem but two different phones, with two different operating systems?

try a different pc and see what happens
You had already tried a different cable so we can rule that out
You're plugging them directly into the USB port and not through a USB hub, right?

 

[fbrown627]

It's going through a hub but that hub also has an external hard drive and a bluetooth wireless mouse plugged in and they work fine. When I plug my ereader into the hub it works fine. But still, I tried each phone direct but they still didn't work.

I took the phones to another computer and they were recognized without a problem.

When the MSFT tech tried to install new drivers, he kept getting an error message. I'm going to try to recreate it tomorrow and will post it. I tired to ask what it was but he rarely listened to me and kept saying "I know what I am doing." No he didn't.

I got a note from Microsoft that if I wasnt satisfied I should call again and try a different person.

 

[fbrown627]

Update. I tried uninstalling the device again. I got error message Code 19. Then I tried reinstalling the drivers and I got error message Code 1.

Since the phones are fine on other PC's then it has to be a computer problem and not a phone problem.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

Update. I tried uninstalling the device again. I got error message Code 19. Then I tried reinstalling the drivers and I got error message Code 1.

Since the phones are fine on other PC's then it has to be a computer problem and not a phone problem.

you're using a hub, that is the usually the main problem. Try without the hub and see if they connect
You can't have too many devices connected on the same hub which transfers to one USB port