Android: How to transfer Downloads, Screenshots to Win 10 PC?

[WWGD]

TL;DR Summary

I would like to back up my downloads, screenshots to the PC. PC does not recognize the phone when I connect to it with the charger, so this is not an option at the moment.

Hi all,
I would like to back up my Android's downloads, screenshots to my Win10PC. Unfortunately, when I connect the PC to the phone using the charger, the PC does not recognize it, so that's not an option. I can send myself an email from the phone to my PC , but then I have to attach some 500 downloads and same for screenshots. Maybe there is a way to send the two; downloads and screenshots to my google drive within Android?
Thanks.

 

[berkeman]

There was a thread a while back about how to be sure you can connect your Windows PC to your phone for image uploads. Did you see that thread by any chance? I'm not able to find it with a search right now, but basically be sure to use a USB cable that has the data pair in it (not just a charger cable), and when you plug the phone into your PC, look on your Android phone in the top bar for a USB connect icon.

Swipe down the top bar and you will see something like "Charging USB". click on that and you will see the option to "Download Files" "Do Just Once". Select that and your phone will show up in the PC, and you can select DCIM, Camera in Windows Explorer to get to your pictures. I think Downloads and screenshots are also available in that Explorer window, but I'm not sure.

 

[WWGD]

There was a thread a while back about how to be sure you can connect your Windows PC to your phone for image uploads. Did you see that thread by any chance? I'm not able to find it with a search right now, but basically be sure to use a USB cable that has the data pair in it (not just a charger cable), and when you plug the phone into your PC, look on your Android phone in the top bar for a USB connect icon.

Swipe down the top bar and you will see something like "Charging USB". click on that and you will see the option to "Download Files" "Do Just Once". Select that and your phone will show up in the PC, and you can select DCIM, Camera in Windows Explorer to get to your pictures. I think Downloads and screenshots are also available in that Explorer window, but I'm not sure.

Thank you. Strangely-enough, the phone recognizes the PC and there is a message to the effect it is connected to the PC , giving its MAC address. I will head to my file explorer to see if somewhere hidden it has detected the phone. It should appear as a new drive.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

Unfortunately, when I connect the PC to the phone using the charger, the PC does not recognize it, so that's not an option.

This is an ongoing problem for Windows, and I believe every Windows user has, some time or the other, faced this issue. A workaround is to buy a USB OTG adapter, and a sufficiently large pen drive. Connect the pen drive to the Android device via the OTG adapter, and transfer the files to it as you would normally do. Then connect the pen drive to the PC, and again transfer the files.

The OTG adapters are quite useful, and I find it handy to always carry one with me.

 

[Tom.G]

About 2 years ago my wife asked me the same thing, transfering files from Android to an older version of Windows. At that time, there was a (3rd party?) program that Windows needed to recognize the phone. She decided it was not worth the overall aggravation.

The approach suggested by @Wrichik Basu, above, using a pen drive sounds viable, if a little 'Low Tech.'

(Reminds me of the 'Sneaker Net' from the early days of personal computing; Put it on tape or a diskette and carry it to the other machine.)

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Rive]

Unfortunately, when I connect the PC to the phone using the charger, the PC does not recognize it...

Check the cable first: some cables are just for charging and does not contains all the necessary lines for data transfer.

Apart from the pendrive solution, you can try to transfer your files through some network drive too.
Of course this needs a network connection: preferably wifi.

There are also fileserver apps which can help transfer files directly through local (wifi) connection.

 

[davenn]

This is an ongoing problem for Windows, and I believe every Windows user has, some time or the other, faced this issue.

Never had this issue with any of my android phones, current one a Samsung Galaxy 10+, on win 7 or 10

Make sure your phone is actually showing it's "desktop" ! If the phone is just in standby, then yes, the PC won't recognise it
in Win Explorer, and the phone will only charge

 

[Wrichik Basu]

Never had this issue with any of my android phones, current one a Samsung Galaxy 10+, on win 7 or 10

My laptop doesn't have any problems, but our old desktop, still running Win 7, often fails to recognize devices. And once it fails, it will never again recognize that device, no matter how many drivers you install. For example, it never recognizes my Samsung Galaxy On7, nor Dad's Galaxy M31s. But it does recognize Mom's Galaxy On7 Pro (note that On7 and On7 Pro run the same firmware). Not sure why this happens. That PC is long overdue for an OS upgrade.

 

[russ_watters]

Make sure your phone is actually showing it's "desktop" ! If the phone is just in standby, then yes, the PC won't recognise it
in Win Explorer, and the phone will only charge

As-in: it needs to be unlocked. I had that problem for a disappointingly long time one day.

Also; certain phones and/or providers may throw in their own preferred software launcher that interferes with standard USB access. I had one that would launch an installer for Verizon, but if you close that and wait about a minute, it would allow disk access. We'd need details on phone model and provider to diagnose that.