• How to connect an Android device to a computer with USB Mass storage mode. USB drive won't turn on on Android

    Today, modern devices play a huge role in our lives. We are not talking about computers or laptops, which are already beginning to gradually fade into the background. Smartphones and tablets are portable computers that have almost all the functions of laptops. Unfortunately, these modern devices are not suitable for office work. Typing text on a tablet is quite difficult, let alone on regular phones.

    People began to wonder how to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone or a keyboard, mouse and others useful devices. It turns out it can be done. However, not everyone knows how to connect additional device to your smartphone. Let's look at this using the example of a regular flash drive. As a rule, this is the device that many people try to connect to their device.

    How to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone

    Modern devices running the Android operating system have a standard microUSB connector. For a USB flash drive to work on your device, it must have USB On-The-Go technology installed. Manufacturers began implementing this feature in Android OS from version 3.1.

    As a rule, in modern tablets Moreover, phones do not have a USB connector. Therefore, you will need a USB-OTG cable. Some manufacturers include an adapter for a flash drive in the kit; if you don’t have one, you’ll have to buy it at any store that sells digital equipment.

    The smartphone does not have a micro-USB connector

    If you do not find a microUSB connector on your smartphone, you will need to first purchase a USB-OTG cable and then an adapter for it. Of course, this is quite inconvenient: if you need to connect an additional device, you will have to use several cables. But this is the only way that will allow you to connect a flash drive.

    How to view the contents of an external drive

    So, we looked at how to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone. Now we move on to opening an additional device. How to do this? We need to download file manager. You may already have it, since in some devices the manufacturer installs a certain set of programs. Of course, if you don't have a file manager, you'll have to install it. For smartphones running Android OS, ES takes the leading place File Explorer, FX File Explorer and Total Commander. You can choose the application that you like best.

    How to open a flash drive on Android

    As we have already found out, we will need After installing it, we can go to this utility and find the flash drive. If you can't find the external device, try entering the file path (/sdcard/usbStorage). After successfully opening the flash drive, you can view, copy and move files as on regular computer. Now you know how to connect a flash drive to an Android smartphone and open it, but, unfortunately, problems arise on some devices. Let's look at them and try to find ways to solve them.

    Android tablet or smartphone does not see the flash drive

    If you have reached this point, then you are having problems connecting the flash drive to your smartphone. This can happen for various reasons. Now we will look at the most common of them.

    First. If the file manager should help him. Now there are applications that can eliminate this problem. The most effective program- paid, so we will consider a free alternative. Unfortunately, it requires root rights. StickMount works not only with flash drives, but also with other additional devices.

    If you have and you have installed the necessary utility, you can connect an external device. When connecting, you must agree to the StickMount rules, after which it will automatically start and see the flash drive. How to find a device? You can go to /sdcard/usbStorage/sda1 in the file manager. Do not forget to properly disconnect additional devices so that there are no problems with them in the future. To do this, go into the program and click on the “Unmount” button.

    It is worth noting another high-quality application - Helper, which works on a similar principle.

    Second reason. Before installation additional programs and root rights, you should make sure that the problem is not in the flash drive. What is this connected with? Your device simply does not see the flash drive, since it may be configured with a different file system (perhaps NTFS).

    Let's say you don't have a laptop or computer: how then to connect an additional device? You need to download Paragon NTFS & HTS+ - an application that supports required format reading text data. Unfortunately, this application requires root access. You can get them using the program King Root. However, you may not be able to obtain superuser rights on all devices. Remember: you do this at your own peril and risk. Because of this application your smartphone may not work correctly. If the device is still under warranty, then you do not need to get root rights, since the warranty will be lost in this case.

    Conclusion

    So, we looked at how to connect an external flash drive to an Android smartphone, and described some problems associated with the connection. As practice shows, issues arise on older devices. If you have a new device, there should be no problems. To use a flash drive, keyboard, mouse or other applications on your device, you must follow the rules and do everything carefully.

    How to connect Android to computer. Many users mobile devices, running the Android operating system, complain that they cannot connect their gadgets to a personal computer in storage mode (external USB drive).

    Unfortunately, it is not possible to give the only correct solution to this problem. The thing is that smartphone and tablet manufacturers not only use Android system as the main platform for their own applications, but also significantly modify the initial set of options for the “green robot”.

    Anyway, hopeless situations doesn't happen. So, let's start dealing with the problem from the very beginning. The ideal situation is when, when you connect your Android gadget to your computer, you see something like this:

    This means that your mobile device is recognized by the computer as virtual flash drive and ready to connect. IN additional menu connections you should expect a similar picture:

    Click the “ Enable USB storage" And after that “ big brother” is simply obliged to give you a pop-up window describing options for working with an external drive (device memory):

    If this does not happen, then:

    1. Paradoxical as it may seem, the first thing you should do is check the cable with which you are trying to connect your smartphone (tablet) to a personal computer. Don't ignore this step! Carefully inspect the connecting cord for breaks and abrasions. If there is such a possibility, then try to establish a connection with the computer using a different, but definitely similar, cable.

    With the physical state of the elements of the future connection visible problems No? Then move on to the next step.

    2. Try changing the device’s operating mode in the device connections menu. In this case, the mobile device must be connected to the computer! For example, as indicated in this screenshot:

    It often happens that mobile device manufacturers save on developing their own drivers, using universal drivers by default. Therefore, it is possible that after connecting several gadgets to the same computer, the desktop operating system perceives new smartphone or the tablet is incorrect.

    If at this step Windows begins searching and installing missing drivers, then you are moving in the right direction:

    Once the device initialization process is complete, a similar message should appear:

    Didn't work out? A similar process has not started on your computer? Then we advise you to complete the next step.

    3. Without disconnecting your mobile device from personal computer, turn USB debugging on and off several times. This will help the Windows operating system determine internal storage gadget as a new (recently connected) device.

    At the same time on the desktop desktop computer, most likely, a pop-up message with the following content will appear:

    If, after performing the steps described above, the virtual USB device is not recognized, then it’s time to move on to “street magic”.

    4. In this step you will have to check the installed desktop system drivers and items that appear in the device manager after connecting the gadget.

    So, open this same device manager:

    We carefully review the list that appears. What you should be primarily interested in is not the auxiliary modes of operation of the mobile device,

    and subparagraphs “ Disk devices”

    or " Portable devices”:

    If new lines appear in the device manager, but do not correspond to the type of connected gadget (differences in name, model, etc.), then using context menu

    and reinstall existing drivers:

    The files you need can be easily found in the appropriate section of the website of the smartphone or tablet manufacturer.

    Well, that's the last resort. It’s worth going to it only if, after completing the previous steps, you still weren’t able to switch your gadget to USB storage mode.

    In the main window, carefully analyze the item “ Disk management" Has a virtual flash drive appeared there? Is its size determined correctly? Is it assigned correctly by the system? Windows letter volumes?

    In most cases, this is the root of all troubles. If in the disk tree you see internal memory of your gadget, but its mount point is set incorrectly, then using the context menu, simply replace it with the one you like best:

    We hope that after strictly following the paragraphs of this instruction, you will be able to easily work with the files of such a dear gadget to you

    and a similar message will greet you every time after connecting your smartphone (tablet) to a personal computer.




    Few consumers know that a mobile device running on the Android operating system, unlike other portable devices, can be used as a flash drive. IN Lenovo smartphones On Android, manufacturers initially included functions that allow them to be used as a flash drive and used for their intended purpose. Thanks to this, the user can record necessary information, delete files from the device that are not used, but at the same time take up a lot of space on it.

    Using an Android phone as a flash drive, there is no need to connect it to a computer, constantly carry with you the cable needed to connect to a laptop, that is, to perform a lot of manipulations that waste a lot of time.

    Methods for connecting a mobile device as a flash drive

    Let's look at how to connect your phone as a flash drive. To do this, you need to do a number of simple sequential actions:

    1. Select “Menu” on your device and find “Settings”.
    2. Immediately after this, a list will appear on the screen; you should find the line “SD Card” in it. Depending on the Android version, it can be found through applications or memory .

    1. In order for the smartphone to recognize the PC as a flash drive, you need to check the box next to the line labeled “Data storage device” in the displayed list. Or click on “Connect SD card”.
    2. As soon as the smartphone is connected to the computer, an icon will appear in the device’s status bar, which indicates that the USB flash drive is in working condition.

    If you lower the curtain in the menu, you will see the connection of the phone via the USB port as a flash drive. If you need to turn off the drive, you must also lower the curtain and click on the corresponding inscription.

    Options for connecting a phone with different versions of Android

    Let's look at how to connect your phone as a flash drive, depending on Android versions, which is installed on the device. First, you should find out what operating system is installed on your smartphone. To do this, go to “Settings” and find the “About phone” or “About device” item. Usually it is the last one in the list that opens.

    If Android OS 2.1 - 2.3.7 take the following steps:

    • The device connects to the PC using a USB cable;
    • The computer itself should detect the new device. If this does not happen, you need to disconnect the smartphone from the PC, go to “Settings” → “Applications” → “For Developer” → “USB Debugging”. After that, connect to the PC again.
    • A drive icon will appear on the device; all you have to do is click “Connect via USB”, which you need to do as a media device.

    If your phone has an Android operating system with version 4 or higher, you need to connect to a PC, do the following: “Menu” → “Settings” → “Memory” → “Connect to SD card” .

    Android does not see the memory card

    Situations arise in which the flash drive is not detected in the smartphone. In order to find it, it is recommended to use a file manager - ES Explorer or its equivalent. With the help of such programs you can find almost everything. In their functions they resemble the My Computer program.

    In order to recognize a memory card, you need to launch ES Explorer by downloading it to your device prematurely. After launch, a menu will appear on the left side of the screen in which the memory card (SDcard) is located. All you have to do is click on it. It has been discovered and is open for business.

    By following simple steps, anyone, even a novice user of a mobile device, will be able to detect a memory card in it. The reasons why the computer does not see the SDcard may be different. Might need to update operating system on a PC or install the MediaTransferProtocol (MTP) protocol for Windows XP

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    On a smartphone you will not find a full-fledged USB port into which you can insert a flash drive. Therefore, connecting a USB flash drive to Android must be done using additional equipment.

    Connecting the drive

    For your phone to see and open devices connected via USB, it must have On-The-Go (OTG) support. The essence of the technology is that the mobile device supplies power to external equipment via a USB connector. The function is implemented in Android 3.1 and higher, so before you try to connect a flash drive to Android, you need to make sure that this is even possible. First of all, check the OS version:

    To make sure there are no problems with the connection, install USB application OTG Checker. This little program will check OTG support and if available, will issue a confirmation. The next step is to purchase a special adapter (equipment cost starts from 100 rubles). The smartphone has a microUSB port; the flash drive physically cannot fit in it. Therefore, you need to expand the port using an OTG adapter, which can be purchased at any mobile equipment store. Some phones, like tablets, come with a “native” OTG cable, so manufacturers also assume that they will connect to their devices external drives and other USB devices.
    The connection procedure itself is extremely simple: one end of the adapter is installed in the microUSB connector on the phone, and a flash drive is inserted into the USB port at the other end. Now you can find universal flash drives with USB and microUSB, which do not require an adapter to connect.
    This is still rare, but it is quite possible that over time the ports will become universal, and users will be able to abandon adapters and other additional equipment.

    To open a flash drive on a tablet or smartphone, it is usually enough to have a file manager installed on the device. The flash drive must be formatted in FAT32; data from NTFS cannot be read on Android. This primarily applies to latest models smartphones from Samsung: just connect the flash drive via an OTG adapter and find the drive through any file manager. The data will be located in the /sdcard/usbStorage directory.
    However, the procedure does not always go so smoothly: even if the device supports OTG, the question of how to open a connected flash drive on Android causes difficulties. The problem is that not all mobile devices are automatic mode install external equipment, be it a flash drive, camera or mouse.

    The shortcoming can be eliminated using paid application USB Media Explorer, which allows you to copy music, video photos, documents from flash drives connected to Google smartphones Nexus and other devices with Android 4.0 and higher.
    The application has two drawbacks: it is paid and correct work is guaranteed only on Nexus phones and tablets, although the developers claim support for other devices. Advantages: support file system NTFS, that is, you do not have to format the flash drive to FAT32 before connecting.

    If you don’t want to spend money on an application for copying data, or you basically can’t install USB Media Explorer on your device due to lack of model support, then the only way to access the data recorded on the flash drive is to use superuser rights (root).

    For each model, it is better to look for its own separate instructions for obtaining superuser rights. There are also universal methods, type of use Kingo programs Root, but keep in mind that obtaining root rights is a potentially dangerous operation, as a result of which the mobile device will be removed from warranty. In addition, performing the procedure incorrectly may damage the system.

    If your phone has root rights, you can use free application StickMount to detect a connected flash drive on Android.

    1. Launch StickMount.
    2. Connect the flash drive to your phone.
    3. Set StickMount to open automatically when connected of this drive and give the application root rights.

    You can view and copy the contents of the flash drive after mounting through any file manager. The information will be located in the sdcard/usbStorage directory.

    Bulky USB connectors are not entirely suitable for compact smartphones. But this does not mean that flash drives cannot be connected to them. Agree that this can be very convenient in many situations, especially when the phone does not support the use of MicroSD. We invite you to consider all options for connecting a USB flash drive to gadgets with micro-USB connectors.

    First, you need to find out whether your smartphone supports OTG technology. This means that micro USB port can supply power to external devices and ensure their visibility in the system. This technology has begun to be implemented on devices with Android 3.1 and higher.

    Information about OTG support can be found in the documentation for your smartphone or simply use the Internet. To be completely sure, download the USB OTG Checker application, the purpose of which is to check the device for support of OTG technology. Just press the button "Check Device OS on USB OTG".

    If the OTG support check is successful, you will see a picture as shown below.


    And if not, you will see this.


    Now you can consider options for connecting a flash drive to a smartphone, we will consider the following:

    • using an OTG cable;
    • using an adapter;
    • using a USB OTG flash drive.

    For iOS, there is one way - using special flash drives with a Lightning connector for iPhone.

    Interesting: in some cases you can connect other devices, for example: mouse, keyboard, joystick, etc.

    Method 1: Using an OTG cable

    The most common way to connect a flash drive to mobile devices involves using a special adapter cable, which can be purchased at any place where mobile devices are sold. Some manufacturers include such cables with smartphones and tablets.

    On one side, the OTG cable has a standard USB connector, on the other, a micro-USB plug. It’s easy to guess what to insert and where.


    If the flash drive has indicator lights, then you can determine from them that the power supply has started. A notification about the connected media may also appear on the smartphone itself, but not always.

    The contents of the flash drive can be found along the path

    /sdcard/usbStorage/sda1

    To do this, use any file manager.

    Method 2: Using an adapter

    Recently, small adapters from USB to micro-USB have begun to appear on sale. This small device has a micro-USB output on one side and USB contacts on the other. Just insert the adapter into the flash drive interface, and you can connect it to your mobile device.

    Method 3: Using a flash drive with an OTG connector

    If you intend to connect the drive frequently, then the easiest option is to purchase a USB OTG flash drive. This storage medium has two ports at the same time: USB and micro-USB. It's convenient and practical.


    Today, USB OTG flash drives can be found almost everywhere they are sold. regular drives. At the same time, in terms of price they are not much more expensive.

    Method 4: Flash drives for iPhone

    There are several special media for iPhones. Transcend has developed the JetDrive Go 300 removable drive. It has a Lightning connector on one side and a regular USB. Actually, this is the only really working way to connect a flash drive to iOS smartphones.

    What to do if your smartphone does not see the connected flash drive


    Team "Unmount" used for safe removal carrier. Please note that StickMount requires root access. You can get it, for example, using the program.

    The ability to connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone primarily depends on the latter. It is necessary that the device supports OTG technology, and then you can use special cable, adapter or connect a micro-USB flash drive.

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