USB Sync with Android / MP3 Players fails

MediaMonkey for Windows can sync over USB with most MP3 Players and Android devices that support MTP (Media Transfer Protocol)–see a partial compatibility list. However, various issues can arise depending on the device and version of Android and Windows; and if USB sync fails for an Android device, it’s generally simplest to install MediaMonkey for Android and use Wi-Fi Sync instead.

If you’re limited to using USB, these are the most common issues and solutions:

  1. The device is recognized in Windows File Manager and MediaMonkey, but the connection fails:
    1. USB synchronization via MTP will appear to be frozen (often displaying ‘Removing old content’ on the PC and not progressing) resulting in only a partial sync with incomplete metadata. This can be due to faulty/incorrect MTP drivers, and often results in multiple failed sync attempts. You can try to:
      1. install an updated/different USB driver to your PC (Google’s USB driver works in most cases)
        – Google USB driver for Android (more information)
        – Custom (Samsung, Motorola, Sony, etc.) Windows USB drivers for Android
        To install most drivers, extract the zip file, navigate to the extracted files and right click on the .inf file, and select ‘install’
      2. Reboot both the device and the PC to reset the MTP drivers and try syncing again
    2. On some Android devices, content cannot be written if syncing to an external storage location such as an SD Card due to permissions issues. To resolve this, upgrade to the latest versions of MediaMonkey for Windows and MediaMonkey for Android, and resolve the permission issues.
  2. Windows File Explorer doesn’t display the device. This can occur if:
    1. Your Android device isn’t configured to operate in MTP mode. When you connect your device, most devices will show a notification prompting you to choose the connection mode (Charge only, MTP, USB Mass Storage). From the notification, change the connection mode to MTP.
    2. On some devices (this occurs often with Lineage OS), even though the device is configured to connect in MTP mode, it fails to register as an MTP device with Windows. The solution is to switch to ‘charging mode’ and then back to ‘mtp mode’. This is done either via a notification that appears when the device is connected OR via Settings > Developer Options > Select USB configuration > MTP (Media Transfer Protocol or Settings > Developer Options > Default USB Configuration > Transferring Files.
    3. Your Android device is locked. In some cases, access to the device will not be granted unless the device has been unlocked before connecting over USB.
    4. The USB port or USB cable is problematic. Switch these and try again.
    5. The MTP drivers are missing/disabled from the PC:
      1. Install wpdmtp.inf on your PC
        1. Navigate to C:\Windows\INF\wpdmpt.inf
        2. Right-click on the file and ‘Install’ it
        3. Restart your PC, and see if the issue is resolved
      2. Install the MTP USB Device Driver
        1. In the Windows Search box, type ‘device manager’ to launch it
        2. Expand ‘Portable devices’ or ‘Other devices’ and find your device (it must be connected)
        3. Right-click it and ‘Update Driver Software’
        4. ‘Browse my Computer’ for the software, then ‘Let me pick’ and select ‘MTP USB Device’ and follow the install wizard.
      3. Download and install the Media Feature Pack
        1. The Media Feature Pack contains MTP drivers for versions of Windows that don’t include them.
  3. Windows recognizes the device, but MediaMonkey for Windows doesn’t:
    1. In some cases, the MTP drivers on the device are frozen/inactive. In such cases: MediaMonkey will usually give you an error message to disconnect, reboot the device, and then reconnect.
    2. The sync profile exists in MediaMonkey for Windows, but is disabled. To resolve this, in MediaMonkey for Windows, navigate to the device via the Devices & Services in the Media Tree (or via Options > ‘Portable Device Sync’ in MMW4) and verify that:
      • There’s not more than one sync profile per storage location (normally there should be one profile for the device’s internal storage, and a second one for the SD card). If there are duplicates, determine which is the correct profile by comparing which profile has sync settings that match those in MMA, and then delete the duplicates.
      • Unused sync profiles are disabled. For example if you only plan to sync to the SD card, make sure that profile is checked, and uncheck the profile for the device’s internal memory.

Related:

Online Help: Sync MediaMonkey with an Android device
Knowledge Base: Some Files don’t Sync

Applies to: , , ,

Was this article helpful?