Galaxy S4 Mini cannot connect to PC over USB after firmware update

August 8, 2014 4:50 AM

I've got a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (GT-19195/ Android 4.2.2.) with a Samsung USB/power cable that until two days ago was able to connect with my laptop (Windows 7) over USB. Now however, after a firmware update, the computer no longer sees my phone nor does the phone see the computer. What's going on and how can I resolve it?

I've already searched the interwebs and tried the following:

1) Install KIES on my laptop to let that handle the connection: no dice
2) enabled developer options on the phone and chosen USB debugging
3) use *#0808# to get into the USB settings menu and set USB options to MTP.
4) there are no USB settings in my normal settings or connections menu

Not yet tried is a new Samsung USB cable, but another generic USB cable was tried and failed, while my own cable has been tried successfully with another Android phone.

I can use Airdroid of course to get to my phone's files, but need USB for Calibre to access my ebooks.

I'd rather not try a factory reset.

posted by MartinWisse to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Best answer: I'm guessing your phone is definitely unlocked (i.e. not in lock screen) when you're connecting.
I once had a patchy charging issue and connectivity problems with my S2. It turned out that the little tab inside the phone's USB socket had been bent slightly (by trying to insert the cable upside down I guess), and by levering it gently (up in my case) those issues resolved.
posted by guy72277 at 5:08 AM on August 8, 2014

I don't know if this will help, but I had the same problem and I tried a lot of things and nothing worked and then my computer died and I bought a new computer and magic! it works now. (So I hope that narrows it down to a computer not a phone problem although, of course, I don't know if we had the same problem)
posted by cda at 1:48 PM on August 8, 2014

Just to run through the obvious, have you tried it on a different user account? Uninstalling the Samsung drivers and letting them reinstall when you plug the phone in?
posted by trogdole at 5:55 PM on August 8, 2014

Response by poster: A combination of following guy72277's advice by gentle fiddling with the usb socket and "rebooting" the phone by removing the battery seems to have solved this. Thanks.
posted by MartinWisse at 2:34 AM on August 9, 2014