Micro USB devices will not connect to Windows 10 PC's

[HarryC]

I have three micro-USB devices, 2 phones and 1 tablet, all Samsung, that until recently I could plug into a Windows 10 PC and access as folders etc.

Over the last couple of weeks all three have somehow stopped being accessible to or from the PC. I've tried three different PCs with the same result.

I have one USB C tablet, also a Samsung, and it connects fine.

Can anyone help?

 

[olbriar]

If you haven't, I would try using a different cable. The chances of three different devices, though all Samsung, or three different PCs suddenly developing a communication problem is not likely.

 

[HarryC]

I have tried several different cables with the same result

Edit: Ok, after trying four cables earlier I've just tried two others and it seems to work again. I've never come across this discrepancy in cable before apart from the slow/fast charging capability. Maybe that's the correlation?

Edit 2: On further investigation, that's not a correlation. I'm mystified. Some cables work and some don't. The 'slow charging' warning seems unrelated to whether they do or don't.

 

[Hadron]

The first microUSB cable I bought (and also the most I ever paid for one) would only charge devices, wouldn't support any data connections - of course that is not how it was advertised. I've read plenty of people encountering cables that don't support data transfer, or stop supporting it after working for some time. So yeah, bad cables exist, and they can go bad.

 

[mikedt]

There are a few cables that are wired for charging only and not data, especially cheapo and some that come with chargers.

 

[Milo Williamson]

Do not try to plug in your charging cables, like for hearing aids, into your cell either. Try not to cut off their tags either, simply because every charger is black that is out of the box.

 

[HarryC]

Do not try to plug in your charging cables, like for hearing aids, into your cell either. Try not to cut off their tags either, simply because every charger is black that is out of the box.

"Try not to cut off their tags either, simply because every charger is black that is out of the box."

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

 

[HarryC]

Thanks so much all, I didn't even know this was a thing. I've never had this problem until very recently, seems in the past I've just been lucky in my cable selection when connecting to PC.

 

[olbriar]

The best part is it was an easy fix. Glad you are able to once again establish a connection to your PC.

 

[Milo Williamson]

"Try not to cut off their tags either, simply because every charger is black that is out of the box."

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

Lables they have, like mine has a "This is only data" tag of my hearing aid usb, the other cable for my cell has a bar code sticker around it.

 

[HarryC]

Lables they have, like mine has a "This is only data" tag of my hearing aid usb, the other cable for my cell has a bar code sticker around it.

Ah ok, I actually never even bothered looking at those. Before cutting them off, which I usually do lol. Consider me educated!