Help Computer does not recognize Captivate

[Existent]

I've searched the forum to try and find a solution, but so far it looks like my problem might be fairly unique, so I'll drop it here.

When I plug my captivate into my computer, it starts charging, but neither my phone nor my computer registers the other as being there. That is, my phone doesn't appear as a device and there's no "unable to install drivers" pop-up (or any pop-up for that matter.) My phone will start charging, but doesn't give me the option of mounting- the drop down box is empty.

This problem started sometime after I updated to 2.2, but I'm not sure if that was the cause or not.

I've tried debugging on/off, mass storage/etc settings, different cables, different computers, re-installing drivers, no luck.

 

[sremick]

Could be a bad USB port on the phone. I've seen this personally twice myself, and read about it even more.

The micro-USB jack is delicate and it doesn't take much strain/stress to damage it. The contacts can also can be damaged by corrosion if any moisture gets in there.

 

[TubaMeister]

I've lifted this from an AT&T Forum. As an aside, my USB connectivity has stopped working on my phone (maybe having to do with recharging in wall vs computer). My USB connectivity Magicly started working again and with a few quirks, MyPhneExplorer works well.

If what you need is to sync Outlook with your Galaxy phone I have found a app to do it. It is called Myphoneexplorer. You can download the client from the markplace and then go to the web site and download the desktop software. I works, it syncs both contacts and calendar and a few other things. You can read about it at http://www.fjsoft.at/en/home.php. It is donate ware but it paying for because it is clean and simple. So, in other words you can try it without costing you anything. However, I would back up my Outlook just in case you have problems. And it works with Outlook 2010.


​

+1 on MyPhoneExplorer. I've been using it and it is great! Takes a bit to get it set up like you want it, but after that it rocks.

 

[iploya]

It's so weird, but this solution of changing the USB cable worked for me. After weeks of trying to find the answer. I just tried a different USB cable and my laptop now recognizes the phone. It's a different phone (HTC Incredible) but the same probably applies to many Android phones.

 

[Seven0073]

I was able to just plug in my Captivate and move files around with 2.1. Now, after updating to 2.2, it wont "recognize my device". getting frustrated.

 

[djmoore]

I feel like I'm behind the curve here - I haven't been able to do the 2.2 update (although from what I'm reading I shouldn't be too anxious to do it after all) because I can't get my phone recognized by my computer at all ... beyond knowing there's an "unknown device" connected to my USB hub.

I finally tried again today - started Kies mini, which updated itself, and then displayed a message in orange typeface telling me to "Please connect your mobile phone".

So I connected my phone to one of the USB ports on the front of my PC. These ports have always worked in the past, and I used an onboard port instead of first trying a USB hub, since many times the hub connection isn't direct enough to be fully recognized by the device.

After connecting my phone with the USB cable I received with my phone - and the one I've been using all along to charge it with - Kies mini still doesn't see my phone. So I go to the Kies meny and select "install driver". This goes through the motions of installing the driver - or something - but had no effect. I went to Device Manager to try to update the drivers on the "unknown device" that way, but first I needed to know where the drivers had been installed to. I went to Program Files\Samsung and the only folder was KiesMini, with a subdirectory of usb driver. But in that usb driver folder, all there is is the driver executable. No driver files at all. So I executecd the .exe file manually and it created another directory under Program Files\Samsung, named USB Drivers. OK, now I'm good - right?

Not so much - in this new directory I have several folders to choose from. One of them, I am assuming, is the correct folder for the drivers I need - the Captivate - but I'll be darned if I know which one. Rather than list the folders I have attached a screenshot showing them all. I'm hoping that someone on these forums can guide me last this latest roadblock.

 

[timbuk2]

Not sure why people are needing drivers. I've connected my Captivate to many computers, XP and Windows 7, and never needed to install any drivers.

Because the instructions tell you to:
SAMSUNG

I successfully upgraded my Samsung Captivate to GingerBread 3.2 yesterday using a windows 7 laptop 64 bit, but when I try to do the 2nd Captivate, no computer will recognize the phone. I've tried dozens of supposed fixes and spent hours trying everything I know, including different cables and can't upgrade my 2nd phone.

 

[djmoore]

The upshot of my experience in trying to upgrade from 2.1 to 2.2 was that AT&T replaced my phone. The new phone already had 2.2 so there was no problem doing the upgrade ... but now I have a different problem. The menu option Settings ... Applications ... unknown sources is completely missing from my phone! I have an app from work I need to use and I can't install it because I can't allow installed apps from unknown sources. It should be a simple check/uncheck on the menu, but I only have 4 of the 6 menu items shown in all screencaps.
I've been bounced back and forth between AT&T (who have 3 times so far pushed a software change to my phone - that never arrived - so they concluded it is a problem with the firmware from Samsung) and Samsung (who tell me that AT&T specifically requested that option (unknown sources) be removed from the menu specifically for the Captivate model alone).
So the beat goes on. Only 8 months left of my 2-year contract and then I get to play smartphone roulette once again!

 

[timbuk2]

Not all USB ports on a pc are usb 2.0. Pretty sure the phone needs to be connected to a usb 2.0 port.

I connected my Captivate when upgrading to Froyo to a USB 3.0 and it worked fine. However, now it doesn't. Neither of my computers will recognize either one of my Captivates.

 

[timbuk2]

I was going crazy with this too. what fixed it for me was uninstalling and reinstalling the usb drivers in my device mgr. windows vista 32 bit for me.

I've been working on this for a month now, nothing works. You mean you go into Device Mgr and actually uninstall your USB Device Drivers?

 

[djmoore]

I've been working on this for a month now, nothing works. You mean you go into Device Mgr and actually uninstall your USB Device Drivers?

It's actually safe, and pretty easy too. Just go into Device Manager, right-click on your USB root hubs (in the Universal Serial Bus Controllers, or last, section) - unfortunately you have to do them individually, but still, it's pretty easy - and select 'Uninstall' from the context menu.
Once you've done this for all the Root Hubs, right-click on any item at all in Device manager and click on 'Scan for hardware changes'. this will re-discover your USB hubs and they should reappear on the list one by one.
If you have any "Generic USB Hubs" do it for them as well.

If this doesn't work then you can try the PCI to USB Host Controllers, but you definitely want to do the Root Hubs first - that should do the trick if the problem is actually your USB drivers.

The only problem you can run into with this is if you uninstall the driver for the hub that controls your USB mouse. To get that back you'll either need to get comfy with menu navigation via keyboard commands, or reboot.

* You can use the above method with any device identified in Device Manager, if it gets a bit squirrely - uninstalling and rediscovering the driver can help with just about any device that has a driver - of course, you should always check first to see if there's a newer driver available. The current driver is still on your computer, so Windows should have no trouble finding it again - you're not actually deleting the driver. Uninstalling is not such an accurate term for this particular process, since it usually means removing software from the computer. But not in this case.

 

[timbuk2]

It's actually safe, and pretty easy too.

I'll give this a try, it must have something to do with the computers because both machine have had Mini Kies installed and neither phone would connect to either computer after Mini Kies had been installed. I'll report back with the results.

 

[VWFeature]

Had similar problem-- MTP wouldn't install, but CHERNI over on XDA had the solution- it needs something from Windows Media player!!
Worked like a charm.
YMMV

 

[timbuk2]

Had similar problem-- MTP wouldn't install, but CHERNI over on XDA had the solution- it needs something from Windows Media player!!
Worked like a charm.
YMMV

Not sure what MTP is or XDA, but thanks.

 

[Griffs1999]

So after a few weeks of pulling my hair out over this problem, I finally have my Captivate working again. For me, it seems I only needed a new USB cord. Got one at Walmart(ONN brand, never even heard of it before) for $10, now everything works fine again.

 

[edwd]

I FOUND THE QUICK AND EASY SOLUTION! Just get a cable with an extra USB plug (to go into your computer's USB port) which improves the electrical current to the phone. I had one of these for a portable hard disk drive and when I attached my Mini-USB to Micro-USB adapter to the USB cable Mini-USB end and the Micro-USB end to the phone, the computer then recognized the phone, and the Kies software began operating fine when I brought it up. That's all it took--after hours of fussing and fuming. Not a software issue at all, A HARDWARE ISSUE!