Help MTP connection to PC sucks - any alternatives?

[cdl]

I have a Galaxy S7 edge and a Moto G4, both on Android 7.
With both, transferring files from a PC is a huge, huge, huge nightmare.

Is there an alternative to the MTP transfer? Some way to connect them to a PC as USB mass storage? USB storage used to be so much better!
I don't need the phones to be active during the transfer - e.g. they could be in recovery mode.
Some custom recovery tools let you connect phones to PCs from recovery mode, but not the standard recovery mode, and I cannot root these phones (rooted phones cannot access work email).

I have tried with a new desktop and a new Dell XPS laptop, both running Windows 10, and it is always a big mess: the transfer often crashes for no apparent reason, or sometimes transferring even just a 10 MB file may take more than 5 minutes.

I have also tried multiple cables and multiple ports, but to no avail.

I have also tried Airdroid; it's OK when transferring files to internal memory, but, for reasons beyond me, transferring to the external SD card does not work.

Thanks!

 

[psionandy]

99 percent of the time any transfer I use goes via the cloud...

I sync it up to a dropbox, google drive or one drive, and sync it down at the other end when i'm interested in it.


but obviously it depends on people... and the sort of things they are syncing, and the way they want to work.

 

[cdl]

Let me rephrase: is there any non-cloud-based alternative?

 

[psionandy]

USB card reader...

pop the card out... pop it in again... and off you go.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

I miss USB Mass Storage too.

 

[cdl]

USB card reader...

pop the card out... pop it in again... and off you go.

Seriously, I have in fact ordered a reader, but one does not always carry the sharp thingy to open the sd slot and the reader, so I was wondering if there is a better, non-cloud based alternative, for an unrooted phone. It seems not, right?

 

[psionandy]

Hey... I answered the question you asked in your original post... meeting the criteria you asked... Twice.


YOU'RE WELCOME

 

[cdl]

I was kidding, I didn't mean to offend you. I appreciate I could have been clearer in my original question.

I was trying to understand if there is an alternative to MTP. It seems there isn't. Is there any way to make MTP more reliable or is it normal that it just fails for no reason? I typically put the phones in airplane mode but it doesn't make much difference.

 

[lunatic59]

You could try a flash drive in an OTG adapter. I don't believe that uses MTP mode.

 

[mikedt]

I miss USB Mass Storage too.

I do as well, but unfortunately Windows absolutely sucks at reading Linux file systems such as encrypted EXT4. Which modern Android devices(since 4.x) with unified internal storage use, and so having MTP is like a compromise.

 

[lunatic59]

and so using MTP is like a compromise

"... so like a compromise"???

Mike, you've been hanging out with your students too much.

 

[mikedt]

"... so like a compromise"???

Mike, you've been hanging out with your students too much.

And drinking too much baijiu...ganbei!!

 

[svim]

If transferring a 10MB file can take 5 minutes there's clearly a problem, and not necessarily related to any MTP/PTP/mass storage issue. Maybe try plugging your phone into your computer with all other USB devices (excluding keyboard and mouse of course) temporarily removed. Perhaps something like an old USB v.1 hub is creating some kind of conflict in your PC's internal USB bus.
Also, are you plugging into a USB ver 2 or USB ver 3 port? Are you sure the cables you've tried are good?

As a last resort, if you don't want to rely on AirDroid because of some direct to microSD card issue, you could at least do your file transfers via WiFi and use a file manager app to move your files from internal storage to your card that way. Cumbersome but again just a fall-back option.

 

[mikedt]

Depending on what phone you've got, it may have FTP built in. Samsung S7, I don't know.

 

[cdl]

It's not the PC nor the cables. I have made multiple attempts, with various combinations of PC, laptop, USB 3 port, USB 2 port, and brand new Belkin and Anker cables. The same gear works flawlessly when connecting large external hard drives.

What I find crazy is that USB mass storage was suboptimal because the phone and the PC couldn't access the data at the same time, but we now have a system where both can access it badly, and there is no option to transfer files while the phone is in some kind of standby mode. I mean, if I have to transfer a few GBs of music I am unlikely to be using the phone at the same time. Judging from the number of complaints online, my experience is far from unique!

 

[svim]

... Judging from the number of complaints online, my experience is far from unique!

OK, point made but also keep in mind it's easy to find substantial 'proof' on any topic, for or against, in today's Internet. Anecdotally I transfer files to and from my phones to Linux, Mac, and Windows computers frequently (daily with my desktop) using AirDroid, completely avoiding cables, driver and operating system version issues, and the annoying problems tied to competing file system standards.

 

[cdl]

OK, point made but also keep in mind it's easy to find substantial 'proof' on any topic, for or against, in today's Internet.

Very true. I should probably invest a bit more trying to see if I can get Airdroid to work with the external sd card. In a way it's a shame because using MediamOnkey to sync songs and playlists would have been great, but the connection is too unreliable

 

[Dannydet]

you could at least do your file transfers via WiFi and use a file manager app to move your files from internal storage to your card that way.

A file explorer by wifi may give you faster results...