Technology has connected all of us to digital devices, and we are all more comfortable with them. But sometimes, these devices show many issues related to general settings and connectivity settings. Have you ever received the error message “Device driver software not installed successfully” and “MTP USB device failed” when connecting your USB devices to your PC? The issue highlighted in this topic is linked with both General and Connectivity settings. Before I move on to the main part of the topic, I want to explain some of the key points briefly. Therefore, I would like to start with the general term MPT.
What is the purpose of MTP USB Device Driver?
MTP is an acronym for Media Transfer Protocol, an extension of the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) communication protocol that allows the transfer of media files to and from portable devices automatically. The main purpose of this driver is to enable you to transfer data between two devices. In MTP mode a portable media device controls the input and output in the file system. Therefore, there is no risk of data loss in case of accidental or intentional disconnection of the host computer from USB. MTP also prevents partitioning of portable media devices because users are only working on one layer on the file system, thus providing a greater degree of lock-down. Now, move to the downside of this driver as the cause behind the MTP USB device driver failed error.
What causes the MTP USB Device Driver Failed Error?
When you connect a device to your PC, Windows will first install the corresponding driver software (MTP) for the installation of your device. However, if the software does not install properly, your device will not boot correctly, and the connection between your device and PC will be inactive. Thus, you will not be able to transfer data between the two devices. This will cause your MTP USB device to fail and show an error notification. This error will prevent you from transporting data between portable devices and PCs.
Methods to Resolve MTP USB Device Driver Failed Error
If you are experiencing an MTP USB device failed installation error, you will not be able to transfer media files to multiple USB devices such as smartphones, cameras, etc. Then you are in the right place as today we are going to talk about the ways to solve this problem. Let’s see how to fix the error that failed to install the MTP USB device driver with the help of the Trouble Shooting Guide given below.
1- By Checking Hardware Connections
Before you go into troubleshooting, make sure your phone hardware is working properly and that there are no glitches.
Step 1: Try connecting the device to other PCs and check if they are successfully connected there. Try connecting USB to different ports on the computer (try both front and back in your PC).
Step 2: You should also check that the cable you are using is working appropriately. Try using different data transfer tables and see if there is a difference.
Step 3: You can try checking the “USB Debugging” option on your mobile device and then try plugging it into your computer. If that does not work, you can always undo the changes.
2- By Updating MTP Device Driver
In most cases, updating the device driver solves the problem. According to many affected users, updating the device driver helped them resolve their USB driver issue. You can also try this method by following some simple steps.
Step 1: Press Windows + X on your keyboard and click on the Device Manager.
Step 2: Connect your smartphone/USB device with your PC and expand the Portable Devices section in the Device Manager.
Step 3: Right-click on the Name of your smartphone/ USB device and select Update Driver. (Sometimes, MTP USB Device is exhibited in the Portable Device section instead of the device name).
Step 4: Now, click on the Browse My Computer for the driver’s software option.
Step 5: Click Let me pick from a list of available drivers on My Computer. Then Windows will show you a list of compatible drivers.
Step 6: Select MTP USB Device, click on the Next button, and follow the on-screen instructions.
After the installation is completed, check whether you can transfer the files between your PC and devices or not. If not, try the next solution.
3- By Using Command Prompt
We may try to run a command at your command prompt related to the local group on your PC. Most of the time, the error message only prevents the computer from installing the required device drivers due to UAC (User Account Control). We can try to change it at the command prompt and check if it solves the problem.
Step 1: Press Windows + S to open the search bar, type “command prompt” in the dialogue box, right-click on the application and select “Run as administrator.”
Step 2: Once at the command prompt, perform the following command: net localgroup Administrators local service /add.
Step 3: After the following command prompting, plug in your device again for Windows to detect it and install the required drivers.
Step 4: If the problem still persists, then you should restart your computer after the command prompting.
NOTE: If there is an issue with your computer or a laptop, then you need to Repair and Restore your system, which can scan the sources and replace corrupt and missing files. This method also works in most cases, where the issue is related to system corruption.
4- By Checking Registry Settings
Another reason for this error is that your registry settings may not be set to detect and install an external device. So, you should change the registry settings by deleting an entry through the registry editor and check if this solves the problem. Registry Editor is a commanding tool for registry settings. Editing keys that you do not know about can cause your computer to crash and make it impracticable. It is advisable to back up your registry before making any changes to ensure that you can always restore it if something goes wrong. To set your registry settings, there are some steps to follow.
Step 1: Press Windows + R, type “regedit” in the dialogue box, and click Enter.
Step 2: Once in the registry editor, navigate to the following address: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control/Class.
Step 3: Once in the target location, press “Ctrl + F” to open the search bar. Enter the word “Portable Devices” and press “Find Next.”
Step 4: Search for the keyword and when you find a match, check its folder. If the folder contains the key “UpperFilters” and you find it, delete the keyword and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Step 5: After restarting, plug in your device again and check if the issue got resolved.
NOTE: If you don’t find any folder, go to the next solution because this one is not fit for your computer.
5- By Installing the MTP Porting Kit
If the problem still exists, it can mean that you don’t have the MTP Porting Kit installed on your computer or it is outdated. If you have already installed this software, then you need to update it. And if you don’t have this software, then you should install it. You can install it by following the steps given below.
Step 1: Go to the Microsoft download center and search for this by typing its name in the search bar.
Step 2: Click Download to download the Media Transfer Protocol Porting Kit on your PC.
Step 3: Open the downloaded file to install it on your computer.
Step 4: After the installation, reboot or restart your computer.
Step 5: Now plug in your device and check if the computer installs the required drivers as expected.
After these steps, you can connect your portable and USB devices to your PC again to check whether the issue has disappeared.
Final Words
Media transfer protocol is a key component of Windows, and if the MTP connection is not working, you will not be able to exchange files from media devices. While this issue may be irritating you should be able to fix it with one of the provided solutions.
