# Is there a simple (free) way to move photos from an Android phone to a Windows 7 PC?



## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

When I first got my Samsung (Android) phone (model J3), I connected it to my PC running Windows 7 with the USB cord and could see and move photos from my phone to my PC via Windows Explorer.

I guess that was too easy.

After a few updates to my phone's operating system, it stopped working.

I have found a few 3rd party software packages that claim to do it, but they are for sale.

I found one program that works---but only on Mac computers.

I found instructions (such as the following https://www.verizonwireless.com/sup...ontent-between-computer-and-smartphone-video/) that don't work.

I use AT&T, not Verison.

Basically, my desktop PC does not see my phone and my phone says "sorry, I cannot see your PC that you connected with a USB wire).


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## susieneddy (Sep 2, 2011)

dropbox works. It is an app you can download and tie it to your computer


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## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

I just email them to myself from my Android. Then download from the email. Works for me.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Look on the Samsung website. There will be some free software you can install on your windows computer that will let it find your phone and either extract data or tether. The old version was called Kies but think they changed name half dozen years ago.

Most phones also can use those little memory cards of one sort or another. If your photos are already on such a card, remove it and pop it into a card reader connected to your computer. If not, insert such a card, move photos to card, remove card and put it into a card reader connected to your computer.

I will point out that even if windows cant see your phone, linux might. I have a Samsung Eternity, ancient phone with Samsung BADA operating system predating their use of Android. I plug it into my linux computer, phone pops up a screen asking if I want to tether or if I want to tread it as mass storage device. If I choose mass storage, the linux computer sees it as if I had plugged in some sort of thumb drive. If I pick tether, it lets me connect and tether to internet through my phone. This is without installing any software. Its already built into linux. I found software that let win10 device manager see my phone but it could neither retrieve data nor tether. 

Ok not Kies but Smart Switch (use Smart Switch on your pc if your phone has newer than Android 4.3 or Kies if older than Android 4.3): https://www.samsung.com/levant/support/kies/


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Oh another option, if you windows computer has bluetooth, most likely your phone does. YOu can connect them that way.


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

Could be the USB cord. For now email like suggested above


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

If I plug my phone into hub, computer doesn't see phone. If I plug directly into usb on computer, it works fine.


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

RideBarefoot said:


> I just email them to myself from my Android. Then download from the email. Works for me.


Yeah. Me, too. But that gets to be a pain for moving a bunch of photos. In 2019 there ought to be a better, simpler way.


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

MoonRiver said:


> If I plug my phone into hub, computer doesn't see phone. If I plug directly into usb on computer, it works fine.


I've done that with no luck.

I see mention that some USB wires are power only and won't work for file transfers. But I have never seen a "power only" USB wire that I know of.

And I don't know how one would identify a "power only" USB wire.


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

HermitJohn said:


> Look on the Samsung website. There will be some free software you can install on your windows computer that will let it find your phone and either extract data or tether. The old version was called Kies but think they changed name half dozen years ago.
> 
> Most phones also can use those little memory cards of one sort or another. If your photos are already on such a card, remove it and pop it into a card reader connected to your computer. If not, insert such a card, move photos to card, remove card and put it into a card reader connected to your computer.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I had tried Kies long ago and gave up. It did not seem to work on my PC.

On Samsung's web site, I kept seeing "Smart Switch for Mac PCs"---nothing about Smart Switch for Windows PCs. I now see a link for the Windows version. I'll try it and post my result.

Yeah, I have been removing my micro SD card and sticking it in an adapter and into my PC, but that gets to be a pain. Makes me open up my phone.

Thanks again.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

NRA_guy said:


> Makes me open up my phone.


You might be able to do it with a thumb drive instead.
You might need an adapter to change the plug size.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

PLug the charge cable in to the PC, Go into the connectivity page on the phone and set the USB to PTP , MEdia or file depending on phone and the phone will look like a drive on the PC. No software needed.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Have you tried reloading or updating your drivers?
https://www.orduh.com/samsung-galaxy-j3-usb-drivers/

"Samsung Galaxy J3 USB Drivers Installation Tutorial: This article will teach you how to download and install the drivers for the Samsung Galaxy J3 . This is useful if you’re having trouble connecting to Windows computers. There are two options available for getting the correct Samsung Galaxy J3 USB Drivers for your device. You may opt to manually install the drivers or you may choose to install the necessary drivers via Samsung Kies."


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

Gary in ohio said:


> PLug the charge cable in to the PC, Go into the connectivity page on the phone and set the USB to PTP , MEdia or file depending on phone and the phone will look like a drive on the PC. No software needed.


I have set the connectivity to Media (MTP) with no luck.

I also tried PTP and it did not work.


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Have you tried reloading or updating your drivers?
> https://www.orduh.com/samsung-galaxy-j3-usb-drivers/
> 
> "Samsung Galaxy J3 USB Drivers Installation Tutorial: This article will teach you how to download and install the drivers for the Samsung Galaxy J3 . This is useful if you’re having trouble connecting to Windows computers. There are two options available for getting the correct Samsung Galaxy J3 USB Drivers for your device. You may opt to manually install the drivers or you may choose to install the necessary drivers via Samsung Kies."


Thanks, but I did it just now and it did not work. 

I get an error message on my phone and my PC when I try to connect via USB.

Something weird is going on.

I have screen shots of the errors but now homesteadingtoday will not let me upload a file.

I appreciate everybody's help but I have spent about 4 hours trying to move photos from my phone to my PC via USB.

I think I will just go to bed and sleep on it.


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

OK, I just plugged my Samsung J3 phone into my laptop (as opposed to the desk top PC I have been struggling with) and Windows Explorer found the phone and all of the files and photos just fine.

So the problem is with my desk top PC.

I can load the photos onto a thumb drive with my lap top and then move them to my desk top..

Both run Windows 7 but the desk top is a 64-bit computer and the lap top is a 32-bit computer.

Thanks all again for the super input.


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## goodatit (May 1, 2013)

NRA_guy said:


> I've done that with no luck.
> 
> I see mention that some USB wires are power only and won't work for file transfers. But I have never seen a "power only" USB wire that I know of.
> 
> And I don't know how one would identify a "power only" USB wire.


that happened to me. usb that came with phone was for charging only. had to buy one that would transfer files also.


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

goodatit said:


> that happened to me. usb that came with phone was for charging only. had to buy one that would transfer files also.


How can I tell the difference from a USB wire's appearance?

But the same USB wire worked when I moved the phone to a lap top. It just would not work with my desk top PC for some reason. Probably because I have edited the registry on several occasions and screwed something up.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

NRA_guy said:


> Probably because I have edited the registry on several occasions and screwed something up.


Eureka!!


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

Apparently, it is hard to tell a "charging only" USB cable from a "charging and data" USB cable.

The only simple way is to connect the cable to a phone and a PC and try it.

That seems rather crude in today's age. I would think that there would be a label or marking that distinguishes the 2 types, but there is not.

So, if I am buying a USB cable in a store, and the package does not tell me, how would I know which type I am paying for?

The following site discusses it:

https://electronics.stackexchange.c...l-charge-only-usb-cables-from-usb-data-cables


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