What is a USB drive on Android? How to enable a USB drive on Android - turn a regular smartphone into a mobile data storage

Bulky USB connectors are not entirely suitable for compact smartphones. But this does not mean that flash drives cannot be connected to them. Agree that this can be very convenient in many situations, especially when the phone does not support the use of MicroSD. We invite you to consider all options for connecting a USB flash drive to gadgets with micro-USB connectors.

First, you need to find out whether your smartphone supports OTG technology. This means that the micro-USB port can supply power to external devices and ensure their visibility in the system. This technology has begun to be implemented on devices with Android 3.1 and higher.

Information about OTG support can be found in the documentation for your smartphone or simply use the Internet. To be completely sure, download USB application OTG Checker, the purpose of which is to check the device for support for OTG technology. Just press the button "Check Device OS on USB OTG".

If the check is for OTG support was successful, you will see a picture as shown below.


And if not, you will see this.


Now you can consider options for connecting a flash drive to a smartphone, we will consider the following:

• using an OTG cable;
• using an adapter;
• using a USB OTG flash drive.

For iOS, there is one way - using special flash drives with a Lightning connector for iPhone.

Interesting: in some cases you can connect other devices, for example: mouse, keyboard, joystick, etc.

Method 1: Using an OTG cable

The most common way to connect a flash drive to mobile devices involves using a special adapter cable, which can be purchased at any place where mobile devices are sold. Some manufacturers include such cables with smartphones and tablets.

On one side, the OTG cable has a standard USB connector, on the other, a micro-USB plug. It’s easy to guess what to insert and where.


If the flash drive has indicator lights, then you can determine from them that the power supply has started. A notification about the connected media may also appear on the smartphone itself, but not always.

The contents of the flash drive can be found along the path

/sdcard/usbStorage/sda1

To do this, use any file manager.

Method 2: Using an adapter

Recently, small adapters from USB to micro-USB have begun to appear on sale. This small device On one side there is a micro-USB output, on the other there are contacts for USB. Just insert the adapter into the flash drive interface, and you can connect it mobile device.

Method 3: Using a flash drive with an OTG connector

If you intend to connect the drive frequently, then the easiest option is to purchase a USB OTG flash drive. This storage medium has two ports at the same time: USB and micro-USB. It's convenient and practical.


Today, USB OTG flash drives can be found almost everywhere they are sold. regular drives. At the same time, in terms of price they are not much more expensive.

Method 4: Flash drives for iPhone

There are several special media for iPhones. Transcend has developed removable storage JetDrive Go 300. It has a Lightning connector on one side and a regular USB. Actually, this is the only really working way to connect a flash drive to iOS smartphones.

What to do if your smartphone does not see the connected flash drive

Team "Unmount" used for safe removal carrier. Please note that StickMount requires root access. You can get it, for example, using the program.

The ability to connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone primarily depends on the latter. It is necessary that the device supports OTG technology, and then you can use special cable, adapter or connect a micro-USB flash drive.

You can enable USB ports on your laptop through the BIOS, Device Manager, Registry Editor, or Editor group policies. If access to USB connectors was prohibited intentionally using special software, you can unblock it in a program where the interface is blocked. All methods are available ordinary users and do not require special training.

Disabling unnecessary devices

If the USB ports suddenly stopped working and you are now looking for how to turn them on, then the first thing to do is look to see if the device is connected to the laptop too much. When using a USB hub, the laptop may not be able to supply power to all devices, causing the USB ports to become unresponsive. Before you do USB setup in the BIOS, disconnect unnecessary equipment from the laptop and check if the ports work. If nothing has changed, then reboot the laptop and go into the BIOS.

Enabling ports in BIOS

For BIOS input When loading, press Delete, F2 or another key depending on the model motherboard. You can view it on the start screen.

In the case of a laptop, this screen does not appear because the function fast loading. You can temporarily disable this technology in the power settings:

Restart your computer. Without quick launch you will see all stages of Windows boot and can get into the BIOS. If this doesn't work on Windows 8 or 10 with UEFI BIOS, try the following method:

After reboot, select "Diagnostics", then go to " Extra options" and open the UEFI Firmware Settings. Click "Reboot", the next time you start, the BIOS UEFI interface will appear.

To configure USB ports in UEFI, you need to go to the “Peripherals” tab and set the “Legacy USB Support” parameter to “Enabled”. If support for USB 3.0 ports is required, activate the corresponding item (USB 3.0 Support).

In the AMI BIOS, go to the “Integrated Peripherals” section and set the four options to “Enabled”:

• USB EHCI Controller.
• USB Mouse Support.
• USB Keyboard Support.
• Legacy USB Storage Detect.

In Phoenix AwardBIOS, you need to go to the “Advanced” tab and go to the “USB configuration” section. All parameters contained within must be set to “Enabled” in order for USB ports worked.

In all BIOS versions, to save the configuration, you must press the F10 key and confirm the selection by writing “Y”.

Windows setup

If in BIOS ports are enabled, but devices connected via the USB interface are not detected by the system, then check the registry editor, device manager and group policy editor. It is possible that changes were made to the system through them, due to which the ports are no longer working. You should start with the Registry Editor.

If the registry editor supports USB interface is enabled, then check the controller drivers in Device Manager.

If you see an exclamation mark icon next to the controller, and you are sure that the interface is supported in the registry editor, then this means that there are problems with the drivers. First try updating the software:

If update software controller did not help, update the motherboard driver. Download it from the manufacturer's website and install it manually. Another way to update the drivers of all controllers at once is to remove them from the system. Click on the controllers right click and select "Delete". After a reboot, the system will automatically install controller drivers, so you no longer have to worry about how to enable the USB ports - they will work just like that.

If only those connected via USB removable devices, then check in the Group Policy Editor to see if the read ban is set.

Find the option " Removable devices: Deny Reading" and set it to "Disable". Problem identifying flash drives and external drives must disappear.

Hardware damage to ports

If your laptop's USB ports are damaged or south bridge on motherboard, then no methods will help enable the interface. Therefore, if the connectors stop working after mechanical impact, liquid getting inside the housing, short circuit or other negative factors, you should take the laptop to a service center for diagnostics.

In this article we will figure out how to connect Android to a computer/laptop via USB as a flash drive and be able to transfer information without using a classic flash drive.

This article is suitable for all brands that produce phones on Android 9/8/7/6: Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, LG, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, Meizu, Fly, Alcatel, Xiaomi, Nokia and others. We are not responsible for your actions.

Before Android 4.4 KitKat, it was possible to connect via USB as a flash drive. The PC saw the device as removable drive and provided the same rights: the user could also perform other actions.

Then in new versions of Android USB mode was replaced by MTP, in which only the data transfer function remained, and the same formatting did not work.

Setting up a USB connection

To manage the connection to a computer via USB, you need. To do this, add to Android settings section “For Developers” (if it doesn’t exist):

1. Open settings.
2. Go to the "About phone" or "About device" section.
3. "Build number" or "MIUI version".
4. Press (click) on this item until you see a message that you have become a developer (usually 7-10 clicks are enough).

Increase

After the developer section appears in the settings, you can enable USB debugging. The item is called that way, so you just need to move the slider to the “On” position and confirm the resolution.

Increase

Now you can connect the device to your computer via USB and select the operating mode. In recent Android versions the most used are:

• MTP - transfer any files from computer to phone and vice versa.
• PTP - transfer of photos, as well as transfer of files not supported in MTP mode.
• Charging only.

Connecting in USB storage mode

If you can't get used to using the media player, go back to using USB storage mode. For this you will need:

• Installed USB program MASS STORAGE Enabler.

This method may cause damage system files. In this case, you will have to reflash Android.

To connect Android to your computer as a drive:

1. Launch USB MASS STORAGE Enabler.
2. Grant superuser rights and agree to change how Selinux works.
3. If the device is supported, the main application menu will open.
4. Click "Enable USB MASS STORAGE".

Increase

Now, when connected to a PC, the phone or tablet will appear as a drive. To connect in MTP or PTP mode, just restart the device. Once you're done with mass storage mode, go back into the app and disable USB MASS STORAGE.

USB (Universal Serial Bus)– literally “universal serial bus”. This serial interface for data transmission, which is widely used in electronics and computer technology, and mobile devices based on the operating system Android systems- not an exception. However, everything does not always go smoothly enough; certain problems may arise.

However, everything is in order. First, let's figure out what types of USB connectors exist. There are five of them in total:

From left to right: microUSB, miniUSB, B-type, A-type “mother”, A-type “father”.

microUSB– the smallest of the connectors, used in miniature electronic devices like smartphones, phones, tablet computers, e-books and so on. IN Lately has become most widespread among Android devices due to its versatility, practically displacing miniUSB.

miniUSB– somewhat larger than microUSB, but also used in small electronic devices. Today it is practically not used in branded tablets and smartphones on Android, although it was previously widespread. However, it is found in Chinese devices; moreover, due to their cheapness and simplicity, some more famous Chinese manufacturers return to miniUSB after some period of installing microUSB in their devices. Most often found in cameras, camcorders, and so on.

B-type– a connector that can most often be found in printers, scanners and other computer peripherals when size doesn't really matter.

A-type“mother” (receiver) – a connector that is installed on personal computers and sometimes on tablets to connect an A-type connector. This type of connector can also be seen in USB extension cables and USB OTG cables.

A-type“male” (connector) – for connecting to the corresponding A-type receiver.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the extension of the USB 2.0 specification - USB OTG (USB On The Go), which is designed for easy connection of peripheral USB devices between themselves. This is especially true for tablet computers, smartphones, e-readers and other devices with Android based, since with the support of this specification and with the appropriate USB OTG extension adapter, you can directly connect flash drives, cameras, external USB HDD and so on.

There are also a number of proprietary USB connectors that are created by individual companies, but gradually this practice is becoming a thing of the past - the market as a whole is leaning towards universal connectors, and this is a definite plus.

Now let's figure out what to do if, when you connect an Android device via a USB cable to a computer, the mobile device is not detected, but only charged (the latter indicates the functionality of the connector as a whole - power is supplied to it).

First, let’s double-check whether the checkbox is checked in “Settings” - “Connecting to a PC” - “Ask”. If it is installed, try removing it and installing it again.

If this does not help, try using another USB cable (miracles of the Chinese industry are especially prone to failure), connect it to another USB port on the computer (it is strongly recommended to use the ports that are located on the back system unit, if we are talking about a desktop PC, since these ports are directly, without extension cables, soldered on the motherboard), in the end, try another computer to connect, if possible. If none of the above helps, you can try replacing the flash card with another one. It is also not recommended to use any unnecessary adapters or extension cords - very often they are the cause of the problem.

Still having problems connecting to your PC via USB? No problem, he moves on. Ban or delete Task Killer, if it is installed, or add “Synchronization with PC” to the list of exceptions - this application may simply prohibit the device from synchronizing with the computer. You can also try enabling " USB Debugging" This item is located in the menu “Settings” - “Applications” - “Development”:

If problematic device – mobile gadget from Samsung, and the computer “does not see” it either through Kies or through Odin, then you should try to completely remove Kies, all old Samsung and Samsung PC Studio drivers, and then install Kies again. The same applies to HTC devices with a proprietary program HTC Sync.

Manually selecting the driver for the USB device may also help. To do this, go to “Device Manager” in the “Control Panel” of Windows. We are looking for the problematic device - it will be displayed with exclamation point. Right-click on it and select “Update driver” - “Select driver installation from your computer” - “Select drivers from those already installed.” Select from the list universal controller USB is a composite USB device (sometimes a driver from Microsoft may also work). After this, the system will automatically install the selected driver and the device can be used in USB flash drive mode. If you suddenly get an error with the “Blue Screen of Death”, you need to restart your computer safe mode without turning off the device. After loading Windows in safe mode, look for our mobile device in Device Manager, right-click on it and remove the driver. After this, you can try to “slip” another driver into the system to work with the device connected to the USB - after which it may be detected normally.

Alternatively, you can install Android USB Driver. Also, most programs for synchronizing an Android device with a personal computer, such as HTC Sync or Samsung Kies, install their drivers. Important - we recommend turning it off antivirus programs on computers during driver installation.

Sometimes resetting to factory settings (the so-called wipe) through the settings of the mobile device, or through Recovery mode. Reset will delete everything user installed application and restore the default factory settings.

Drivers for devices, before reinstalling them, it is also very advisable to correctly remove them from personal computer. They are often hidden in the Device Manager as soon as the device is turned off or sends a command to hide. Often, drivers of the same name may conflict due to version mismatches. Well, let's start clearing the list of unused devices, which can often be the reason for the “inoperability” of an Android gadget when it is connected via USB. First, disconnect all external USB devices from the computer. Create an environment variable DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES with a value of 1. To do this, right-click on “My Computer”, select “Properties”, “Advanced”, click “ Environment Variables" In the window that opens, click the “Create” button at the top. In the “Variable name” field enter:

DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES

In the “Variable value” field, enter, respectively, 1. Click “OK” twice to close the menu.

By creating this variable, Device Manager will show all drivers installed on the system, including hidden ones or those that have ever been connected to a personal computer.

Go to “Device Manager”, in the “View” menu item, select “Show hidden devices”. Now you can start cleaning the operating system from various “junk”. First, open the section “ Disk devices" The nuance is that every time you connect a new flash drive, it is installed new driver, and it is installed even if you connect the same flash drive, but into a different USB port. Drivers of all disabled removable media You can safely delete them, since when you connect them to your computer, the drivers for them will be reinstalled. Among these drivers, you can also find the driver of your Android device, possibly installed incorrectly, and perhaps even more than one. These entries can also be safely deleted, as they can cause problems - in any case, when you reconnect an existing Android device, the driver for it will be reinstalled or the user will be prompted to install it. In the “Hidden” devices section, you can delete absolutely all hidden (gray) devices, since these are nothing more than unsuccessful attempts to install a driver for a device, and they are definitely not needed in the system. In the “Storage volumes” section, you can also delete all hidden (gray) entries, since these are “letters” assigned to previously connected flash drives - in any case, when the flash drive is connected again, they will be assigned again. In the section "Universal Serial Controllers" USB bus» You can remove all hidden (grayed) devices. After cleaning the operating system from unnecessary drivers reboot the computer. After the reboot, connect the Android device, it will be detected operating system Windows as a new device and drivers will be automatically installed for it, or you can install necessary drivers manually. After another reboot of the computer, all problems with conflicting drivers should be a thing of the past.

If the USB ports on your PC are not working and Windows settings and driver updates do not help, perhaps the controller was disabled in the BIOS. In this case, you will need to go to the configuration menu and turn everything back on.

There are many different versions BIOS with its own interfaces and subtleties of operation. Also, a more modern complex can work on your computer - UEFI, which supports a full GUI interface. This article discusses the distributions that are most often installed on motherboards.

Entering BIOS settings

To start changing the configuration, you need to go to the corresponding menu. It can be opened while turning on the personal computer - before the start Windows boot from the hard drive.

Turn on your PC. In case it is already running: reboot. Wait sound signal speaker: a short single beep indicates that everything is internal components, necessary for the computer to operate, have been detected.

Now you need to click hotkey to call the configuration. This must be done before changing the screen. If you don't have time and Windows starts loading, reboot. The keys depend on the installed motherboard model and version BIOS firmware. You can find it in the user manual that came with the motherboard, on the manufacturer’s official website, or view on your PC screen when loading it:

If you don't know the board model, it's okay. Just try pressing the following keys: Tab, Delete, Esc, F1, F2, F8, F10, F11, F12. One of them will definitely do.

You don't have to try just 1 option at a time. You can quickly press all the buttons from the list without any problems. One of them will come up and launch the BIOS settings, and the rest will be ignored.

Entering the BIOS/UEFI settings of the latest PCs

Many modern computers boot up so quickly that you won't be able to access the keystrokes when you turn them on. This is also true for laptops. That's why latest versions Windows OS has a new launch feature. Let's show it using Windows 8.1 as an example.

Your computer or laptop will reboot into setup mode. After restarting your PC, you will also be able to select option to run from a USB drive or DVD.

Menu navigation

Almost all BIOS versions are devoid of GUI. This means that you will have to work only using the keyboard, as in, for example, Windows console. Navigation is carried out using the up-down and right-left arrows. To open any section, use Enter key to go back – “Escape”. A small reminder of the keys used is always shown on the screen.

Firmware complex UEFI installed on the most expensive and powerful motherboards. It supports more drivers and can use a mouse. Its interface will be familiar Windows users and other modern operating systems.

Each version has its own interface and sets of options. Even the names of the same parameters may differ. The following article describes several popular BIOS releases.

AMI BIOS

A very common option that can be found on many modern computers. The main menu is divided into 2 parts: a list of categories and various actions, like exit or save. You will be working on the left side.

You need to go to the section called “ Integrated Peripherals». Russian version There is no interface, so all commands are only in English. Use the Down arrow to highlight this item and press Enter.

Here you need to enable ( Enabled) 4 options:

• USB EHCI controller– main controller. If the motherboard has version 3.0 ports, this item will be divided into 2 parts: “Controller” and “Controller 2.0”;
• USB Keyboard Support– keyboard support;
• USB Mouse Support– mouse support;
• – work with external data storage: flash drives, disk drives, disks of smartphones and digital cameras.

In some older versions there are only 2 points " USB controller" And " Legacy USB storage support».

When you are done with the settings, press the F10 key to save changes made and restart your computer.

Phoenix AwardBIOS

Another popular version that can often be found on modern laptops. Doesn't have home page, like AMI, but with convenient thematic tabs at the top. You can move between sections using the left and right arrows, and between items using the up and down arrows.

Go to the section " Advanced» using the Right arrow. In it, find the category “ USB configuration" All items in this section must be moved to the position “ Enabled" In some versions the category " USB configuration" may be located in the " tab Peripherals" and not in "Advanced".

To exit the menu, press F10 and confirm exit.

AMI BIOS for Asus

AMI version used on Asus laptops. Externally it is very similar to Phoenix - a similar bookmarks bar. Settings USB are in the section " Advanced" Go there, enable all options and exit using the F10 button.

UEFI

Contrary to popular belief, UEFI is not part of the BIOS. It can rather be called a more advanced, but less popular competitor. Exists a large number of different versions, each with its own interfaces. However, here the controls are similar to the usual Windows, so you can easily find the options you need.

Windows Settings

If at the BIOS level all ports and controllers are enabled, but USB ports still don't work, there may be a problem with your Windows system settings.

First, just try disconnect and reconnect the device. This will check if the drivers are correct. If there's something wrong with them, Windows will try to reinstall them.

If nothing happens when you reconnect, try turn on the controller V Windows registry. To do this you need to do the following:

Video: how to configure any BIOS to boot from a USB flash drive