Mobiles no longer recognised by PC due to update

[Robbo]

Hello, due gain to large windows 10 updates, I’m finding things are missing or not working. This time the simple function of downloading photos from our mobile phones.

We have two computers in the home, two different mobiles. Neither computer now seems able to bring up Windows mobile device centre or Sync centre. They wont come up and acknowledge the mobile phones. A big nothing is happening ?

Anyone having the same problem, or anyone had it and cured it ? ( please keep it simple )

Regards,
Robbo

 

[Trouble]

Are your phones, Windows 10 phones?
Are you using or attempting to use the "Phone Companion" app?
How are your phones connected to your computer?

As you can see my Alcatel IDOL 4S windows 10 phone is recognized in the Phone Companion app, and....
Generally I use File Explorer to move files from my device to my computer or from my computer to my device

 

[Trouble]

Tested with my daughter's Galaxy Note 5 Android Phone and it looks slightly different but after I allowed / trusted the Windows 10 PC I could get at it with Phone Companion and File Explorer just fine.

 

[Robbo]

No the phones are not windows 10. No I’m not attempting to use the phone companion app. The phones are connected to the computer by USB cable.

All was fine until a recent windows 10 update. Now the computer doesn’t recognise our phones and Windows Mobile centre wont come up either.

Prior to the recent update, it could not have been easier to move photos from my phone. What has happened ? How do I sort out my Windows Mobile centre ?

 

[Trouble]

I can only assume that you might be talking about Microsoft Mobile Device Center
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/931937/description-of-windows-mobile-device-center
A pretty old program (back in the Vista days) which replaced Microsoft "Active Sync" and which I believe has now been replaced by Microsoft Phone Companion
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/microsoft-phone-companion/9wzdncrfj3pm?ocid=9wzdncrfj3pm

You might consider giving that a try and see if it helps.
In the mean time you might want to check Device Manager -> View Menu -> Show Hidden Devices -> Expand "Portable Devices" as well as under "Universal Serial Bus Devices" and see what is there.
Maybe remove all older previous instances of your phone (if present) and then re-attach it to your computer and see if it picks it up normally as both a "portable device" as well as a "USB device"

 

[Robbo]

I’m afraid none of this is helping. Yawn..Windows have muffed it up again, and again expect us to faff around wasting time putting it right. Should I now be considering moving to apple ?

 

[Bif]

I'm using a Nokia Lumia 520 and it shows up like Troubles in Explorer and is recognized by the Phone Companion app as well.
Apples don't always keep the doctor away..

 

[Robbo]

Windows have been a constant health issue since muffing up windows 8. It’s an on going illness they seem to make worse every time they misdiagnose and treat it with either a new program or updates. Lets be honest. They’ve lost the plot.

 

[Bif]

The plot in iBook differs little, I'm not defending MS by any stretch as they're ethos is often in question..but if it wasn't for the bumps in the road, this forum wouldn't exist..

 

[Trouble]

Lets be honest. They’ve lost the plot.

Not exactly sure what that means or how one loses the plot but....
I have tested my Windows 10 Pro 64 bit installation (fully updated to the most recent publicly avaiable build, as of yesterday), with multiple Windows phones, multiple Android phones and now for my final test....

TA - DA!!

Kind of a rare species around here as I usually shun them but.....
I have one grand daughter (kind of a black sheep so to speak) who I'm very fond of so I tolerate it.

So..... It would not appear to be a Microsoft / Windows 10 issue but more likely a local problem with a driver, or third party software, or possibly even a security suite, who knows.
It's just definitely not something that exists normally in a typical install, nor is it something that is likely a product of an update typically. As I said I performed the most recent Cumulative Update yesterday, which bumped my build to Version 1703 (OS Build 15063.413) and I just plugged in the Apple Phone like two minutes ago.
All smooth sailing .