Media Transfer Protocol, commonly referred to as MTP, is the technology that facilitates the transfer of multimedia files between your Android phone and Windows PC. Although MTP usually works seamlessly, there may be situations where it fails to function properly. In such cases, you may experience difficulty transferring files from your smartphone’s gallery or digital camera to your computer. However, there are several troubleshooting methods available that can help you resolve the MTP not working problem. Keep reading to learn about some potential solutions.
Why Is MTP Not Working in Windows 11?
MTP may not work in Windows 11 due to various reasons, such as outdated or missing drivers, connectivity issues, conflicts with other software, or corrupted system files. Some specific scenarios where MTP may not work include when your device is not recognized by your computer, when your device is not detected in the file explorer, or when you encounter errors while transferring files.
Fix MTP Not Working in Windows 11
These are the most promised solutions that can make MTP work on your Windows 11 device.
1. Check For Hardware-related Problems
Before attempting any solutions, it’s important to rule out any hardware-related issues that could be causing the problem. This step is crucial because no amount of troubleshooting will work if the issue lies with the hardware itself. Most smartphones support MTP for file transfer, but when the device is connected to a PC, it offers several options to choose from.
Make sure that you have selected MTP or file transfer mode instead of charging-only mode, which is typically the default setting. Additionally, check the USB cable you’re using for any issues, as an error message stating “USB device not verified” could indicate a problem with the cable. It’s also important to ensure that the USB cable you’re using supports file transfer since some cables are designed only for charging purposes.
2. Install wpdmtp.inf
When encountering an MTP-related issue on your Windows 11 device, such as the ‘A service installation section in this INF is invalid’ error, it could indicate a corrupt INF file on your PC. Fortunately, there’s a simple fix for this problem, which involves installing the wpdmtp.inf file on your Windows 11 device. This can be done in two ways – either through the Windows directory or via the Device Manager. Below are the step-by-step processes for each method.
Via Windows Directory
Below are the steps to install wpdmptp.inf via Windows directory.
1. To install the wpdmtp.inf file via Windows directly, proceed as follows.
2. Tap the File Explorer icon on the taskbar and navigate to the following location:
C:WindowsINF3. Keep scrolling to look for the wpdmtp.inf file and choose the Install option from the context menu.
4. If the User Action Control prompt saying ‘Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?’ shows up, choose the Yes option.
Via Device Manager
Secondly, if you want to Install wpdmtp.inf through the Device Manager, you need to follow the steps explained here.
1. Right-click the Windows icon on your screen and choose the Device Manager option from the context menu.
2. Expand the Portable Device category in the device manager window to discover your MTP device.
3. Now, right-click to access the context menu of the MTP device and choose the Update driver option from the context menu.
4. A pop-up saying How do you want to search for drivers will appear. Choose the Browse my system for driver software option here.
5. Next, choose the Browse option and navigate to the C:WindowsINF location and select the wpdmtp.inf file.
That’s it! Now follow the on-screen instruction to successfully install the wpdmtp.inf. If you still encounter MTP-related issues on your Windows PC, hop on to the next fix.
3. Add the user account to the admin group
Sometimes, MTP is restricted due to insufficient permission to the user account you are currently using. So we will use the command prompt to add the current local account you are logged into to the administrator group enabling the MTP feature for good. This troubleshooting method is an easy one, and the procedure is as follows:
1. Press the Windows key to bring up the Start menu, and type cmd in the search bar on top.
2. Choose Run as Administrator from the right section of the search result to launch the command prompt in administrator mode.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type the command given below and press the Enter key to execute it.
net localgroup Administrators local service /add
After the command executes successfully, close the command prompt and check whether or not MTP is working without any problem.
4. Run Hardware & Device Troubleshooter
Windows 11 is equipped with a hardware and device troubleshooter capable of figuring out the hardware and device-related issues triggering the MTP-related problem on your Windows 11 device.
Unlike other troubleshooters present on Windows 11, the method to execute the Hardware & Device Troubleshooter is different. Here is what you need to do to run the Hardware & Device troubleshooter.
1. Use the Windows + R shortcut to access the Run dialog box on Windows 11 devices.
2. In the command line, type the msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic command in the text field and press the Enter key to execute it.
3. Upon executing the command, the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter will pop up on the screen. Press the Next button present at the bottom.
Wait until the progress bar keeps loading as the troubleshooter diagnoses the hardware and device issues with your computer. If the troubleshooter succeeds to identify the problem, follow the on-screen steps as recommended by the troubleshooter.
5. Enable Airplane Mode
According to multiple reports from Windows users who faced MTP-related problems, enabling Airplane Mode on their Windows 11 PC has helped establish a successful MTP connection. It is a harmless method to try, so we recommend enabling Airplane Mode on both your Windows 11 PC and smartphone if you are facing MTP issues.
1. To enable the Airplane Mode on your smartphone, you need to access your Android’s Quick Settings panel.
2. For this, swipe down the screen from the center. Now, tap the Airplane icon once such that the tile for the Airplane Mode is highlighted.
3. Likewise, you can enable the Airplane Mode on your Windows 11 PC from the Action Center tray.
4. To access it, use the Ctrl + A shortcut and tap the Airplane icon to enable Airplane Mode.
After you enable the Airplane Mode to block the wireless networks on both devices, try establishing the MTP connection once again. Most probably, you will succeed this time.
6. Edit the Registry
Corrupt or invalid registry values for the portable device can create connection issues during the MTP connection setup. To tackle this cause of problem, we need to make the required changes in the registry.
Before you begin to make changes in the registry, it is necessary to create a backup of the registry file to avoid unintended consequences if you mess up.Follow the steps below to modify the registry values.
1. Press the Windows + S shortcut key to launch the search menu.
2. Type Registry Editor in the search bar and choose the relevant search result.
3. Once the registry editor opens on the screen, navigate to the following path directly from the address bar.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControl/Class4. Here, you need to find the Portable Device folder. You can easily do it by using the Ctrl + F shortcut key to bring up the Find dialog box and type Portable Device in the search box.
5. After you locate the folder we are talking about, see whether it has a key named UpperFilters.
6. If you find the UpperFilters key, right-click it and choose the Delete option. Finally, reboot your Windows PC.
However, if you are unable to locate this key, you can skip this fix and move on to the next one.
7. Update MTP Driver
When encountering MTP-related issues during file transfer, it is possible that the MTP driver installed on your system is outdated or has become corrupted. If you have already installed the MTP driver on your Windows 11 PC but continue to experience problems with file transfer, updating the MTP driver could help resolve the issue. To update the driver, you can use the Device Manager. Follow the steps below to update your MTP driver and address the underlying issues.
1. Use the Windows + R shortcut key to launch the Run dialog box.
2. Now type devmgmt.msc in the command line of the Run box and press the Enter key to execute it.
3. When the Device Manager window opens on the screen, find the Portable Devices category and expand it.
4. Find your MTP device here and choose the Update driver option from the context menu.
5. When the How do you want to search for drivers window will appear on the screen, choose the option that says Search automatically for updated driver software.
Upon choosing this option, windows will locate the latest version available for the driver and will install it.
8. Install Media Feature Pack
The Media Transfer Protocol relies on the Media Feature Pack to work flawlessly, and if the package is missing from your Windows device, then MTP won’t be able to function at all. For what it’s worth, the N and KN versions of Windows 11 do not have a Media Feature pack, and you need to install it manually.
So if you are facing issues while using MTP on these versions, the missing Media Feature Pack is to blame here. For Windows 10 version 1909 or above, Media Feature Pack is only available as an optional feature. To download it, follow the steps given here:
1. Press the Windows and I key together to access Windows Settings.
2. Choose Apps from the left panel.
3. Select Optional features.
4. Now press the View Features button given next to Add an optional feature.
5. Finally, pick the Media Feature Pack, if available in the list of available optional features.
Once the installation is successful, we are sure you will no longer face the Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) related issue anymore
Conclusion
If you experience MTP not functioning properly on Windows 11, it can cause difficulties and hinder productivity by interrupting file transfer operations. However, this troubleshooting guide offers effective solutions that can help fix MTP-related problems permanently. If you have implemented any of these methods successfully, we would love to hear about your experience.
