Windows 10 PC won't transfer or play videos from USB connected phone

xo 0 Reputation points
2026-11-03T17:37:02.6266667+00:00

I'm trying to move videos from my phone to my computer. I've used a USBC-USBC cable to connect to my computer, and have tried with the settings on both Transfer Files and Transfer Images. Under both of these, I can see all the photos and videos on my phone through my computer, but if I try to move or copy them, I get a message saying the device has stopped responding or been disconnected, even though it hasn't. If I try to open the videos with Media Player on my computer, they just don't load, or I get a message saying the file is unavailable and to try again later.

I normally do this manually, looking through the files to select what to copy (I did it last week with no issues). Since that wasn't working I tried to let it automatically find and transfer images, but it can only locate ten images on my phone.

How can I transfer these videos?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Connect Phone and PC
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  1. Francisco Montilla 31,820 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-03T18:42:58.7733333+00:00

    Hello,

    Usually that error pops up because the USB connection is dropping on either the hardware or software side, so I want to narrow a few things down before we start trying fixes.

    • What model is the phone you are trying to transfer from?
    • Do you notice if the phone screen is locking or going to sleep right around the time the transfer fails?
    • Also (I know it worked last week) but do other USB devices still work completely fine in that exact same port on your PC?

    Let me know so I can pin down exactly what is causing it.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-03T17:37:28.2866667+00:00

    Try this sequence:

    1. Unlock the phone before connecting it. A locked device may be visible but not fully accessible for transfer.
    2. After connecting the USB-C cable, open the phone’s USB notification and set it to File Transfer (MTP) rather than charging-only behavior. On Android, direct USB transfers may require changing the USB setting to transfer media or photos.
    3. Use a different USB cable. Some USB cables can charge and show the device, but are unreliable for file transfer.
    4. Connect to a different USB port on the PC, and avoid hubs or docks during testing.
    5. In Windows, try importing through Photos:
      • Start > Photos
      • Import > connected device
      • Follow the prompts If Photos only finds a small number of items, recent photos may be syncing elsewhere instead of being available locally on the device.
    6. If the videos are stored in cloud-backed photo storage instead of on the phone itself, download them from the cloud service instead of over USB. For Android, this can apply if the camera app is syncing to OneDrive or Google Photos.
    7. If the phone appears in File Explorer but transfers fail, check Device Manager:
      • Right-click Start > Device Manager
      • Expand Portable Devices or Universal Serial Bus controllers
      • If the phone shows a warning icon, right-click it and select Uninstall device
      • Disconnect and reconnect the phone

    For a cable-free option on Android, Phone Link can copy recent photos from the camera and screenshot folders, but it does not import videos.

    If the issue is only with videos and not photos, the most likely supported fixes are using File Transfer (MTP), trying a different cable, and switching USB ports.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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