Member Avatar for Reverend Jim

I just bought a Figo Nitro 4X cell phone (Android 8.1) phone for my son. When I connect my cell phone (Figo Android 6) to my Windows 10 laptop it displays in file manager with an icon that I can open to see all the folders on my phone. From there I can easily copy files back and forth with file manager.

When I plug in the new phone I still get the icon but when I open it I get a blank screen. No folders. The USB settings I have available on the phone are:

  1. Charge Only
  2. Media Device (MTP)
  3. Camera (PTP)
  4. USB virtual drive

The first three options get me a blank window. The last option shows the phone as a CD-ROM and opening it shows a readme file. The "drive" is read only.

Any suggestions? Online help is pretty much useless as they refer to USB options that are no longer valid in Android 8.

  • 2 Contributors
  • 2 Replies
  • 545 Views
  • 4 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Reverend Jim

Dani AI

Generated

A few targeted checks usually clear up the “blank folder” symptom when a newer Android phone shows up in File Explorer but appears empty. ’s reference to community troubleshooting covers the typical fixes, and ’s follow-up indicates one of those real-world steps solved the problem in this case.

Common, prioritized diagnostics and fixes:

  • Confirm the USB cable is a data-capable cable (many cables are charge‑only). Swap to a known-good data cable and try a different port (prefer a rear motherboard port, not a hub).
  • Make sure the phone is unlocked and any on-phone USB prompts granting file access are accepted; modern Android often blocks MTP while the device is locked.
  • If the phone mounts as a read-only “CD-ROM,” that usually means the device is presenting a virtual installer. Installing the OEM driver/desktop suite will replace that with the proper MTP driver, or the virtual CD can be ignored and the MTP driver forced via Device Manager.
  • Repair the Windows driver: open Device Manager, find the phone under “Portable Devices” or “Other devices,” right-click -> Uninstall device (optionally delete driver), disconnect the phone, reboot, then reconnect. If needed use Update driver -> Browse my computer -> Let me pick -> MTP USB Device to force the MTP driver.

Additional notes: Windows 10 N/KN editions require the Media Feature Pack for MTP support; encrypted or adoptable storage may remain invisible until the phone is unlocked; developer/ADB authorizations can affect behavior (revoking and reauthorizing hosts often clears stale permissions). These steps address the majority of cases where Explorer shows an empty device view and explain why a single driver/cable/authorization change frequently cures the problem.

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

Member Avatar for rproffitt

I hear you. This other discussion parrots all the things I've done over time.

To quote Roseanne Roseannadanna, "It's always something. If it's not one thing it's another."

The one about "Revoke USB debugging authorisations" is one I recall since I do, once in a while use the USB debugging with Android Studio.

commented: You did it again. +15
Member Avatar for Reverend Jim

One of the suggestions worked. Much appreciated.

commented: Thanks for that. I wish it was always the same thing but it rarely is. +15
Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.