Share this article

Improve this guide

FIX: Windows 10 laptop doesn’t recognize Lumia smartphone

7 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

Share this article

Improve this guide

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more

Key notes

We transfer files from our laptops and computers to smartphones all the time, but some users are unable to transfer files becauseWindows 10laptops can’t recognize their Lumia smartphone.

Their smartphone isn’t recognized when they connect it to a different computer, so it seems that this issue is related to the Lumia smartphone and not their laptop.

So what can we do to fix that?

What can I do if the Lumia smartphone is not recognized?

Sometimes your laptop doesn’t recognize Lumia devices, and that can be an annoying problem. Speaking of issues, here are some similar problems that users reported:

1. Reinstall the Lumia USB driver

The manual solution is perfectly fine but the system will install adefault driver, not necessarily the latest one.

There is an easier way of updating your drivers by using specialized software likeOutbyte Driver Updater.

This way, you can be sure that you always have the newest drivers and you don’t risk anything by downloading and installing an old or wrong driver.

It’s extremely simple to use but first, you need todownload and install Outbyte Driver Updater. You don’t need to worry about finding its icon on the Desktop because it will start automatically.

The tool will scan your system for new, updated, or malfunctioning drivers and after a few seconds, it will display a list of drivers to install.

The only thing left to do is to click on theInstall Allbutton from the top or to check the boxes from the corresponding drivers if you want to install them one by one.

⇒Get Outbyte Driver Updater

2. Check your antivirus

If your laptop doesn’t recognize the Lumia smartphone, the issue might be yourantivirus.

Many antivirus applications are designed to scan any USB devices that you attach to your PC, and in some instances, an antivirus can block your USB device.

To fix this problem, open your antivirus and make sure that USB devices aren’t scanned or blocked. In addition, you might want to try disabling other features or even disable your antivirus altogether.

If that doesn’t solve the problem, you might have to uninstall your antivirus. Certain antivirus tools can interfere with your system, and the only way to fix the problem is to remove that antivirus.

Once you remove your antivirus, check if the problem is still there. If not, it’s advised that you switch to a different antivirus solution.

Keeping your PC safe is essential, so make sure to get aWindows 10 compatible antivirusthat won’t interfere with your system.

3. Turn Xbox Music Cloud Collection off

4. Change the General settings of your USB device

5. Perform a soft reset

To perform a soft reset on Lumia, you just need to press and hold theVolume Downbutton and thePowerbutton for 3-5 seconds.

After doing that, your phone will perform a soft reset and it should be recognized by your laptop.

Some users are suggesting that you can perform a soft reset simply by holding thePowerbutton for about 10 seconds, so you can try that as well.

The process might be slightly different for different Lumia models, so we suggest that you check your instruction manual for detailed information.

6. Turn off and turn on your phone while it’s connected to your computer

If your laptop doesn’t recognize Lumia, you might be able to fix this issue simply by turning the phone on and off while it’s connected to your PC.

After your phone starts, it should be detected by the PC automatically.

7. Install Media Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 10

In case your Laptop doesn’t recognize the Lumia smartphone, the issue might be the lack of a Media Feature Pack.

In case you don’t know, European and Korean versions of Windows 10 lack certain media features, and if you’re using one of these versions, you most likely don’t have these features installed.

Due to the lack of a Media Feature Pack, your PC might not be able to recognize your phone.

Although this can be a big problem, you can easily fix it simply bydownloading Media Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 10.

8. Replace your charging cable

According to users, one possible cause for this problem can be your charging cable. USB cables can break after a while, so if your laptop doesn’t recognize Lumia smartphone, it’s possible that your cable is broken.

To fix this issue, the simplest solution is to get just adifferent USB cable.

It’s also worth mentioning that there are two types of USB cables, and sometimes you might get a USB cable that is designed just for charging.

To ensure that your Lumia works with your laptop, be sure to get a USB cable designed for both charging and data transfer.

9. Install the latest updates

Windows will now check for available updates and download them automatically in the background. Once the updates are downloaded, restart your PC to install them.

After your system is up to date, the problem with Lumia should be resolved.

In addition to updating Windows 10, it’s also important to update the system on your phone. Once you update the system to the latest version, check if the issue is still there.

If your laptop doesn’t recognize the Lumia smartphone, that can be a big problem, but you should be able to fix this annoying issue by using one of our solutions.

If you have any other suggestions, leave us a line in the comments section below.

FIX: Windows 10 laptop doesn’t recognize Lumia smartphone#

What can I do if the Lumia smartphone is not recognized?#

1. Reinstall the Lumia USB driver#

2. Check your antivirus#

3. Turn Xbox Music Cloud Collection off#

4. Change the General settings of your USB device#

5. Perform a soft reset#

6. Turn off and turn on your phone while it’s connected to your computer#

7. Install Media Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 10#

8. Replace your charging cable#

9. Install the latest updates#