How to Install an MTP Driver on Windows 7

MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) lets Windows 7 browse and copy files on phones, media players and some cameras over USB. Windows 7 already includes a generic MTP driver as part of its Windows Portable Devices support, so you usually don't need to download anything. When a device fails to appear or shows a driver error, the fix is normally to point Windows at that built-in driver or to restore the components it depends on.

Before you start

The whole procedure runs locally on your PC. An internet connection is only needed if you choose to get a driver from Windows Update or from the device manufacturer. Because Windows 7 no longer receives mainstream support, don't count on Windows Update still offering a driver for your device.

• Sign in with an administrator account, because installing or changing drivers requires administrator rights.
• Check your Windows 7 edition under System in Control Panel. N and KN editions ship without Windows Media Player and related media components, and MTP often fails on them until the Media Feature Pack for that edition is installed.
• Use a USB data cable. Some cables only carry power, and the device will never appear as a portable device through them.
• Unlock the device and set its USB mode to file transfer or MTP if it offers a choice. Many cameras use PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) instead, which Windows 7 also supports but which shows only photos and videos.
• Create a system restore point so you can undo driver changes if something goes wrong.

Step-by-step instructions

Follow these steps in order and stop as soon as the device works. The labels below match a standard English Windows 7 installation. Wording can differ slightly depending on how Windows has identified your device.

• Connect the device directly to a USB port on the computer, not through a hub, and unlock its screen.
• Open Device Manager. You can find it by searching for Device Manager from the Start menu, or through Control Panel under System.
• Find the device. It may appear under Portable Devices, under Other devices as an unknown or named device, or with a yellow warning mark, often labelled MTP USB Device or with the phone or player model name.
• Right-click the device and choose Update Driver Software.
• Choose Browse my computer for driver software, then choose Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
• If Windows asks for a device type, select Portable Devices. If no compatible list appears, clear or enable the option to show compatible hardware as needed.
• Select the MTP USB Device entry and click Next. Accept any compatibility warning only if you are sure this is the device you connected.
• Wait for the installation to finish, then unplug the device and connect it again.

If the MTP USB Device entry is missing from the list, the built-in driver package may be damaged or absent. On a standard Windows 7 system it is the wpdmtp.inf file in the INF folder inside the Windows directory. Right-click that file and choose Install, then repeat the steps above. If the file isn't there and you use an N or KN edition, install the Media Feature Pack first, restart, and try again.

Some manufacturers offer their own USB drivers or sync software for Windows 7. Use them when the generic driver doesn't work or when the vendor states they are required. Only download them from the manufacturer's official support pages. To reverse a driver change, open the device's Properties in Device Manager and use Roll Back Driver on the Driver tab, or return to your restore point.

Check the output

• In Device Manager, the device should be listed under Portable Devices without a yellow warning mark.
• The Driver tab in the device's Properties should show the driver as working, and the Device status on the General tab should say the device is working properly.
• Open Computer. The device should appear as a portable device rather than as a drive with a letter. Open it and confirm you can see its internal storage or memory card.
• Copy a small file to and from the device to confirm transfers work in both directions.

MTP has limitations compared with a USB drive. The device has no drive letter, so some programs can't open or save files on it directly. Copy files to a local folder before editing them. MTP also transfers whole files rather than giving disk-level access, so tools that expect a regular drive, such as file recovery or disk utilities, won't work with it. A camera in PTP mode will typically show only its photo and video folders.

Common problems and next steps

MTP USB Device failed or Code 28: Windows found the device but didn't install a driver. Assign the MTP USB Device driver manually as described above. If the entry isn't offered, install the wpdmtp.inf package or the Media Feature Pack.

Code 10 or the device keeps disconnecting: Uninstall the device in Device Manager, unplug it, restart the computer and reconnect it. Then try a different USB port and a different data cable before changing drivers again.

Device connects but shows no files: Unlock the screen and look for an access prompt on the device. Also confirm the USB mode is set to file transfer and not charging only. Some devices reset this setting each time they are plugged in.

Device appears only as a camera: It is probably using PTP. Switch it to MTP or file transfer mode if that option exists. If you only need photos, PTP is fine and you can use Windows' built-in import feature.

Nothing works: If the device has a removable memory card, a card reader avoids MTP entirely and shows the card as a normal drive. Otherwise, check the manufacturer's support information to see whether the device still supports Windows 7. Newer devices and their software may not.