Laptop doesn't recognise USB tethering to mobile phone

[simon43]

I have a laptop running Windows 10.  It's actually my back-up laptop for teaching online.  Recently, the hard disk drive 'died' and was replaced with a SSD and Windows 10 Pro OS.  The laptop seems to run fine but when I connect my mobile phone in USB tethering mode (for internet connectivity), Windows pops up an error message that it doesn't recognise the USB device.

 

The same USB ports (there are 2) do recognise USB memory sticks... 

 

The same mobile phone and USB cable tethers fine with my other laptop

 

I uninstalled the USB port drivers and reinstalled them, with Windows reporting that I have the latest version installed, but I still get the same error message and can't use USB tethering.  This is frustrating because a wifi hotspot has a slower data throughput than USB tethering.

 

I don't know if USB tethering worked OK with the old HDD - I never checked this.

 

Any suggestions what to check/do to get USB tethering to work?  Thanks

[MJCM]

You forgot to mention 1 thing. What kind of phone?

 

Edit: Support page for a Samsung Phone (Galaxy)

 

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/troubleshooting/TSG01001516/

[simon43]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

You forgot to mention 1 thing. What kind of phone?

 

Edit: Support page for a Samsung Phone (Galaxy)

 

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/troubleshooting/TSG01001516/

My phones are Android. Is that important when that same phone tethers OK to my other Windows 10 computer?

[cleopatra2]

33 minutes ago, simon43 said:

My phones are Android. Is that important when that same phone tethers OK to my other Windows 10 computer?

I suspect you are missing the specific phone USB drivers. 

[MJCM]

48 minutes ago, cleopatra2 said:

I suspect you are missing the specific phone USB drivers. 

Exactly that is why I linked a  Support page for a Samsung phone and there it states it as well, need drivers.

[MJCM]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

My phones are Android. Is that important when that same phone tethers OK to my other Windows 10 computer?

Have you ever thought of what the difference is between those Pc’s? One has the drivers other one hasn’t?

 

so that is why I asked for your Phone and could have linked to the support page where you can download them, now I just linked to a page to some phonethat came up in a search. 

[simon43]

Never in the last 20 years have I been required to download phone drivers to use USB tethering. Tethering of any make/model of phone has always worked with all computers that I've owned.

 

Anyway, I downloaded and installed the drivers for my phone.  It made no difference at all.... same error message.

[KannikaP]

Are you sure the USB cables are DATA cables and not simply for charging?

[MJCM]

19 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Are you sure the USB cables are DATA cables and not simply for charging?

On his other pc it is working so my guess his cables are oke

 

2 other options to try.
 

Have you tried another usb port?

do you have a usb hub? Maybe connect to try via the hub

Any problems with other usb devices connecting to this pc?

[simon43]

11 minutes ago, MJCM said:

On his other pc it is working so my guess his cables are oke

 

2 other options to try.
 

Have you tried another usb port?

do you have a usb hub? Maybe connect to try via the hub

Any problems with other usb devices connecting to this pc?

Yes, the cables work fine on my other pc.

Both USB ports on the laptop have the same error, and both also work fine with a wifi/usb dongle and usb memory sticks.

 

I'll try with a usb hub.

[cleopatra2]

3 hours ago, simon43 said:

Yes, the cables work fine on my other pc.

Both USB ports on the laptop have the same error, and both also work fine with a wifi/usb dongle and usb memory sticks.

 

I'll try with a usb hub.

Another option would be to google any error code that is displayed. To establish if windows has identified an issue.