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How can I get Windows Media Player (legacy) to recognize my Samsung phone for syncing?

Anonymous
2025-01-23T06:19:56+00:00

.I'm trying to sync music and playlists from my Windows 10 and 11 laptops to my Samsung Galaxy A35 phone using Windows Media Player (legacy). At first, Windows File Explorer wouldn't even recognize the phone's internal and SD card storage, but after much internet searching I managed to lick that problem. (A number of other Samsung users have reported this problem, but Samsung hasn't fixed the problem.).

Although I got Windows Explorer to see into the phone, I still can't get Windows Media Player to recognize the phone for syncing. An internet search shows that a number of other people have had this problem, but no clear solutions. One person suggested updating the Samsung Android USB Driver for Windows to v1.7.61. Rather than fixing the problem, Windows Explorer once again couldn't see into the phone. I had to use System Restore to get that working again.

Can anyone help me sync my WMP music and playlists to the Samsung Galaxy A35? I never had this problem with my previous (Galaxy J3 Orbit) phone, which suggests that Samsung may have created the problem., but I haven't found any answers on Samsung's support webpages either.

Thank you,

Terry

[Note: Windows has forced me to specify a product that this question refers to, but has a very limited set of options, none of which apply. Please ignore the Microsoft Edge specification.]

Microsoft Edge | Other | Windows 11

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-02-11T03:31:12+00:00

    Hi

    Welcome to Microsoft community.

    To help you sync your Windows Media Player (legacy) music and playlists to your Samsung Galaxy A35, follow these steps:

    1. Verify Basic Settings
    2. USB Connection Mode
      • After connecting your phone, pull down the notification shade and select File Transfer (MTP) mode (avoid "Charging only" or "Photo Transfer" modes).
      • If the option doesn’t appear automatically, go to Settings > Connections > USB Settings on your phone and manually switch to MTP.
    3. Trust the Computer
      • On the first connection, your phone may prompt "Allow access to device data"—select Allow or Always Allow.
    4. Fix Driver Conflicts
    5. Uninstall Samsung Drivers
      • Open Device Manager on your PC.
      • Expand Portable Devices or Other Devices, right-click your phone’s name (may show an error icon), select Uninstall Device, and check Delete the driver software (if available).
      • Reboot your PC, reconnect the phone, and let Windows install the default MTP driver (not Samsung-specific drivers).
    6. Disable Driver Signature Enforcement (Windows 10/11 Only)
      • If driver installation fails, temporarily disable driver signature verification:
        • Hold Shift and click Restart > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart, then press F7 to select Disable Driver Signature Enforcement.
      • Reconnect the phone and retry.
    7. Configure Windows Media Player
    8. Manually Add the Device
      • Open WMP, go to the Sync tab, click More Options > Devices.
      • Ensure your phone isn’t listed as an "ignored device." If it is, right-click and select Allow Sync.
    9. Reset the Media Library
      • Close WMP and delete the library database file:
        • Press Win + R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player and delete CurrentDatabase_372.wmdb.
      • Restart WMP and reimport your music library.
    10. System-Level Fixes
    11. Enable Critical Services
      • Press Win + R, type services.msc, and ensure the following services are set to Automatic and running:
        • Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service
        • Portable Device Enumerator Service
    12. Disable Phone Optimization Settings
      • On your phone, go to Settings > Battery > Background Usage Limits and ensure WMP or related processes aren’t restricted.
      • In Developer Options (tap "Settings > About Phone > Software Info > Build Number" 7 times), disable USB Debugging and Optimized Charging Control.
    13. If Issues Persist
    14. Use Third-Party Sync Tools. Due to current forum rules, I am unable to recommend more. You can search for reputable software on the internet.
    15. Manually Transfer Playlists
      • Export playlists from WMP (.wpl or .m3u format), copy them to your phone’s music folder, and load them via a local player.
    16. Hardware Troubleshooting
    • Try a different USB cable or PC USB port (preferably a native USB 3.0 port on the motherboard).
    • Test on another PC to rule out device compatibility issues.

    If none of the above works, consider migrating to modern sync solutions like iTunes, or Samsung Music cloud sync.Best regardsDerrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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