How to Set Up ADB and Fastboot with Android SDK on Windows PC


If you have landed directly here, please note that this page is part of a larger tutorial. Start reading from Page 1.

2. Installing and Setting Up ADB and Google USB Drivers

Now that we have everything set up — Android Studio, Android SDK files, drivers etc. we can proceed with setting up ADB with the Nexus 6P phone. In this part, we will tell you how to use the downloaded USB drivers to set up ADB.

NOTE: USB drivers may be different for other OEM Android phones.

Step 21 – Make sure USB debugging is enabled on your phone. How? Read this: How to Enable USB Debugging.

Enable USB Debugging

Step 22 – Connect your Android phone to the computer and wait till Windows install all the drivers it could. Once completed, your phone should have a similar screen in your notifications panel.

USB Debugging Mode

Step 23 – Go to Start -> Settings -> Devices -> Connected devices -> Device manager. In the list, you will see your phone.

Device Manager - Windows 10

Step 24 – Right-click on it, and select Update Driver Software…

Device Manager - Windows 10

Step 25 – Select the second option from the following screen: Browse my computer for driver software

Install ADB Driver

Step 26 – Again, select the second option from the next screen as shown below.

Install ADB Driver

Step 27 – Click the Have Disk… button.

Install ADB Driver

Step 28 – Now browse to the location of your Android SDK and the exact path where Google USB drivers have been downloaded in Step 18 or you can copy/paste the given path below:

C:\Users\<Your_User_Account_Name>\AppData\Local\Android\sdk\extras\google\usb_driver

Then click on OK.

NOTE: Please make sure you have enabled to view hidden files and folders in your PC. If you have not, please Google that first or else you will not be able to ‘see’ the AppData folder.

Install ADB Driver

Step 29 – You will be show a list of Android model drivers. Select Android Composite ADB Interface and click Next.

Install ADB Driver

Step 30 – Click the ‘Install’ button if you see the following warning message.

Install ADB Driver

Step 31 – Do you see the following screen now? Congratulations! ADB drivers are now successfully installed on your computer!

Install ADB Driver

Step 32 – Now to verify ADB is working fine, go to the platform-tools directory in your Android SDK folder:

C:\Users\<Your_User_Account_Name>\AppData\Local\Android\sdk\platform-tools

Android SDK Platform Tools

Step 33 – Open Command Prompt in this folder. Hold Shift key + right-click anywhere in the folder and select Open command prompt here.

Android SDK - Open Command Prompt
Android SDK - Command Prompt

Step 34 – Type the following command in the Command Prompt window and press Enter.

adb devices

ADB Devices

Step 35 – If you see the screen as in the screenshot above, you have successfully set up ADB on your computer for your Android phone.

NOTE: You may have to allow USB debugging on your Android phone when using it on this computer. Tap OK on your phone screen.

Allow USB Debugging
Haris Nadeem
Haris Nadeem

Haris lives on everything Android; has countless devices, apps and games to play with everyday. Currently serving as the Chief Editor at Team Android. Connect on Twitter: @harisn

Articles: 193

119 Comments

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  12. TVM

    (I had downloaded the latest ADT (which says it includes the sdk, but it looks like the usb drivers are missing) so I separately downloaded the sdk and instaled the drivers as above, working now.

    tvm.

  13. when i type ‘adb devices’ in the Command Prompt window and press Enter, there is “offline” next to the number instead of “devices”
    why?

    • I know this is a bit late (but in case you’re still having the issue). I had the same problem and I believe it is because I’m running 4.2.2, which has an added security feature. I fixed it by unplugging and then replugging the usb cord that connected my phone to the computer. After doing so, a notification popped up on my phone. I selected ‘always allow from this computer’ and gave the permission it needed.

  14. At step 17 once i select the .inf file its telling me that “the specified location does not contain hardware information” (translation may be a little rough since its on spanish)
    This is happening on windows xp sp3 with my chinese android tablet (absoluteley 0 info about it, box says nothing)
    thank you

  15. I got stuck at step 17 too. And the same error “the specified location does not contain hardware information” after I picked the android_winusb.inf. What is an alternative to this. I’m on XP sp3 too.

    • If you get

      “the specified location does not contain hardware information”

      message, try doing this:

      In my case (old HTC Wildfire S, old HP laptop with XP SP3), when I connect the phone to the computer via USB the driver is immediately installed automatically. When I uninstall it manually, the computer requires restart before I can proceed with manual installation as described in the article above. But after restart the default driver is installed automatically again – a vicious circle, and frustrating one 🙂 Here are steps to overcome this:

      Note: this is experimental, you do this at your own risk!

      1. Connect the phone to the computer, let it install drivers. When it’s finished, right click on My Computer and choose Manage. Click on Device Manager. Find your phone on the list and right click on it and go to Properties > Details tab > choose “hardware Ids” from the dropdown list. Write down the hardware id (in my case it was “USBVid_0bb4&Pid_0cb0&MI_01”). Go to Driver tab – uninstall the driver, do not restart the computer.

      (thanks to Insta from xda-developers forum)

      2. Disabling automatic driver installation:

      Open registry editor:
      menu start > run… > regedit
      go to path:
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
      (click on CurrentVersion)
      From the right window right-click “Device Path” – Modify.
      Cut all value data (leave it blank) and paste it somewhere so that you can restore it later (you can also export the path using menu file>export). Now XP should not be able to auto-install drivers without you manually pointing to them.

      (many thanks to turd from overclockers forum)

      3. I removed HTC Sync from autostart (don’t know if it’s necessary but I did it just in case)

      menu start > run… > msconfig > startup > uncheck htcUPCTLoader on the list

      4. After this you can restart without unplugging the phone. Since you disabled automatic installation, the system should not install the driver after the restart.

      5. Next – to deal with the “the specified location…” error I had to manually add “hardware information” the system was looking for to the android_winusb file:

      Browse to the location of the file “android_winusb.inf”.
      In my case it was:
      C:Program FilesAndroidandroid-sdkextrasgoogleusb_driverandroid_winusb.inf

      Open the file using notepad (or other text editor) and use previously copied hardware id to create a new entry on the list of devices (in my case below the line “[Google.NTx86]”) – it should be formatted like this:

      ;
      %SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install,
      %CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, &MI_01

      (sometimes there are more than 2 lines – try to search the net for your specific model)

      In my case it looked like this:

      [Google.NTx86]

      ;HTC Wildfire S
      %SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USBVid_0bb4&Pid_0cb0
      %CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USBVid_0bb4&Pid_0cb0&MI_01


      Save & close the .inf file.

      6. After this you should install the phone manually as described in the article.
      You start with the step 12, but you will not find your phone on the list of devices
      (since you disabled automatic install :P)
      Instead, in the Device Manager you should choose “Action” from the top menu and then
      “Scan for hardware changes” – is should find your phone and start manual installation
      (step 14 and so on – you use your modified android_winusb.inf file, that thanks to
      modification should not result in the “the specified location…” error).

      Remember – this is a little bit chaotic post of a first-time modder – viewer discretion is advised 😉
      Anyway, hope this helps, cheers!

      (based on:

      http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php/247559-How-can-I-stop-Windows-XP-from-automatically-installing-drivers

      http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?s=ff4e4f4841221d8d6b79e3de81361f2a&t=764944&page=2

      http://androidyou.blogspot.com/2011/03/adb-driver-for-htc-wildfire-and-t.html

      )

  16. At the command prompt, t says the devices is unauthorized, could anyone help tell me what this means and how to fix it?

    • disconnect your usb cable and reconnect it. Security RSA feature will allow you to accept your PC. Then run adb devices in the command prompt again and the unauthorized indication should change to device.

      • Just to clarify this — the “security RSA feature” is a popup window on your Android device (not your PC) that asks if you want to allow USB debugging, and shows the computer’s RSA key.

  17. at step 4 when I try to open sdk manager, it does not feth anything. a small screen like of command prompt flashes for a second only. and that’s it. it is not fethching any pakages

  18. Hi. I have Huawei Ascend P1. I get stuck in step 27. My phone won’t go to the Bootloader screen. It shows Huawei screen for some time and shuts back down. any help? thanks.

  19. I’m afraid I can’t find my device in ‘Device Manager’ at step 12… Can anyone help me resolve this problem?

  20. I am also stuck on step 17. My issue is as follows after I choose android_winusb.inf..

    “The folder you specified doesn’t contain a compatible software driver for your device. If the folder contains a driver, make sure it is designed to work with Windows for x64-based systems.”

    I have tried every windows download option from the website provided and yet the issue prevails.

    I am using:
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    64-bit OS
    Service Pack 1

    • if you installed drivers for your phone first before going through this whole process, then first uninstall them such that in Device Manager, you either see Android USB device or unknown device or your device name with the yellow warning sign.
      Don’t worry about uninstalling your present drivers, you can always get them back (roll back).
      After uninstalling, try going through the process again. This is what worked for me

      • yeah but if i uninstall the drivers, the moment i conect the fone to the pc it instal the drivers right away again

        • Try uninstalling the drivers while the phone is connected and do not refresh for hardware changes. Just go ahead with manually locating the driver you wish to install.
          Connecting the phone to the pc or refreshing for hardware changes triggers the pc to search your device for the drivers you just uninstalled, and which it will most definitely find.

          • Hi Nileafter24. Thanks for trying to help. I’m having the same trouble as Korey Fonseca with my 64 bit Windows 7 computer. I tried following your instructions and uninstalled the driver for my android phone with the phone connected. In order for it to work the device manager requires a computer restart and then of course reinstalls the driver.

          • Is the restart required after installing the intended android adb interface driver?
            I don’t think you need to restart your pc for the driver to work, even if it tells you should.
            Try step 24. The driver may have installed properly but just doesn’t display the same way in the device manager as the author of this article’s does (my HTC phone was showing completely different stuff in DM).
            If your step 24 shows an ID no. with a device then your adb driver has been set up correctly.

          • The restart seems to be required after uninstalling the driver because when I then try to “update driver” it just gives me a restart now or restart later message. When I clicked restart later, it cancelled the operation to update driver. It’s frustrating because I was almost at the point of being able to install the new rom.

          • I’ve just tried with another HTC phone and a Nexus. I unfortunately don’t come up with a forced restart like in your case.
            I can only assume the forced restart is coming about because the current interface driver is still in use by another process and thus it cannot update without a restart. Try exiting all programs that could be using your phone (like sync managers) or cloud uploads or whatever. Try to make sure nothing is using your phones USB at the moment. Check in Task manager to make sure.
            If that fails, try changing your USB port. If that fails, try another PC if you can access one (to rule out the PC being the root of the problem).

          • hi, i was having the same problem. What i found was you don’t have to uninstall the driver. Rather, enable ‘usb debugging’ from ‘developer options’ in your phone. This will show the device with the yellow sign as shown in step 12. hope it solves your problem as well. 🙂

          • it’s still not happening for me, with usb debugging enabled. In fact, my phone doesn’t even appear under the ‘other devices’ category as show in step 12. my phone appears under the ‘portable devices’ category. i know you posted your comment a year ago, but i’m still giving this a try.

  21. As a “User”account, you cannot open Device Manager in Windows 7 and install “anything”, yet nowhere in this account does it warn you will need to setup ADB or indeed SDK as Administrator! I have read through many different accounts of installing ADB for Samsung smartphones and they are all frustratingly sparse as to detailed instructions! One of the worst areas is there is no advice about which of the many variants of SDK to download. Even SDK Manager, which has many possible options for downloading copious files, is given diddle squat detailed explanation. I have used Odin and CyanogenMod’s own Installer, both of which work like a dream. I mostly have Mac’s and almost given up on Windows after 35 years experience. This is just a waste of time when it is so poorly explained!

  22. it says my folder does not have compatible folder for my driver when on step 21. it says i need one that works on a windows 32 bit system

  23. Thanks for this detailed post, it worked for Me. Can you let Me know how to transfer files between Laptop and OnePlus One android device now. (connected OPO to Laptop using an USB).

  24. Can I use adb in my bootloop tablet? Is it possible to edit build.prop using it? because editing build.prop is the cause of this bootloop………

  25. I’m stuck at step 34 where this come out after I select the android_winusb.inf . anybody know how to fix this ? :/

  26. I’m stuck at step 34 where this come out after I select the android_winusb.inf . anybody know how to fix this ? :/

  27. Hi I am trying to install android studio in Windows 8 when I am running adb devices it is not showing anything at all. Though in the background I could see the adb process. Have uninstalled and installed drivers multiple times of no help!

  28. I don’t usually post, but I thought I say great work with this guide! Got me back on track with my mobile app development!

  29. While working through the steps to set up ADB, something broke (I don’t know where) and now my Note 3 is stuck in a boot loop. The first (blue) line reports — Recovery Booting…; the 2nd (yellow) line reports — Set Warranty Bit: recovery. My searches for recovering from Boot-Loops has not found any procedures that work. (i’ve tried several) If anyone has a clue how to recover my Note 3, I would appreciate your ideas. At this point I have a recoverable device–just no way to do that, or a very spendy paperweight. Thanks for your ideas in advance.

  30. All done to the letter but when i type “adb devices” it doesn’t list any devices. any thoughts?

  31. ¡Wow! muchísimas gracias, pues después de buscar y buscar por Internet pensaba que los drivers que tenía no servían o que los estaban instalando mal. Soy técnico hace años, pero a uno a veces se lo olvida las diferentes de formas de forzar un driver.

    Tengo el HTC Desire 816 de Sprint, pero está bloqueado en mi país; o sea, vivo en República Dominicana, y aquí no he encontrado como desbloquearlo para poder usarlo.

    Pero, vi en Internet un tutorial de como desbloquearle el Bootloarde para poder Liberarlo o ponerle una ROM, que pienso que con eso al menos luego podré desbloquearlo por IMEI.

    Me faltaba el paso de conseguir el Token (y por el driver que me ayudaste a poner estaba parado), para enviarlo a la empresa https://www.htcdev.com y que ellos me envíen el código para desbloquear el Bootloader; pero, cuando pongo el Token me da error, por lo que les escribí y estoy en espera de alguna respuesta.

    Luego de desbloquear el Bootloader pienso seguir los pasos del tutorial para poder liberar el móvil por completo (porque me hace falta primero lo del Bootloader), para ver si lo puedo usar en mi país.

    Gracias nueva vez, y espero que este Post siga ayudando a más personas.

    ¡Saludos!

  32. Hi,

    I am unable to install the ADB USB Interface driver on Windows 10 64-bit.

    Whenever I connect my Galaxy S5, Windows installs the normal composite driver and I don’t get the unidentified device.

    I tried deleting the drivers and reboot the pc but as soon as I connect the phone, the Samsung USB drivers are installed automatically

    Any thoughts?

    Thanks

    Eyal

  33. Im on windows 10 and I cant find the other devices tab in device manager. PLZ help. Maybe my computer isnt detecting the phone?

  34. I have a Galaxy Note 4. I installed the latest SDK 24.4.1. When I go to “Have Disk” and select android_winusb.inf, Windows 10 (x64) tells me “The folder doesn’t contain a compatible software driver for your device,” and will not permit me to install it. It does the same thing on Windows 7 (x64).

    • Same problem with a Nexus 7. Followed all steps to this point, the selected the generic Windows USB driver that was offered. Driver install completed and I was then able to get the command line verification shown in this tutorial.

      • Apart from not showing up in other devices, and as a portable device, where my system jumps the tracks is at Step 35, where I get the message above instead of having it offer me any drivers. Alternate possible choices yield the message that the best driver is already installed. I can’t get to the place where Windows will allow the driver you’re referring to be installed under any circumstances I’ve yet discovered, so, no, not the same problem…

    • i HAD the same issue and spend many hours to fix this issue.
      Following is for Yotaphone 2 but should be the same just be sure about you have the correct dirver
      Plug your phone on the usb while holding the volume down button a small “downloading” in white should appear.
      Then, go to Start -> Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager
      Instead of the name of your mobile phone in the list of devices, you should have an android devices that appear. Install your driver on this devices.
      You should then be able to flash your phone afterwards

      • Nope, that’s not what happens. No “downloading” message in white, and my phone appears under portable devices as the name of my mobile phone, not as an android device. Lots of ambiguity in your instructions though, including which driver, in your opinion, is the correct one.

  35. I’m stuck on step 17. When I click OK It says “The folder you specified doesn’t contain a compatible software driver……If the folder contains a driver make sure it is designed to work with Windows for x64 systems” Can someone help me please? Win10 x64 BTW.

    • I’m getting the same problem. I did all the steps correctly until I get here and never accepts the fastboot. I also tried allowing win 10 to install programs without known sources and did all the procedure again and still nothing.

      • Me too… Kinda cool to spend all that time going through all those steps, just to get jacked at the end ain’t it fellas???? smh….

  36. Be warned – there is no such thing as fastboot mode for most Samsung Galaxy devices – you’ll be wasting your time doing this and typing “fastboot devices” for many hours!
    If you have problems with your recovery, it works to just reflash the CF-autoroot kit, which happens to flash the cache partition too. My problem was a bootloop with TWRP’s obviously buggy OpenRecoveryScript, which was installing a ZIP file over and over again.

  37. Al querer realizar el paso ” Paso 17 – Haga clic en el botón “Utilizar disco”. Ahora navegar a D: android-sdk-windows extras Google USB_Driver directorio y seleccione android_winusb.inf . Haga clic en Abrir. Luego haga clic en OK. ” me aparece una ventana diciendo:
    La carpeta especificada no contiene ningún controlador de software compatible con el dispositivo. Si contiene un controlador, compruebe que esté diseñado para funcionar con windows para sistemas de 32 bits.
    Saludos, espero que me puedan ayudar lo mas rápido posible.

  38. Links are outdated? Link to download Android SDK is now something called Android Studio, that just appears to be a great big load of bloatware… 45 mins and I’m still waiting for this to install… probably only to find out that it doesn’t have SDK within it. Not good.

  39. I have a Samsung A5(2015) and I can’t make it work. I get to see the device in the ADB and boot in fastboot mode. But then when I want to list the devices using “fastboot devices” nothing shows. The driver showed in the Device Manager is “Samsung Mobile USB Modem”. I tried to replace it with the drivers from Google, but Windows won’t let me.
    Any advice?

  40. it doesnt work to install any drivers. my control panel just crash when i click show all devices. wtf can i do. im so confused.

  41. Hi Haris,

    I hope you can tell me if I am even in the right place; and if so, what I’m doing wrong.

    I have a Dell Venue 8 (HW 3830, or maybe 3840, Android ver 4.2.2, I think) that simply stopped booting properly. When I try to boot it normally, it hangs showing the ‘Dell” logo. I have tried all the simple recovery methods – clear user data, clear cache, etc – and am pretty sure I need to reload the boot memory/program. After stumbling around the web for a while, I ended up here.

    I have downloaded the SDK platform ,etc, and (after having edited the inf file to add the VID/PID for my tablet) have gotten to ‘step 34’; that is, in some but not all tablet recovery modes, I can get ABD.exe to show me device “DellVenue8000154633”.

    (I am a retired firmware programmer who worked on some USB devices in the past, so I have a reasonably good idea about USB inf files, and VID/PIDs, etc.)

    When I try to do the ‘update drivers’ for the ‘Android Bootloader Interface’ pointing it to the edited inf file, I get a message saying ‘hash not found in cat file’. (Steps 39-46, etc) Is that telling me that the cat file, etc is preventing me from doing any further damage to my tablet? That I’m completely on the wrong track when trying to use your tools etc on a Dell?

    When I boot the tablet with ‘power plus vol down’ I can get to a Dell recovery screen that (among other things) says “fastboot cmd waiting…”. Is that the equivalent of “Bootloader / Fastboot mode” at Step 37? At that screen, the Dell tablet is presenting a Dell VIP/PID (413C-B111 or – B112) and ADB.exe doesn’t see it.

    If while on that screen, I select ‘recovery’, I get to a screen with the android guy on his back and nothing else (ie. no ‘start’ etc). In that mode, the tablet is presenting the same Dell VID/PID, but ADB.exe does see it, with the same “DellVenue8000…” label.

    If I simply plug the USB cable into a powered off tablet, the tablet comes alive, shows a USB symbol on the screen with a ‘progress bar’ underneath, and presents an IBM VID/PID (8086-09EE). Trying to ‘update driver’ in this mode generates the same ‘hash not found in cat file’ error (with the inf edited to include the VID/PID).

    Really sorry to bother you, but I think all I have to do in find the right incantation, and I’ll be able to ‘unbrick’ my tablet; I don’t think there’s anything fatally wrong with the hardware, etc. But I’m stuck.

    Thanks, Robert

  42. I know it’s over four years later, but I stumbled on this looking for that VID/PID. That 8086 is not IBM, it’s Intel. I’ve got a completely different tablet (Acer A1-830) which briefly shows up as 8086:09EE and then switches to its “proper” id 0502:0a14. From dmesg, the first id shows a product label of CLOVERVIEW, which I suspect is the chipset used in both tablets. I know it’s not helpful to the OP, but it might help future searchers.

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