Can i access my files with inactive screen?

[eblackwell]

My LCD suddenly stopped working. Insurance is sending new phone; I have photos, contacts, music, and videos backed up through Verizon Wireless. But I have files from a voice recorder that I need to get.

When I connect with a USB Cable, it sees the phone, but it doesn't show the files.

I tried using a variety of solutions, but they all require me to turn USB Debugging on, and I can't because the screen doesn't work. Others say use Smart Switch - which I don' t have installed -- or Kies which I don't have (I don't think the S6 uses it anyway). I thought I had a Samsung account, I swear I created it when I got the phone, but I can't login or find my ID.

Is there anything I can do to get those files?

 

[FoxKat]

I've read that you can flash a modified version of the OS, one that has USB debugging turned on, then you can gain access through the cable connection. Otherwise I can't say for sure if there are any other options for you.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[eblackwell]

I figured it out; it was easy to do too, once I did that.

Here's what I did, in case it can help someone else.

1. I connected a USB mouse to the phone with a USB on-the-go cable. Cost a couple bucks.
   
2. I went to Settings - About phone - and clicked on Build 4-5 times. That opened up Developer Options.
3. I went to Settings - Developer Options - USB connection to MTP. It won't show it until you get out of Developer Options and go back in. Now it's set to default to file transfer mode, like it was before Marshmallow.
   
4. Plug a USB cable to the PC. Pull out the mouse from the phone and connect the USB cord. That's it! Now just copy the files from the phone to your PC like normal.

I only needed one folder, but I grabbed photos, videos etc. too. Verizon saves even things you delete so it's a 3 hour download w/o my folder structure for photos alone. This way I get my whole setup and in only minutes.

It's funny -- and aggravating -- that I have 3 services backing up my phone, including app data or so they say: Verizon, Google, Samsung. But they basically do the same thing: contacts, photos, videos.

So, that's the next point: I got the free app Drive Sync and it takes care of what the others don't touch.

 

[Mustang02]

How did you do step 3 with a screen not working?

 

[FoxKat]

I figured it out; it was easy to do too, once I did that.

Here's what I did, in case it can help someone else.

1. I connected a USB mouse to the phone with a USB on-the-go cable. Cost a couple bucks.
   
2. I went to Settings - About phone - and clicked on Build 4-5 times. That opened up Developer Options.
3. I went to Settings - Developer Options - USB connection to MTP. It won't show it until you get out of Developer Options and go back in. Now it's set to default to file transfer mode, like it was before Marshmallow.
   
4. Plug a USB cable to the PC. Pull out the mouse from the phone and connect the USB cord. That's it! Now just copy the files from the phone to your PC like normal.

I only needed one folder, but I grabbed photos, videos etc. too. Verizon saves even things you delete so it's a 3 hour download w/o my folder structure for photos alone. This way I get my whole setup and in only minutes.

It's funny -- and aggravating -- that I have 3 services backing up my phone, including app data or so they say: Verizon, Google, Samsung. But they basically do the same thing: contacts, photos, videos.

So, that's the next point: I got the free app Drive Sync and it takes care of what the others don't touch.

Excellent. Forgot totally about USB Mouses and that they worked in place of the screen digitizer. I too am curious how you could see what you were clicking on and how you were able to navigate those screens if the display is dead.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[eblackwell]

Like I said in my original post, I would try Smart Switch, Samsung, etc. -- which I would need to see to use -- but I didn't have those apps and didn't know how to do them without being about to touch control. (I did figure out how to install Smart Switch etc. by going to Play Store on my PC and installed it that way, but you did still need to touch control the apps. I did that with the mouse but it didn't copy app data, even though it said it would. I did the same with Kies on my PC and connecting to the phone. It's why I moved on the MTP steps.)

Yes, like you said: if you have USB set to MTP by default (like I've done with all our devices now) then you don't need the mouse or anything else to copy your files from the broken phone.

Or if you don't like copying files that way, use Smart Switch etc. This is just the method I used to go along with the Google, Verizon, Samsung backups. Now I have the Drive Sync too, but I do like copying files from phone to PC as well because, IMO, it's so much easier and quicker to reinstall to a new phone.

 

[Mustang02]

Like I said in my original post, I would try Smart Switch, Samsung, etc. -- which I would need to see to use -- but I didn't have those apps and didn't know how to do them without being about to touch control. (I did figure out how to install Smart Switch etc. by going to Play Store on my PC and installed it that way, but you did still need to touch control the apps. I did that with the mouse but it didn't copy app data, even though it said it would. I did the same with Kies on my PC and connecting to the phone. It's why I moved on the MTP steps.)

Yes, like you said: if you have USB set to MTP by default (like I've done with all our devices now) then you don't need the mouse or anything else to copy your files from the broken phone.

Or if you don't like copying files that way, use Smart Switch etc. This is just the method I used to go along with the Google, Verizon, Samsung backups. Now I have the Drive Sync too, but I do like copying files from phone to PC as well because, IMO, it's so much easier and quicker to reinstall to a new phone.

That doesn't answer how you were able to click on the screen, that is inactive.

 

[FoxKat]

That doesn't answer how you were able to click on the screen, that is inactive.

In other words how could you know where you were clicking with the mouse in order to turn on USB debugging?

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