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by David Cogen

How To Set Up ADB/USB Drivers for Android Devices (Updated 12/13/11)

October 6, 2009 in Android Development How To's, Android How To's, App Development How To's, App Inventor How To's, Featured, How To's, New to Android? Tips and Tricks, ROM Development How To's, Universal Android Rooting How To’s, Video

So most people won’t have to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) ever, but if you want to learn how or want to get a little more technical with your Android phone, here’s how to get it set up.

I. Setting Up The SDK

1. Download the Latest Android SDK from Google

Android SDK (Select the exe version)

2. Once downloaded, double click the exe file to open it. (MAKE SURE you change the directory that it is installing everything to to c:\android-sdk\)

3. Click on the SDK Manager and it will ask you to install packages. Select the following and leave all others unchecked:

Android SDK Tools
Android SDK Platform Tools
Google USB Driver Package, Revision XX (XX being the highest number available)

4. Then click continue and follow the on screen prompts until all of the packages are installed and it finishes.

5a. On your phone, click Settings > Applications > Development and make sure USB Debugging is on.

5b. If using Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), click on Settings > Developer Options and make sure USB Debugging is on.

6. Plug your phone into your computer via USB cable (it needs to be on). It should say installing drivers if using Windows.

7. Open Windows File Explorer and look for the android-sdk folder inside of the C drive. Then open the platform-tools folder inside that. Now, hold the shift key down on your keyboard and right click in any blank area inside that folder. This will give you the option to open a command window here. Select that and a command prompt will open saying c:\android-sdk\platform-tools\      *if using windows XP, this won’t work. So instead open command prompt first by going to Start > Run > then typing in cmd and hitting enter. Then type cd c:\android-sdk\platform-tools\ and hit enter, then continue.

8. Type the following into the command prompt window (hitting enter at the end of every line):

adb devices

You should see a serial number pop up, it’s the serial number of your phone. This means you are all set!

If you do NOT see a serial number, then we need to reinstall the drivers manually in Section II below.

II. IF DRIVERS JUST WON’T AUTOMATICALLY INSTALL, DO IT MANUALLY HERE

1. A program called PDANet (used normally to allow you to wired tether your phone’s internet to your computer) can be used to install the ADB drivers for a lot of phones. Download it and follow it’s instructions to install it then go back to step 8 in Section I above and see if that gets you the serial number (if you do, you are all done). If not, then use one of the device specific programs below in step 2.

PDANet

2. Download your phone’s driver’s below then goto your Device Manager on your computer, look for the phone and click on it. Then click Properties > Update Driver > Browse > Let me pick > Computer > Have Disk > Browse > Then select the driver you downloaded below:

Universal Motorola Drivers (unzip the file once you download it, and run the program inside to install the drivers)(Updated 09.27.10)

Motorola Droid Drivers (unzip the file once you download it).

Motorola Milestone Drivers (follow the instructions on the page).

Motorola CLIQ Drivers (follow the instructions on the page).

Samsung Behold 2 Drivers (unzip the file, run the setup.exe) (If you have Windows 64Bit, you CANNOT install the Behold Drivers. Find someone with a 32Bit system to to any Behold 2 procedures involving ADB).

Samsung Galaxy Drivers (unzip the file, do NOT run setup.exe. Instead follow step 1 in Section II and install manually.)

If using a Samsung device, try downloading Samsung Kies and installing that then plugging in your device and trying again.

III. (Optional) Reinstall Drivers (If they did not install properly in Section I or II)

1. Download USBDeview

USBDeview

2. While the phone is still plugged in, open USBDeview and sort by manufacturer. Find all the HTC drivers and delete them all.

3. Once all have been deleted, unplug the phone from the USB cable and plug it back in.

4. The correct drivers should reinstall automatically (check the drivers as they are installing, one should say ADB Device driver).

5. To check, goto Devices (or Device Manager for older versions of Windows) in your Start menu then click on the “Android Phone”. Click on the Hardware tab, and check the list of drivers for ADB Interface under Type.

IV. (Optional) Install Fastboot

1. Download fastboot.exe and save it to your computer.

Fastboot (UPDATED 03.23.13)

2. Unzip it, then copy the fastboot.exe file into the platform-tools folder of your Android SDK.

3. Now, you can type fastboot commands in command prompt in the same place you typed adb commands.

V. Some Common ADB/Fastboot Commands

ADB Commands

adb devices – lists which devices are currently attached to your computer

adb install <packagename.apk> – lets you install an Android application on your phone

adb remount – Remounts your system in write mode – this lets you alter system files on your phone using ADB

adb push <localfile> <location on your phone> – lets you upload files to your phones filesystem

adb pull <location on your phone> <localfile> – lets you download files off your phones filesystem

adb logcat – starts dumping debugging information from your handset to the console – useful for debugging your apps

adb shell <command> – drops you into a basic linux command shell on your phone with no parameters, or lets you run commands directly

adb devices – lists which devices are currently attached to your computer

adb install <packagename.apk> – lets you install an Android application on your phone

adb remount – Remounts your system in write mode – this lets you alter system files on your phone using ADB

adb push <localfile> <location on your phone> – lets you upload files to your phones filesystem

adb pull <location on your phone> <localfile> – lets you download files off your phones filesystem

adb logcat – starts dumping debugging information from your handset to the console – useful for debugging your apps

adb shell <command> – drops you into a basic linux command shell on your phone with no parameters, or lets you run commands directly

Fastboot Commands

fastboot devices – lists which devices in fastboot mode are currently attached to your computer

fastboot boot <filename> – boots a rom stored on your pc specified by the filename

fastboot flash <partition> <filename> – flashes a rom stored on your pc, partition can be one of {boot, recovery, system, userdata}

How To's

Want to check out more of our How To's for your device? Head to our How To section and choose your device to get easy-to-follow how to's from how to overclock your device, root it, mod it, and much more! Welcome to the wide world of modding, my friend. Oh, the possibilities...

Device Specs

Maybe you'd like to know the megapixels of the camera, or how much RAM you have? Head to our Device Specs section and choose your device to be presented with all the specs we could find. Now, when you find out you have more cores than your friends, try and break it to them gently, will you?

ROMs

Ready to delve into the world of ROMs? Head to our site's ROM repository to be presented with all of the ROMs we've found for your specific device, complete with other users' comments and ratings to help you figure out which is best for you. What better way to spend an afternoon than flashing ROMs, right?

Tags: adb, adb devices, android, devices, dream, g1, galaxy, hero, i7500, magic, usb, usb drivers, usb drivers for android

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Just Guest

I’ve got my transformer rooted, but i certainly would not make it without your tutorial!
Thank you very, very, VERY MUCH!

Alexjolliffbush

gotz any thing for my coby mid 7125 adb not runnig i try rooting it with super one click wasent happining tryed sufering the web in her is were it lead me so if you could please help me root my TABLET i wo uld be forever greatful

Guest

So there are only usb drivers for a very small percentage of phones?

Rafiq

Thank you very much! You’ve settled my android connection problem. I’ve spent 2 weeks trying.. untill now.

Thank you again.

Ponce21 Ep

I did everything as said and sdk manager won’t even open it just flashed a comand prompt and blanks out anybody know?? E mail me??
[email-masked]

etp23

Ok can someone please help me I try and start up sdk manager and it just flashes a comand prompt and then does nothing I have followed all the steps exactly as said please someone help me

etp23

Ok so I followed the steps as shown and still nothing I try and open sdk manager and it just flashed a comand prompt and nothing else pops up after will someone please help me!

845user

Just FYI, if you want to do this with the Vodafone 845, a shortcut is to plug in the phone and install the drivers from the virtual CD it creates. Then superoneclick works without installing all that Java and Android SDK crap.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002782789745 Imánu’El Morales

HEEELLLPPP!!! I CAN’T INSTALL THE F*** DRIVERS!!! I’VE BEEN TRYING SONCE 9:00PM AND IT’S 3:04PM OF THE NEXT DAY AND STILL NO LUCK!!!!!!

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