Galaxy S8 can’t transfer files to Windows computer (with Window Explorer is not responding error)

Many Android users often encounter an issue when moving files to their computer. In today’s #GalaxyS8 troubleshooting episode, we’ll answer one particular case. We also cover 2 other issues about the S8 so hopefully you’ll find this post helpful.

Problem #1: Galaxy S8 can’t transfer files to Windows computer, keeps showing “Window Explorer is not responding” error

Ever since the Oreo update, I have been unable to transfer files from my Samsung Galaxy S8 to my PC — Windows 7. I have restarted the phone and the PC. I have gone into my phone’s settings under Connections and turned on Phone Visibility, but whenever I try to transfer files, I still get “Window Explorer is not responding” or a message that the device isn’t working. I have gone into Disc Management on the PC and my phone is not listed. Please help. Thanks. — Anna

Solution: Hi Anna. The most likely reason for your problem must be coming from the computer side as the “Window Explorer is not responding” error is a Windows error. To fix the problem, follow our suggestions below.

Install Windows updates

We understand you have an old computer here so there may no longer be an update for its software. It’s still important though to check if you can have an updated software to minimize bugs as well as incompatibility issues. If possible, try using a PC with more recent operating system like Windows 8 or Windows 10 and see how file transfer works.

Use Smart Switch

Samsung knows that millions of Galaxy owners will be using Windows platforms too so their official transfer application is designed to work with Windows machines. If you haven’t heard of it, Samsung Smart Switch is the official app that you can use to move files to and from your Galaxy device. Smart Switch works in Windows and Macs and it’s easy to use. This app is already pre-installed in your Galaxy S8 so there’s no need to install it from somewhere else.

To use Smart Switch, you’ll need to install it to your computer first. Here’s how:

1. Open the internet browser on your computer and visit the installation page for Smart Switch app.
2. Click on the appropriate download link.
   1. For PC
   2. For Mac
3. Click to launch the downloaded .exe file (.dmg on Mac).
4. Confirm that you accept the terms of the license agreement by clicking the two check boxes.
5. Click Next.
6. Complete the installation process by clicking the Finish button. After that, the newly installed Smart Switch app will run automatically.

Now that you’ve installed Smart Switch on your computer, open the program. Connect your Galaxy S8 to your computer using a USB cable then make sure that Transfer files option is selected on your phone’s USB options (pull down the status bar to see this). If your computer still continues to show “Window Explorer is not responding” error, there’s a problem with that machine. Try upgrading the operating system to either Windows 8 or Windows 10 and see how it works.

If you can’t upgrade your Windows operating system but Smart Switch is still working on, you can choose to create a copy of your S8’s software, also known as image, with it. Afterwards, you can simply browser through the saved files to look for the ones you intend to move. Here’s how to do this:

1. Open the Smart Switch app on your PC or Mac.
2. Connect your Android device to your computer via USB cable.
3. Make sure your phone is unlocked.
4. On the Smart Switch app click on MORE at the top right.
5. Click Preferences.
6. Click Backup items tab. In this tab, you will be able to customize what items to copy and keep as back up. All items are selected by default by if you want to speed up the copying process, you may want to select the important boxes only.
7. Once you’ve selected what items to include in your backup, click OK. Otherwise, simply click Cancel.
8. Click Backup.
9. Tap Allow on your phone if Smart Switch asks for permission.
10. Once the backup is complete, you get a breakdown of all the data that was successfully backed up. Click OK to finish.

To locate your backup files, refer to the items below:

• Windows 10: C:\Documents\Samsung\Smart Switch\Back up\
• Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
• Windows Vista and Windows 7: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

Problem #2: Galaxy S8 sensors freezing or stopped working after Android update

The “sensor freezing” issue is really widespread. I’ve seen several s8 users reporting the same issue as well.The sensor problems started occurring to me after a monthly security update (the April update , which also happens to be the first update i received after getting Oreo). I’ve done almost every method possible including flashing. Apparently flashing to a different country might work but i haven’t tried it yet.If you go through the Samsung Members app you can see a lot of people talking about this issue there as well (both S8 and Note 8 users). A user on another forum mentioned that Samsung has sent out notices about this issue to their service centers but I’m not sure if thats true. I’ve noticed quite a lot of the users happen to be from an asian market (Singapore, India, UAE ,etc). Samsung is yet to address this issue publicly.I just hope someone can let them know about this issue so they fix it though a software patch. — Lucas

Solution: Hi Lucas. We hate to say it but we think you’re right. There’s been an increasing number of S8 and Note8 users reporting sensors issues over the past few weeks so this may be an Android coding glitch. We’ve yet contacted Samsung about this issue but are yet to hear from them (they don’t usually comment about issues like this). We’re not hoping for a response from them though as they don’t provide straight answers even for obvious firmware issues in the past. With this issue already been posted in a number of major forums in the web, we do hope that Google, Samsung, or concerned carriers may already be working on a fix at this time. If you have the same problem, the best that you can do is to keep your device open to receive any new system updates they may be releasing in the near future. This is the only fix we are anticipating for this trouble.

Related reading: What to do if Galaxy Note8 sensors (Iris scanner, auto-rotation, GPS, etc.) stopped working after Oreo update

Problem #3: Galaxy S8 not making sound notifications or showing notifications on lock screen when Yahoo mail arrives

I used to get a Audio notification on my Samsung Galaxy S8 when i received new email in my Yahoo account when my phone was closed and on lock screen. Now after an update I no longer get a Audio notification unless I open my phone and unlock it. So I have to constantly check the phone to see if any emails came in. I have allowed notification in the phone settings as well as the Yahoo mail settings.. don’t know why it won’t work on lock screen anymore. Plz help. Thank you. — Tom

Solution: Hi Tom. Make sure that you set the notifications for your Yahoo app properly. To double check, kindly follow these steps:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Find Yahoo app and tap it.
4. Tap Notifications.
5. Turn on Notifications by moving the slider to the right.
6. Enable App icon badges and Allow sound.
7. Tap On lock screen.
8. Select Show content.
9. Restart your phone and check for the problem.

Wipe the cache partition

If notifications still fail to show on lock screen, make sure to clear the cache partition. This will delete the current system cache and replace it with a new one.

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
3. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe cache partition’.
5. Press Power button to select.
6. Press the Volume down key until ‘yes’ is highlighted and press the Power button.
7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Return app configurations to defaults

One or some default Android apps may had been misconfigured following an update. To ensure that all necessary apps are back to their supposed state, we suggest that you reset app preferences. Here’s how:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
4. Select Reset app preferences.
5. Restart your Note8 and check for the problem.

Clear data of BadgeProvider app

Some users were able to fix notification issues on some of their apps in the past be troubleshooting the BadgeProvider app. This is one of Android apps that manages incoming notifications. Try to return it to its factory state and see what happens.

To clear your game app’s data:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
4. Select Show system apps.
5. Find and tap your app.
6. Tap Storage.
7. Tap Clear Data button.
8. Restart your S8 and check for the problem.

Factory reset

This is often a last resort. If the suggestions above won’t work, wipe the device by performing a factory reset. Here’s how:

1. Create a backup of your data.
2. Turn off the device.
3. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
4. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
6. Press Power button to select.
7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
9. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

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