How to install USB driver for Windows?
Orthoducks
Newbie

I'm trying to connect my LG VS980 phone to a Windows XP computer. I'm having difficulty installing the USB driver.

After following several false trails, I found what I think is the right file: on a "Product Support" page which says it's for a "G2 Verizon VS980," there's a button labeled, "Install the USB DRIVER / USB DRIVER for Windows / DOWNLOAD." I clicked the button and downloaded a file 8 MB file. Its name is LG. Not LG.exe or LG.msi or LG.zip. Just LG.

When I double click the file, Windows quite reasonably asks me what program to use to run it. I don't know what program to use any more than Windows does.

There's a link labeled "Instructions... LG G2 VS980 SOFTWARE UPDATE below the download button. When I click it, it loads instructions for installing software on the phone.

Can anyone make sense of this for me?

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1 Solution
Not applicable

Orthoducks wrote:

I'll so my best to answer the questions.

>...what you're looking to do a transfer with...?

Initially I want to download pictures taken with the phone's camera. I've considered other uses for a USB connection that I can explore once it's working. I'm puzzled by the question, though. Why should the type of data I want to transfer affect the fact that I can't find an installable driver? I wonder whether my question means the same thing to you as it does to me.

Because photos and music are the basic media people want to transfer between their phones and computers. (Computers in this sense are laptops, desktops, note books etc.) So the question to you was valid.

>Also, have you tried any other computers?

No. Again, I'm puzzled. What difference would another computer make? Would I be able to find a download from one computer that I can't find from another? (Only by blind chance.) Might another computer be able to execute or load a file with no filetype? (Only if it has magical powers.)

Different computers may work where the computer you own evidently does not work. It is good to check the connection of the device to another computer to rule that out. I will answer the obvious of different operating systems and how they function.

>And which software version if your phone currently running?

That question makes sense. Unfortunately I can't answer it. I've looked up how to find the version number, and the instructions tell me to select an "About phone" item in the Settings menu, which doesn't exist.

Doesn't exist? open the Settings Menu go all the way to the bottom (scroll down) the last entry is "ABOUT PHONE" click it. It will give hardware and software versions operating system number etc. Its there trust me. My wife just bought this phone and loves it.

>Often times, the device drivers you're prompted to install are supported solely by the computer's software.

I'm not sure what you're saying here. Taken at face value, it's a trivial and obvious: any driver that one installs on any computing device is supported solely by (i.e., depends on) the device's software. But how does that relate to the question about the version of Android? Android runs on the phone; the driver has to run on the computer.

You stated you are using an older Windows XP computer, I can tell you I hooked my wife's phone to our Windows 8.1 computer and no drivers were necessary. It came up with an option on the phone screen and I chose USB Mass Storage for the connection. This option is also in the phones settings. Read the manual it has loads of information form you to use.

The device had a drive letter assigned and it was labeled LG-Network and once you double click it the folders for music, photos, etc. are all there. Via using windows manager you can simply do a copy and paste to and from the different folders and drives with ease.


Good Luck

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26 Replies
Tidbits
Legend

Are you running any antivirus software?  try disabling them when installing the driver

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dhwco
Enthusiast - Level 2

Yes...McAfee.  I disabled it.  Driver loaded fine.  I seem to be lucky enough to have a different problem.  Maybe you can answer this question though.  When my phone "connects normally" there seem to be two separate things going on.  The first one is the phone being recognized as a USB device, and then after a short delay it is then recognized as a USB storage device.  The first is immediate and the second is after a delay of about 5 to 10 seconds.  It appears the first works and it is the second part that is screwed up...if there are really two such steps.  Are there?

Also, why is the phone recognized as a CD device in part 1.  Could that have anything to do with it?

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Snn5
Legend

When I plug my G2 into the PC, the first sound is that it is recognized as a CD Drive.  That's the Verizon Update Assistant software, then it sounds again as an external drive and Mass Storage labeled as VS980 on my Windows 8.1 machine inside This PC.

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dhwco
Enthusiast - Level 2

That's the same as mine when it works.  When it doesn't on this machine, sometimes I can access the UPDATE software drive before it blips off, but most of the time it doesn't even stay connected long enough for that.  It NEVER gets to the second part.

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Tidbits
Legend

Try a different cable.

What I hope it isn't is you need an update for the bios. No matter what bios it is there's always a risk against bricking your motherboard when dealing with that.

Snn5
Legend

I have the VS980 and Windows 8.1.  The LG drivers from LG com work for me.

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