Recently a lot of Kindle users reported that they cannot connect their Kindle device to Windows PC successfully when they want to transfer some ebooks from PC to Kindle. Have you ever met such an issue? Well, here we have found 8 effective solutions for Kindle not showing up on PC. The solutions for this problem are quite simple. We will go through them one by one so that you can make your kindle connect to your PC properly.
Solution 1. Try A Different USB Cable or Port
The first thing you should do is check and make sure there is no physical issue with the PC's USB cable or the USB port. If you think there is something wrong with the cable, just try to use a different cable. If it still doesn't work, you can check the functionality of the USB port by connecting another device to it, like a smartphone. If another device is automatically recognized by your PC, then the port is functional. If not, it means the USB port might be damaged. Try to connect your Kindle to another USB port on your PC.
Solution 2. Connect Kindle to A Different Computer
The second easy solution you can try is to connect your Kindle to a different computer. This would help you to identify where the problem lies: is it with the computer, USB cable or Kindle.
Solution 3. Charge Kindle for A Longer Time
Some users reported that they fix this problem by charging their Kindle for more than half an hour. After that, they performed a hard reset and were able to connect Kindle to their PC.
Solution 4. Perform A Hard Reset
Hard reset, also called reset to factory, will remove all downloads from your Kindle and reinstall the operating system. It could fix a lot of problems including the issue of Kindle not connecting to PC. Generally, you could hard reset your Kindle by pressing the Menu button >> Settings >> then you'll see the "Reset your Kindle".
The steps may differ on different Kindle models, you could read Reset Kindle to Factory: How to Soft and Hard Reset Kindle for a detailed guide.
Solution 5. Connect Kindle as A Camera
You can also try to connect your Kindle to computer as a camera. Many Kindle users have successfully fixed the problem by doing so. How is it done? Plug your Kindle into your computer, select "Connection Options" in the notification bar, and then configure the option "Connect as camera". If you cannot find it from the drop-down list, look for it in "Device Configuration and Storage" on your PC. It sounds absurd, but this solution helped a lot of users. Just give it a try.
Solution 6. Enable ADB on Kindle Fire
If you are using Kindle Fire tablet and it doesn't connect to computer, you can try to enable the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) on your Kindle Fire. If this feature it's already enabled, you can try to disable it and see if it fixes the issue. You can easily do this by going to Settings >> Device >> Enable ADB.
Solution 7. Install or Update the Kindle Driver
Amazon's Kindle Driver is required to connect your Kindle device with your Operating System installed in your computer. Without Kindle Driver, your Kindle device can't be responded, and its driver won't show in "Device Manager". In such a case, you need to download the latest driver for Kindle device according to your Windows OS version and then install into your computer.
How to Install Kindle Driver?
Step 1. Go to Amazon Kindle App Download Page to download Kindle for PC to to your computer. (The Kindle for PC app includes drivers for Amazon Kindle device and the Kindle driver will be automatically installed upon installation of Kindle app.)
Step 2. Once downloaded, follow on-screen instructions to finish installation.
Step 3. Check if Kindle device connects to your Windows computer. If not, you can uninstall the Kindle app and then reinstall it, or follow the below steps to update Kindle Driver.
How to Update Kindle Driver?
Step 1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key + X and select "Device Manager".
Step 2. Locate and expand "Portable devices" category. Right-click Kindle or MTP Device, then select "Update Driver Software..." from the options.
Step 3. Choose the "Browse my computer for driver software" option.
Step 4. Select the option "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer" in the pop-up window.
Step 5. Click on "Show compatible hardware" and select the "MTP USB Device" from the listed drivers, click on "Next".
Step 6. Click on "Yes" in the Update Driver warning window. Then the compatible device driver will be installed for your Kindle
Solution 8. Disable USB Selective Suspend Feature
USB selective suspend is enabled by default on all Windows devices. While we recommend leaving USB selective suspend enabled on your battery-powered computer, you should disable the feature if you're having USB-related troubles. So when your Kindle device is not working correctly with your Windows PC, you can try disabling the "USB selective suspend" feature to fix the problem. Here's how.
Step 1. Open "Control Panel".
Step 2. Click on "Hardware and Sound".
Step 3. Click on "Power Options".
Step 4. Under "Preferred plans", click "Change plan settings" link for the plan you're currently using.
Step 5. Click the link "Change advanced power settings".
Step 6. Expand the "USB Settings" section and double-click "USB selective suspend setting".
Step 7. Select "Disabled" from the drop-down menu.
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Michelle loves technology & reading very much. She seeks the methods to enjoy eBooks and audiobooks more freely and wants to share everything new she has got with you.
Inna
And kindle do not have a Kindle app for PC but I haven’t tried to disable USB. I will try it later on today.
I have had this problem for months, and tried all the fixes here and other places. I finally bought a new refurbished Kindle Paperwhite and right away when I plugged it into the USB Port, my computer recognized it. So I used the new cable that came with my new kindle paperwhite, and attached it to my older Kindle 3rd generation and it worked.
I thought a USB plug were all the same but that must not be the case.
Even my Calibre Library recognized my Kindle 3rd Generation, I was over the moon, and made sure I transferred some books to it.
Not only that, It seems my older Kindles (NOT THE KINDLE 3RD GENERATION) that I traded in , of course I registered those, so my old Kindle 3rd generation was dropped off the Amazon Device Map). But I was able to register not only my new Kindle Paperwhite, but my Older Kindle 3rd generation. Plus I was now allowed to get the Kindle 3rd generation update which it desperately needed.
So my experience is the all USB plugs don't fit the bill in order for my computer to recognize my Kindles.
I can confirm, that the original Kindle USB cable does the trick and allows to connect even older generation devices on Windows 11.
I tried to send mobi files from from my email address I used for Kindle registration and it worked! I can see the book in library after 5 mins.
I sent the files to Kindle-linked email. You can find it in settings, in Profile section on the bottom. You also get email confirmation that it was received by Kindle
Hope it helps!
Thanks for your comment. Did you try the solutions we mentioned in this article? If there are any problems when you use these methods to fix this issue, please feel free to contact us.
Best regards,
Epubor Team
Half of your recommendations are useless.
Solution 1: Tried, no difference from cable.
Solution 2: Tried, no difference from different PC.
Solution 3: Device is on 100%.
Solution 4: My device has been in Airplane mode for literal years. So no updates were applied to it. Still, it newly doesn't show up. After YEARS of working flawlessly.
Solution 5: The device is NOT RECOGNIZED, so I don't get to change how it's recognized. It LITERALLY does not show up. Like, AT ALL...
Solution 6: Not applicable, since it's not a Fire, but a Paperwhite.
Solution 7: The ONLY viable solution that you provide. Has not worked for me though.
Solution 8: I experience the issue on a Desktop PC, so all my settings are always on high performance.
The problem is probably a Windows issue or a driver issue or something. Not directly related to the Kindle, but to how the thing connects to the PC.
I have had this problem for months, and tried all the fixes here and other places. I finally bought a new refurbished Kindle Paperwhite and right away when I plugged it into the USB Port, my computer recognized it. So I used the new cable that came with my new kindle paperwhite, and attached it to my older Kindle 3rd generation and it worked.
I thought a USB plug were all the same but that must not be the case.
Even my Calibre Library recognized my Kindle 3rd Generation, I was over the moon, and made sure I transferred some books to it.
Not only that, It seems my older Kindles (NOT THE KINDLE 3RD GENERATION) that I traded in , of course I registered those, so my old Kindle 3rd generation was dropped off the Amazon Device Map). But I was able to register not only my new Kindle Paperwhite, but my Older Kindle 3rd generation. Plus I was now allowed to get the Kindle 3rd generation update which it desperately needed.
So my experience is the all USB plugs don't fit the bill in order for my computer to recognize my Kindles.
Hope this helps.
Had the same issue. Kindle on airplane mode for years so no update.
Changed the cable and it worked.
Finally I read the comments about attaching a higher end cable (if you don't have the original one) and it WORKED.
I plugged in the cable from my old Samsung Galaxy phone and it got connected. That's the trick, thanks!
"Solution 3. Charge Kindle for A Longer Time" worked for me my device: Amazon Kindle 6" Glare Free Touchscreen WiFi E-Reader 7th Generation
Charging but not show up under Windows11.
Original Amazon Kindle cable dodn`t help at all.