ADB Driver and Windows 8.1

Question

I waste a lot of time trying to successfully install the ADB driver for my tablet in Windows 8.1. So here I will post what I did, in case anyone has the same problem.

Answer 1

The most complete answer I have found is here: http://blog.kikicode.com/2013/10/installing-android-adb-driver-in.html

I'm copying the complete answer below.

---

Installing Android ADB driver in Windows 8.1 64-bit when all else fails

For some reason I just couldn't get my machine to recognize Xperia J in Windows 8.1 64-bit. Even after installing latest Sony PC Companion (2.10.174). Device Manager kept showing yellow exclamation mark to an 'Android'.

Here's the solution, but I don't promise it will work on your device!

1. Find out your device's VID and PID

Open Device Manager, right-click that Android with yellow exclamation mark and click Properties. Go to Details tab. In Property, select Hardware Ids. Right-click the value and click Copy. Paste the value somewhere.

2. Download Android USB Driver

Run Android SDK Manager. Expand Extras, tick Google USB Driver, click Install packages. After installation, look for the driver location by hovering mouse over Google USB Driver. The location will appear in the tooltip.

3. Modify android_winusb.inf

Go to the usb driver location, for example in the above picture it is c:\Android\android-studio\sdk\extras\google\usb_driver Make a backup copy of android_winusb.inf Open android_winusb.inf with a text editor. Notepad is fine but Notepad++ is better, it will syntax highlight the inf file! Look for [Google.NTx86], and insert a line with your device's hardware ID that you copied above, for example

[Google.NTx86]

; ... other existing lines

;SONY Sony Xperia J
%CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_0FCE&PID_6188&MI_01

Look for [Google.NTamd86], and insert the same lines, for example:

[Google.NTamd64]

; ... other existing lines

;SONY Sony Xperia J
%CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_0FCE&PID_6188&MI_01

Save the file.

4. Disable driver signing

Run Command Prompt as an administrator Paste and run the following commands:

bcdedit -set loadoptions DISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING ON

Restart Windows.

5. Install driver

Open Device Manager, right-click that Android with yellow exclamation mark and click Update Driver Software. Click Browse my computer for driver software. Enter or browse to the folder containing android_winusb.inf, eg: C:\Android\android-studio\sdk\extras\google\usb_driver Click Next. The driver will install. Run adb devices to confirm your device is working fine.

6. Re-enable driver signing

Run Command Prompt as an administrator Paste and run the following commands:

bcdedit -set loadoptions ENABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING OFF

Restart Windows. Run adb devices to reconfirm!

Answer 2

I had the following problem:
I had a Android phone without drivers, and it could not be recognized by the Windows 8.1. Neither as phone, neither as USB storage device.

I searched Device manager.
I opened Device manager, I right click on Android Phone->Android Composite Interface.
I selected "Update Driver Software"
I choose "Browse My Computer for Driver Software"
Then I choose "Let me pick from a list of devices"
I selected "USB Composite Device"

A new USB device is added to the list, and I can connect to my phone using adb and Android SDK.

Also I can use the phone as storage device.
Good luck