Previous WMDC Fixes for Windows 10

Some Alternatives to WMDC

Updated April 2017

• Connecting a USB Flash Drive to the USB Host port on the rugged handheld computer.
  • See USB Flash Drive Compatibility.
  • See File Explorers for Windows Mobile.
• Wi-Fi Remote Access
  • See Windows Mobile Wi-Fi Remote Access

 

Installing for the First Time in the Latest Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (1709)

Updated November 2017

If you are installing WMDC for the first time in a new installation of the latest Microsoft Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (Version 1709), or if you fully uninstalled WMDC before updating to Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, follow the instructions below.

How to Install Windows Mobile Device Center on Windows 10 Fall Creator Update

 

Previous Windows 10 Versions or WMDC Stopped Working After Updating

Updated April 2017

If you are still using a previous version of Windows 10 (or if you still had WMDC installed and it stopped working after updating), please proceed as described below.

1. Install WMDC.
2. Save WMDC-Helper.exe to your desktop PC.
3. Locate the file through file explorer.
4. Right-click on the file and select Run as administrator (even if you are already logged in as an admin).

 

WMDC Stopped Working or Installing for the First Time

If you had WMDC installed and it stopped working (such as after a Windows Update) or before being successful at installing WMDC for the first time, 

1. Manually enable the required .NET Framework 3.5 under “Turn Windows features on or off” and/or by using the previous dotNetFx35setup.exe installer from Microsoft. 

• If WMDC and the required drivers for Windows Vista don’t successfully install automatically through the windows update service when you connect the USB, run the 64-bit drvupdate-amd64.exe or 32-bit drvupdate-x86.exe installer as an Admin and in "Compatibility Mode."
  • See Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center – ActiveSync
• After a Windows Update you may need to run this again to get WMDC working.

2. After install and "Windows Mobile Device Center" appears in the list under the Start menu on the desktop PC, run Windows Powershell as an administrator to apply the following registry commands,

• REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RapiMgr /v SvcHostSplitDisable /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
• REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WcesComm /v SvcHostSplitDisable /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

3. Perform a restart.

If you are still having problems,

1. Open Computer Management as an Admin.
2. Select Services and Applications > Services.
3. Change the properties of the “Windows Mobile-2003-based device connectivity” and “Windows mobile-based device connectivity” services to Log On using "Local System Account."
4. Start each service.

• You may sometimes need to re-apply and start these again when re-connecting device or after performing a restart on the PC.

 

WMDC Doesn't Show it is Connected

If you are not able to get WMDC to show it is connected, you may still be able to browse the contents of the device through File Explorer (which will appear as a drive under "This PC") or synchronize anyway.