FriendlyName blank for ASUS Zenfone Max in Win10x64, FFS Error-The selected folder cannot be used with FreeFileSync

[LamaDevi]

Hello everybody,
For the past many days I am trying to use FFS 11.3 but getting the same error again and again.

Few months ago, A friend game me copy of FFS 10.8 version (as he was already using it) and suggested me to use it.
I tried it on my system but it gave some error & I forgot about it.
Few days ago, I tried using it again, and faced the same error again.
So, Now I downloaded and used FFS 11.3 but the error is appearing again.

The selected folder "xyz" cannot be used with FreeFileSync. Please select a folder on a local file system, network or an MTP device.

I was grappling with the problem for two days and surfed the forum to find similar & related issues.
When I couldn't find any solution, then I registered in the forum to post my problem.

I also had downloaded some diagnostic tools I found in some threads and tried to use them.

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Buffalo LS520D
viewtopic.php?t=5214
Cant find MTP folder on Fire tablet
viewtopic.php?t=4953&p=17118&hilit=mtp+device+error#p17118
viewtopic.php?t=6341
viewtopic.php?t=611&p=23338#p23338

Summary of my problem : FFS is not working with my ASUS phone model ASUS_Z010D with Android version 6.0.1 .

The jest of What I found about the FSS related problem at my side :
.....is..... that the "FriendlyName" of my ASUS phone is BLANK...
This, I found in "Device Summary" for my phone when I ran the "wpddeviceinspector.exe" tool.

And I think that this is the reason why FFS is unable to work with my phone.

If this happens to be problem specific to my existing Phone, then I'll be unable to use FFS .... as I can't buy a new phone .
I wanted to have a final verdict about it from the experts here before I lets I lose my sleep over it.

. -----------------------------------------------------
. Now ..... the problem in Detail
. -----------------------------------------------------

When I connect my phone to PC via USB Cable, it shows four modes viz : Charging, File Transfer, Photo Transfer, MIDI . ; And I generally use "File Transfer" mode for copying files to PC or to a pen drive

My Phone Info : Asus Zenfone Max ZC550KL
My Computer OS Info : Win 10 Home Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.1198)
My Computer Details : 1.6 GHz i5 Processor, 8GB RAM


Steps I do ("File Transfer" mode in my AUSU phone):
-----------------------------------------------------
1. Connect my ASUS Smartphone to the PC via USB cable
2. Select "File Transfer" mode on phone
3. Open FFS on PC and use browse button to browse the phone contents .
4. The phone displays many folders .
5. I navigate and select the desired folder in the phone
BUT ..... HERE THE PROBLEM APPEARS !!
I GET THIS ERROR :

The selected folder "xyz\xyz\xyz" cannot be used with FreeFileSync.
Please select a folder on a local file system, network or an MTP device.

mtp:\MTP USB Device\Internal storage\DCIM

File Path :: When I use "File Transfer" mode on my phone:
The path in explorer is this : This PC\MTP USB Device\Internal storage\DCIM
The path in FFS is shown as : unable to see because it gives error


How many times I close & reopen before I try again, I can't get FFS to work.

Steps I do again ("Photo Transfer" mode in my AUSU phone):
-------------------------------------------------------------
1. Connect my ASUS Smartphone to the PC via USB cable
2. Select "Photo Transfer" mode on phone
3. Open FFS on PC and use browse button to browse the phone contents
4. The phone displays ONLY TWO folders - DCIM & PICTURES - is) .
5. I navigate and select the desired folder in the phone
6. Here FFS gives no error and I can continue copying these folder to my pen-drive .

File Path : When I use "Photo Transfer" mode on my phone:
The path in explorer is shown as : This PC\ASUS_Z010D\Internal storage\DCIM
The path in FFS is shown as : mtp:\ASUS_Z010D\Internal storage\DCIM

NOTE : I saved this ffs_gui file while in "Photo Mode" mode ; and tried using it in the "File Transfer"
mode but it gave error .

Cannot read file attributes "mtp:\ASUS_Z010D\Internal storage\DCIM".
ERROR_INVALID_DATA: The data is invalid. [deviceManager->GetDeviceFriendlyName
(pnpDeviceId, nullptr, &nameBufSize)]

FFS worked successfully with my old phone & my friends new phone :
#1. My old Phone - Intex Aqua Power with Android 4.4.2 .
#2. My friend's phone - Samsung M21 with Android 10.


File Path with Intex Phone : When I try with a relative's phone :
The path in explorer is this : This PC\Aqua_Power\Phone storage\DCIM
The path in FFS is shown as : mtp:\Aqua_Power\Phone storage\DCIM

File Path with Galaxy M21 : When I try with a relative's phone :
The path in explorer is this : This PC\Galaxy M21\Phone
The path in FFS is shown as : mtp:\Galaxy M21\Phone

Image 00 : Device FriendlyName is blank : 00-FFS_NOT-OK_FriendlyName_ASUS_Z010D.jpg

Image 01 : my PC and OS configuration : 01-PC_OS_Config.jpg

Image 02 : 02-FFS_NOT-OK_with_ASUS_Z010D.jpg : FFS not working with my Phone ASUS_Z010D

Image 03 : 03-FFS_PT-FT_mode_ASUS_Z010D.jpg : Connecting my phone ASUS_Z010D using "Photo Transfer" & "File Transfer" Modes to the PC

Image 04 : 04-FFS_gui_file_error_with_ASUS_Z010D.jpg : Error while using PTP Mode generated ffs_gui script in the FT Mode

Image 05 : 05-FFS_OK_with_Galaxy_M21.jpg : FFS works OK with Galaxy M21 phone

[LamaDevi]

but FFS works fine with Galaxy M21 phone without any problems.

[Zenju]

Wow, you went above and beyond what one could consider great technical feedback! No more questions from my side. I concur, the lack of a "friendly name" seems to be the problem, and FFS should fall back on WPD_OBJECT_NAME.

Can you test if this is fixed in the following version:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/bhu6kolj7b09x8g/FreeFileSync_11.4_%255BBeta%255D_Windows_Setup%25283%2529.exe

[LamaDevi]

Thank you for the beta version.....
but... it too is giving the same error : "The selected folder cannot be used with FreeFileSync.

"

[Zenju]

Okay, internally, there's no error anymore, the device just isn't found.

Can you open wpdinfo.exe for the "MTP USB Device" directly on the root device item and look what info is shown there, WPD_OBJECT_NAME in particular?

[LamaDevi]

Yes !!
here it is !

01-ffs_ASUS_Phone_WPD_OBJECT_NAME.jpg :
When ASUS Phone is Connected it displays no information in the lower plane.

02-ffs_ASUS_Phone_WPD_OBJECT_NAME_disconnected.jpg :
When ASUS Phone is dis-Connected , it displays some information in the lower plane.

NOTE (if useful) :
03-ffs_Attributes_window_not_stretchable.jpg
The "Attributes Window" is not stretchable .
So the user can't capture the full details in a single screenshot (my screen resolution is 1280x720).

[Zenju]

Interesting: It seems Explorer does not fall back to WPD_OBJECT_NAME when friendly name is missing, as suggested on Microsoft's MSDN, but to device description instead (even though it's a bad choice: uses "MTP USB Device" instead of WPD_OBJECT_NAME = "ASUS_Z010D").

Here's the fixed(?) version: https://www.mediafire.com/file/zap5fzcptyawd28/FreeFileSync_11.4_%255BBeta%255D_Windows_Setup%25284%2529.exe

[LamaDevi]

Hurray !
This seems to have fixed the FFS Error -'The selected folder cannot be used with FreeFileSync'- with my Phone : Asus Zenfone Max ZC550KL (model ASUS_Z010D)

Now I was Successfully able to sync' my ASUS phone folders to my pen drive.
MANY THANKS TO "ZENJU JI" FOR FIXING THIS PROBLEM !


One small observation :
#1. The fist time I ran FFS with a ffs_gui script and I noted that there was a little visible delay while the ffs searched the folders for the fist time and I could see the message with time displayed for 10 or 11 sec . ....but no screenshot taken...

#2. I also observed that it took around 6 minutes of time to sync a folder from phone to to the external backup drive .
It was DCIM folder contained few new fewer pics & ".thumbnails" folder (containing of about 30 Mb & 1100 thumbnails) from phone ; total new data of DCIM folder to backup/sync was about 47 Mb.
Pics were few because I regularly deleted numerous pics on phone itself that I didn't like while thumbnails were untouched.

Are the above 2 behaviors normal ? ... or the delay happened because it was beta version and you had put additional checks for correct functioning ?

One Dumb Question : If a bug at Microsoft caused this , you can submit this 'Bug Report' to Microsoft ..... If they have a bounty for such bugs , they may assign it to you .

[xCSxXenon]

That is fairly normal timing for mtp connections. I would advise excluding the thumbnails folder using a filter, as that large number of small files is eating up a lot of the time for no real benefit. It is generated so your phone's Gallery/Photos app can display the thumbnails, but not used on a computer anyway.

[LamaDevi]

@xCSxXenon
Yes ! I'll take up your precious advice. Thanks :)

Just to upadate/inform ......
I downloaded the latest 11.4 version of FFS and EVERYTHING IS WORKING SMOOTH.

I modified an ffs script (of the old Intex phone) to suite my ASUS phone.
They worked nicely ....

Many thanks again for this nice app.

...BUT ...... Only once did I face this error while I was trying to sync the *"WhatsApp Images folder"* to my backup.
Timeout while searching for folder

Cannot find the following folders:
mtp:\MTP USB Device\Internal storage\WhatsApp\Media\WhatsApp Images
--------------------------------------
Timeout while searching for folder "mtp:\MTP USB Device\Internal storage\WhatsApp\Media\WhatsApp Images". [20 sec]

I closed the App and I re-ran the same script, and the error didn't appear.

Did the app give this timeout error as 20 seconds was not enough to search/scan through the lots of images on phone ?