It could be that you have snapped photos on your smartphone but to have a better look you want to import them to the Photos app on your Windows PC. But, what if you face a situation where Windows photo import is not working, no matter how hard you try? How would you deal with such a situation when, say, you have a tight deadline to meet?
Here are some quick and effective steps you can undertake if photo import stops working on your Windows 11/10 computer. The below-mentioned fixes can come to your aid if you are unable to –
- Import photos from an external hard drive or other USB flash drive into the Photos app.
- Import photos from an iOS or Android device into your computer
- Complete the photo import process because the Photos app hangs.
- Import photos from a folder on your hard drive to photos.
Why Am I Not Able To Import Photos Into My Windows 11/10 Computer –
There could be multiple reasons why your Windows 10 PC is not importing photos. We have listed them down briefly:-
- Photos App is going through glitches for which you may reset or restart the app.
- Change security settings in your smartphone so as to grant access to users.
- You didn’t grant the right permissions (in the case of smartphones (Android, iOS))
- Restore the pictures folder to default
- Your Antivirus is interfering with importing photos.
What To Do If Photos Are Not Importing On Your Computer –
Words of Wisdom – Keep You Photos Sorted, Free From Duplicates
If snapping photos is an important part of your life, you sure have accumulated tons of duplicates that are doing nothing but taking up storage space on your device. And, furthermore, you probably are in a dilemma of which photos to keep and which ones to let go of. If that’s you, you can install an app like Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro that will help you remove similar and duplicate photos from your computer or smartphone in no time at all. It is available on all major platforms Windows | Mac | Android and iOS. We have already covered a dedicated post that talks about its various features.
Here’s a glimpse of how Duplicate Photos Fixer can help you get rid of duplicates on Windows 11/10 –
1. Download, install and run Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro on Windows.
2. You can click on Add Folder to add a folder from your computer and scan it for duplicate photos.
3. You can scan your computer or Google Drive for duplicate photos as well.
1. Import Photos Directly Into Photo Editing Software
Maybe you intend to import photos from your smartphone or USB drive into your PC because you want to perform edits on them. If that’s the case, you can directly import your photographs right into the photo editing software you are using.
2. Reset The Photos App
It could be that the Photos app might be going through glitches. If that’s the case, you can reset and restart the photos app. For this –
In Windows 11 –
1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. From the left-hand side, click on Apps.
3. From the right-hand side, click on Apps & features.
4. Click on Microsoft Photos and then click on Advanced options.
5. Here click on Reset. It is important to note that in this case the app’s data will be deleted so you may want to take a photo backup first.
6. You can even click on the Repair option as well and follow the on-screen instructions.
In Windows 10 –
1. Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Scroll down and locate the Photos app
5. Click on the Advanced options by clicking on the three dots that you can find beside the Photos app.
6. Click on Repair or Reset. Here you can even choose to terminate the process as well.
3. Change Security Settings
If you cannot import photos from one device into your Windows PC, you can try making certain changes to the security settings on your Windows computer.
1. Open This PC on your computer.
2. Right-click on the Pictures folder and then click on Properties.
3. Click on the Security tab.
4. Under Group, or user names, click on the username with which you are logged in.
5. Now, under Permissions for …. click on Full control.
6. Repeat the same for Administrators… under Group or user names as shown in step number 4.
7. Restart your device and try importing photos again.
4. Did You Grant Permission To Your Device?
When you plug your smartphone into your computer, you are asked to grant the right permissions. It could be that you skipped that section and hence you are unable to import photos from your smartphone to your Windows computer. For instance, if you have plugged in your Android smartphone and cannot see your device, here are the steps you can follow –
1. Unplug the USB cable and replug your smartphone.
2. Click on the USB settings.
3. Select the appropriate settings and check if you can see your smartphone on your computer.
5. Restore Picture Folder To Default location.
Several users have reported that after changing their picture’s directory to the default location, they could import photos from their device into their Windows computer. Here’s what they did –
1. From the left-hand side of the Files Explorer, locate Pictures and right-click on it.
2. Select Properties.
3. Click on the Location tab, then click on Restore Default.
4. Click on Apply and then click on OK.
You should now be able to import photos from your external USB or smartphone into your computer.
6. Disable Your Antivirus or Firewall
Do this as a last resort because disabling your Antivirus could expose you to malware and other malicious threats. We recommend keeping a third-party Antivirus enabled for added protection if Windows Security’s defenses are blocking your external device. You cannot import photos into your computer.
Wrapping Up
Do let us know if, after trying these fixes, you were successfully able to import photos to Windows 11/10 PC? We’d also like to know which of the above fixes worked for you. For more such content, keep reading WeTheGeek. You can also get in touch with us on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.