"no compatible devices found" browser install error

oasis4294

Attempting to flash graphene on a secondhand Pixel 8. The phone is in good condition, and connects to my computer just fine when it is booted normally. However when I put it in fastboot mode and connect to try and use the web installer, at the first step ("Unlock bootloader") I persistently get a browser window that just says "No compatible devices found."

I'm running Windows 11, have plenty of memory and storage space per the requirements, and have tried both Edge and Chrome with the same results. I've tried about a dozen different USB-A to C and C to C cables (including Anker data cables that I use for data transfer with other devices, and the cable that came with the Pixel) in different direct ports on my laptop and still nothing.

Any advice on what I could try next or what might be wrong?

de0u

oasis4294 Any advice on what I could try next or what might be wrong?

I think the Windows installer directions mention a special Pixel driver from Google that most users don't need but it seems to help some.

oasis4294

de0u
I actually gave this a go, should have mentioned in my post! I downloaded the Google USB Driver zip file from here: https://developer.android.com/studio/run/win-usb and then attempted to install it using Windows Devices Manager. When I directed it to the downloaded driver, it told me that there was no need to install it because the current driver was up to date.

I'm not sure if I could or should try and overwrite this somehow. In Graphene's web installer instructions it does say that Windows 11 has the right drivers automatically, so theoretically this shouldn't be an issue, but who knows.

legreteco

Do you have another android phone lying around? You could try installing GOS with an Android.

Johnnyloans

oasis4294

Does your computer make a chime sound when you plug in your phone? Does the phone show up under device manager? You could try another android phone to install and/or another usb cable or usb port on the windows PC.

de0u

oasis4294 I downloaded the Google USB Driver zip file [...] and then attempted to install it using Windows Devices Manager. When I directed it to the downloaded driver, it told me that there was no need to install it because the current driver was up to date.

Perhaps Windows is correct that it has the right driver, and the problem is something else. But perhaps the problem is exactly that Windows is wrong when it believes that it has the right driver. Overall, something is going wrong on that Windows machine, so it seems potentially premature to assume that the driver verdict is accurate.

oasis4294 I'm not sure if I could or should try and overwrite this somehow. In Graphene's web installer instructions it does say that Windows 11 has the right drivers automatically, so theoretically this shouldn't be an issue, but who knows.

In the past installing this driver has helped some Windows 11 users.

oasis4294

Johnnyloans
The computer chimes when I plug the phone in, both in regular boot and in fastboot mode.
The phone only shows up in the device manager when I plug it in in regular boot. Once its in fastboot, I hear a chime when I plug it in, but don't see it show up in the devices manager...
WAIT! Real time update as I write this haha - exploring this path plus the driver issue has solved this!!

Previously when I looked in the device manager to check for drivers for my Pixel, I was only looking under "Portable Devices." In that section, the Pixel would only show up when in regular boot, not fastboot, and when I right clicked it to install the Google USB driver I would get that error telling me it already had the correct drivers
However, when I looked in the "Other Devices" section of the device manager, while the Pixel was in fastboot and connected via the factory USB C to C cable, the Pixel did show up there! And it showed up with an icon indicating that it did not have the correct drivers yet
By accessing this instance, I was able to tell my computer to install the Google USB driver. As soon as this was done, my Pixel showed up in the devices list when when I used the Graphene web installer

I've now gotten Graphene installed and am setting it up :) I hope this can be of service to anyone else running into the problem in the future. Thank you everyone for the suggestions in this thread!