Whenever I try and upload a file to Google Drive or add a picture from my gallery to instagram, my phone creates a file called .thumbdata3 in the thumbnails directory on my SD card. The problem with this is not the creation of the file, it's that the file is exactly the size of all the free space on the memory card... When plugged into the computer it displays "0 Bytes Free" on the SD card...
So when I choose a file from the gallery to upload to google drive or instagram, it will hang on a black screen until this file has been created (filling up the SD card), and then upload... Then i check the free space, and it is 0Bytes.
Anyone else had this and fixed it?
PS Sorry for being a noob here
Bumping this...
Anyone had this? Or have a solution?
Same thing here, unfortunately no solution. Apparently it is safe to delete the file, but it will be recreated at some point, taking up all the space on the SD card again.
For me, it grew up to 400 MB and even beyond (IIRC), which seems a bit excessive, even taking into account that there are > 2000 pictures in the DCIM folder of my SD-card at the moment. Still, 400 MB is more than a quarter of the 1.4 GB that the pictures take up, which surely does not make much sense if that is supposed to speed up the process of reading/displaying the thumbnails!?
Does anybody know a fix? Is it ICS related? I'm on Stock 4.0.3 ICS BTW, and I never noticed this behaviour before the update...
Same here, with a SE Xperia Mini Pro (4.0.4). It happened with me when the phone tried syncing Evernote notes (with pictures attached).
Maybe this topic should be moved to a more generic sub-forum; apparently it's an ICS problem...
thumbdata3
I am also currently having this problem, specially when trying to upload/import photos from gallery to instagram. the ".thumdata3...." file can go as large as 2.5 gig for me, depenending on how much space I have on my SD card before importing pics from gallery to instagram
Same happenned to me - a siolutions that worked for me
Same happened to me the .thumdata3 ate up all remaining space (1.2G) on my Samsung Galaxy S2, android 4.0.3. Any time I deleted it, it was recreated any time I opened the camera app. Then the camera app was unable to take any pic due to sd full. If I deleted this file it was re-created any time I started camera again.
Installing and running the SDrescan app (from play store) helped. Though SDrescan made stock ringtones disappear. However reboot helped that, and the large file did not came back even after restarting camera.
This worked for me, though I am not sure in the reason. Might work for you as well, or not. I must say that android 4.0 is much worse than I expected. Not the first annoying error I have found.
My guess for the reason of the error happening: I once inserted an sd card with LOTS of media content. Then all this was cached somehow in gallery.
My guess for the reason this solution works: the app erases cached SD data thus helps reducing the thumbnail cache.
rasnadas said:
Same happened to me the .thumdata3 ate up all remaining space (1.2G) on my Samsung Galaxy S2, android 4.0.3. Any time I deleted it, it was recreated any time I opened the camera app. Then the camera app was unable to take any pic due to sd full. If I deleted this file it was re-created any time I started camera again.
Installing and running the SDrescan app (from play store) helped. Though SDrescan made stock ringtones disappear. However reboot helped that, and the large file did not came back even after restarting camera.
This worked for me, though I am not sure in the reason. Might work for you as well, or not. I must say that android 4.0 is much worse than I expected. Not the first annoying error I have found.
My guess for the reason of the error happening: I once inserted an sd card with LOTS of media content. Then all this was cached somehow in gallery.
My guess for the reason this solution works: the app erases cached SD data thus helps reducing the thumbnail cache.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same issue, but unfortunately your solution didn't help me. Initially I thought it did, but after a reboot and launching Camera app, it hanged and created the .thumbdata3 file once again.
I also tried messing up with databases using SQLite Editor, as described here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=28466334&postcount=9, but that didn't help either.
I've done some more research and found a solution here: http://www.mobilephonetalk.com/show...in-memory-card&p=311954&viewfull=1#post311954. After I deleted the .thumbdata3 file, created a blank one with Root Explorer and removed write permission to it, the file stays at 0 bytes and Camera and Gallery apps still work fine.
I have an issue with the size of the thumbdata3 file in DCIM/.thumbnails on internal memory (camera is set to store to ext SD) at the moment it is 314MB on internal memory but the thumbdata3 file in the DCIM/.thumbnail folder on ext SD is less than 1MB (I only have around 100 photos and pictures on my phone) - but camera still works (other than in the scenario described below)
If I delete the large thumbdata3 file from internal memory and then attempt to use the camera, the photo is taken without any problem but when I try to view it in either gallery or QuickPic by clicking through from the 'last image taken thumbnail' in the camera and then click back to carry on taking another picture the camera FC's. It usually does this twice and is then absolutely fine - apart from the fact that the large thumbdata3 file has been recreated on internal storage.
I've tried it numerous times and every time the same results - delete thumbdata3 from internal memory, couple of camera FC's, large thumbdata3 file recreated, no more problems (bar the loss of 314MB of storage)
I've tried replacing the thumbdata3 file on internal memory with a copy of the smaller one from Ext SD, creating a blank thumbdata3 file and setting it as read only/no write permission and neither have helped.
Its a bit weird and annoying but I won't let it take the shine off my fun with CM9, however it would be nice to recover that large chunk of storage space to be put to better use.
All the same, many thanks Arco - Beta 1 is my first CM9 install and its great :good:[/QUOTE]
Hi - haven't full troubleshooted this issue yet, but see my notes here. I have the same issue (GNEX JB 4.1.1 stock) and for me it is caused by the app KeepSafe which hides/unhides pics/videos on your phone. Note I believe this is an interaction issue between this app and the media scanning functionality in JB (and I suspect ICS), and so there are likely other apps that have the same issue. For me it creates 1 or 2 .thumbdata3 db files each around 1.3GB.
Certainly, irrespective of app causing it, you can follow the steps to purge Gallery and Media Storage, resync your gmail account and they should disappear on their own. Opening the camera and taking a photo causes the db to come back at around 400MB with a single thumbnail - one of the test files I was hiding and unhiding with KeepSafe but has since been deleted. Can't really explain this behaviour!
Any way, I made some notes on what I tested, the results and some ponderings in case this helps someone work it out:
Thumbdata3
Hiding in keep safe seems to create both the thumbnails and thumbdata file.
Clearing data/cache for gallery and media storage removes all these files? So far doesn't seem to be the case. File and db still there after. Rerunning the media scanner now. Perhaps they caused it? Also forced resync of all items in gmail account. Thumbs and db now gone. Not clear if it was the media scanning completing or the re-sync, but steps to resolve issue now appear deterministic.
Tested with single pic. Restored. No thumbs. Re-hid, thumbnail appeared for this pic and a 435MB db file.
All thumbs were for pics hidden in keep safe. However previously there were far more thumbs. Speculate - cumulative issue thru successive hide/restore cycles, possibly due to file name collision avoidance.
Deleting pic in file explorer also causes the problem? Does not appear to be the case. Gallery/Media Scanner/Media Storage handles this manual intervention far better under ICS/JB. Previously, manually removing a picture rather than deleting it thru Gallery tended to mean the tile/thumb remained. Scanner didn't or didn't very effectively detect this. Probable algorithm change in ICS. Now it sees the deletion immediately. Possibly implicated in keep safe not correctly interacting with the gallery/media scanner properly under ICS/JB.
I´ve the same problem.
After restarting the phone, the camera freezes for a while and regenerates the file, no matter how many media files are in the phone or sd card, it always growth to 431mg after restarting.
(I also find many lost files in the LOST.DIR (almost 2.300gb...many are dissapeared files that I forget about them!)
The .thumbdata files on my SGSIII take up ~4 GB worth of space. Already a quarter of my phones internal memory is being wasted. I wonder if this is a bug or "working as intended"? It makes me wonder how google can still justify the lack of an external microsd card slot on their nexus phones when there is so much space being mismanaged by the OS.
It's works
strom87 said:
I had the same issue, but unfortunately your solution didn't help me. Initially I thought it did, but after a reboot and launching Camera app, it hanged and created the .thumbdata3 file once again.
I also tried messing up with databases using SQLite Editor, as described here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=28466334&postcount=9, but that didn't help either.
I've done some more research and found a solution here: http://www.mobilephonetalk.com/show...in-memory-card&p=311954&viewfull=1#post311954. After I deleted the .thumbdata3 file, created a blank one with Root Explorer and removed write permission to it, the file stays at 0 bytes and Camera and Gallery apps still work fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's works with me!
that works
That works for me:
1. copy name of thumbdataX--x file
2. delete that file
3. create folder named the same as deleted file; reboot your device
4. look in folders named LOST.DIR (you can find it in the root directory of your internal memory and your SDcard) - huge temporary files may be left in these folders, so delete these files
New thumbdata file can't replace the folder and doesn't appears :victory:
until now the folder solution works :laugh:
Kyonex said:
That works for me:
1. copy name of thumbdataX--x file
2. delete that file
3. create folder named the same as deleted file; reboot your device
4. look in folders named LOST.DIR (you can find it in the root directory of your internal memory and your SDcard) - huge temporary files may be left in these folders, so delete these files
New thumbdata file can't replace the folder and doesn't appears :victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't work, camera still overwrites the .thumbdataX--x folder. And as /mnt/sdacard is using FAT32, I also can't set file permission to 000 or use /dev/null symlink.
Hey guys I am facing an issue regarding space in my phone's internal SD CARD. I checked in root explorer n found that 2 files of thumbnail in DCIM folder taking 600mb of space. though all my photos n videos are in external SD CARD. But I don't know how its still being created in the internal SD CARD and I wanna tell that I use quickpic galary app to browse all the photos n videos and never used phones original galary app....
So plz help me guys n provide a solution. M using Sony Xperia go phone!!
Sent from my ST27i using xda premium
Maybe You Can find solution in one of those threads:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1318827
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=28447099#post28447099
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=35259164&postcount=7
It seems a problem with android 4+ I made a goo.gle link but haven't posted much here yet oQSfA is the extension of the url. If I am erroneously posting this, I am sorry. I have the same issue. If anyone can post a clickable link it might get stars quicker. It might be fixed in jelly bean, but I don't know.
Issue 39546:Files under DCIM/.thumbnails are eating away at SD card storage
I have since done factory restore with formatting the stock SD. File is there, much smaller though 197 KB. No pictures to thumbnail, so it isn't necessarily solved. I did switch out cards (old 16GB to stock 4GB) before format and delete the .thumbnail file but that was recreated even with no pictures. I figured it may be my picasa account, but have since opened gallery. After letting more (from Picasa) picture and folder thumbnails appear than ever before my file is still small
.:banghead:
it still (6+ hours) has not grown giant. In fact its not really there. I didn't disable any of TMobile bloat like I did initially, and have the blank SD. In the process of reinstalling apps reopening gallery and checking space with storage analyzer.
I still don't like not being able to choose internal USB or external storage SD. Most apps "moved to SD card" just move to USB storage. Interestingly tapatalk appeared to move to the real external SD card as did a few others.
I doubt this will be fixed on ICS. I can hope though. It seems like the app itself needs to use the external SD directory, but the stock gallery might never be updated.
Samsung galaxy blaze 4G with stock ICS 4.0.4. All the extra TMobile apps are a pre-installed, but not updated.
I don't claim to be knowledgeable enough to know what I don't know. I always reserve the right to be wrong.
Taking pictures didn't make thumbnail file huge, but one relatively small video of 29 seconds with a 5MP camera created a 47mb file and two 3mb files in the thumbnail folder. Not huge but bigger than 10%.
EvilHobbit said:
Maybe You Can find solution in one of those threads:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1318827
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=28447099#post28447099
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=35259164&postcount=7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks bro.. u really helped me.. just tried some solutions from the links u gave me.
will post feedback again if its working or not. i hope those thumbnail files wont come back now.
Glad i could help a bit .
Sent from my LT18i using xda app-developers app
EvilHobbit said:
Glad i could help a bit .
Sent from my LT18i using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
finally it worked... thanks a lot bro...
for all others dealing with same issue, here is what i did... just replaced the thumbnail file with another file created with root explorer named it same as the thumbnail file n removed the write permissions of the new file created... so it wont let system write any data in it. therefore it stays empty.
So I was cleaning up the internal SD card after flashing over to CleanROM and I noticed that the DCIM folder had a couple hundred mb of data in it. Sadly when I tried to stop the delete the folder was already gone. My question is what was in there.. I had not even opened the camera yet since I had owned the phone. I tired to dissect an odin image but coudln't find anything to relieve my curiosity. Does anyone know if there are pre-loaded images or something in there?
MajicManDroid said:
So I was cleaning up the internal SD card after flashing over to CleanROM and I noticed that the DCIM folder had a couple hundred mb of data in it. Sadly when I tried to stop the delete the folder was already gone. My question is what was in there.. I had not even opened the camera yet since I had owned the phone. I tired to dissect an odin image but coudln't find anything to relieve my curiosity. Does anyone know if there are pre-loaded images or something in there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even I had the problem some times ago, but I still couldn't get an proper answer for that
I'm willing to bet that other apps used the camera, even if you did not use the camera explicitly with the purpose of taking pictures.
Anything that you can use to scan QR/bar codes, geotag a location, take a note, etc can be set so it saves the image into the DCIM folder (it may even be set up that way by default).
They wouldn't be pre-loaded pictures, because those are stored in a totally separate directory on your phone.
My DCIM folder weirdly became empty for some reason after I plugged my phone into my computer to download some photos.
I took some 20 or 30 pictures today and thought I had them in my DCIM folder. As I reached home and tried to copy them to my computer, I found that the DCIM folder was completely empty. I tried to search my gallery on my phone but it couldn't find any photos that were camera taken either. I took 1 or 2 photos to see if it stores them and it does. Right in the DCIM folder.
Before this happened, I know I checked my gallery for camera taken pictures yesterday and they were there. I am almost positive that it happened sometime between me starting to take photos today and the time I arrived home and plugged it in.
I am wondering what might cause such a thing to happen. None of my other data on either the phone storage or the SD card is missing from what I can notice, just the DCIM folders are empty. My phone is rooted and changed some system apps, deleted some, added some. I am wondering if this could be something related to memory management of the Camera app, which is the default one.
I think, but I am not completely sure, that as I was taking the photos I could notice the remaining photos count dropping and when I reached home, even though the DCIM folders were empty, the number didn't rise back.
What's even weirder is that I used a data recovery tool from the web and it did indeed find some deleted files on both my sd card and my phone storage but not one single picture of the ones I took.
Any ideas? Has this ever happened to you? Any possible solutions, maybe?
Thanks,
Fred
Update
I found the pictures. I am not sure if they're all of them but I believe so. They were in my LOST.DIR folder, for some reason.
Can you guys think of an explanation for which all of my DCIM contents got moved to LOST.DIR? Also the extensions on all of them was lost. They were files without extensions, like text files in Linux. I had to run a for command in shell to rename them all.
birkhoff_fred said:
I found the pictures. I am not sure if they're all of them but I believe so. They were in my LOST.DIR folder, for some reason.
Can you guys think of an explanation for which all of my DCIM contents got moved to LOST.DIR? Also the extensions on all of them was lost. They were files without extensions, like text files in Linux. I had to run a for command in shell to rename them all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Explanation: You did not safe unmount the storage from your computer, thats why the files were declared as "lost/broken" and moved to LOST.DIR ....
you're right. I totally did not do that. thanks
birkhoff_fred said:
My DCIM folder weirdly became empty for some reason after I plugged my phone into my computer to download some photos.
I took some 20 or 30 pictures today and thought I had them in my DCIM folder. As I reached home and tried to copy them to my computer, I found that the DCIM folder was completely empty. I tried to search my gallery on my phone but it couldn't find any photos that were camera taken either. I took 1 or 2 photos to see if it stores them and it does. Right in the DCIM folder.
Before this happened, I know I checked my gallery for camera taken pictures yesterday and they were there. I am almost positive that it happened sometime between me starting to take photos today and the time I arrived home and plugged it in.
I am wondering what might cause such a thing to happen. None of my other data on either the phone storage or the SD card is missing from what I can notice, just the DCIM folders are empty. My phone is rooted and changed some system apps, deleted some, added some. I am wondering if this could be something related to memory management of the Camera app, which is the default one.
I think, but I am not completely sure, that as I was taking the photos I could notice the remaining photos count dropping and when I reached home, even though the DCIM folders were empty, the number didn't rise back.
What's even weirder is that I used a data recovery tool from the web and it did indeed find some deleted files on both my sd card and my phone storage but not one single picture of the ones I took.
Any ideas? Has this ever happened to you? Any possible solutions, maybe?
Thanks,
Fred
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey I've been having some problems with my DCIM folder too. yesterday I connected my Note 3 neo to my PC(running elementary OS) and it showed that DCIM folder was empty, but since it took up almost all of the device storage, I moved that empty folder to my PC and boom! 10 GB freed from my device:good:. But DCIM still empty. And now I can't get those photos and videos back even after moving them back to device.
Can anyone explain what just happened with me and how to fix this?
Many times a simple problem turns complex....... like now.
I take many photos on my phone, dSLR, GoPro, MavicPro, etc. and always shoot RAW. I do my post processing in Lightroom and Photoshop. On my S8+ I discovered LR is not importing the .DNG files. I find out it seems they need to be in the Camera Roll and I configured the stock camera to store them on the SD. I'm using the promo 256GB Samsung SD.
OK. I'll poke around with a file manager. In the rocess I find and try to delete an old folder. It asks for permission to access, I think no problem I've seen this many times before. HOWEVER, I can not grant permission the SD does not appear on the permissions screen!! Then I try a different software and see that the card is defined differently. One software even has it as a USB drive. Another simply calls it "Storage". In any case, I can't do much with it. The system seems to access it just fine in most cases.
I think OK I'll re-format it, dead end. How about merging it with the internal storage to have one huge single place for storage (not my favorite way since I may need to read the SD in a different device in case of a failure), this would solve my Lightroom issue as then I save .DNGs to the internal Camera Roll, nope.
I know I'm rambling.
The questions are:
Can this big SD be merged with the internal storage? Is there a size limit or is that not possible any more?
Anyone else using Lightroom Mobile and shooting RAW? What is your workflow?