Database Info

Formatting

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but I've searched for this on XDA & Google. All I get is a generalization for All Android type devices. I've been noticing that through my various flashes, backups, & restores that somehow my internal SD card has filled up!! I don't know how I've managed to fill up an almost 16GB worth on my phone (yes, I know it's not a full 16GB because some of it is partitioned), but...ummm...how do I get it back? I've deleted all of my backups, but that only freed up about a gig or two. Would a simple unroot/root work, would that clear everything on the SD card? Or is there an easier way? I've tried checking the phone's settings, but all that seems to do is a nothing more than a Factory/data reset. I guess what I'm asking is:
1) How does an SD card get filled up like this from normal flashing, backing up, restoring, etc?
2) What's the best way to get all the space back on my SD card?
Thanks for the help everyone. Please don't be too mad at me; I did attempt to do various searches first.

Thats strange...you say that you deleted all your backups so that should clear a lot of space(it did for me). You cant see what it is taking so much space when you plug your phone to your computer?

Plug phone into computer --> mount usb storage --> windirstat
Or just look through each folders properties in ES File Explorer, Root Explorer, etc. Nandroid backups are placed in the clockworkmod folder, btw. There are likely other folders with backups on the card, too.
fergie, underneath me, has an even better idea. Basically windirstat for android, thanks

You can use this app and see what is taking up all that space
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.diskusage
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

fergie716 said:
You can use this app and see what is taking up all that space
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.diskusage
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This! Disk Usage is a must have app.

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Just so I understand this correctly. This image is telling me that most of my usage is coming from games? Namely, Game loft games?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

Yes. Gameloft games are grotesquely obese and do not remove their downloaded data when you uninstall them.

jesusice said:
Yes. Gameloft games are grotesquely obese and do not remove their downloaded data when you uninstall them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, then what's the best way of getting rid of them? Just to manually delete the file/folders?
I'd really just like to start fresh. Would unrooting/rooting the phone be the best way to do that?

dscatto said:
So, then what's the best way of getting rid of them? Just to manually delete the file/folders?
I'd really just like to start fresh. Would unrooting/rooting the phone be the best way to do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd just copy the files on to your PC and format SD card. Actually I'd just delete the large files manually. Just click the large file in Disk Usage hit menu and then delete em.

Feel free to delete just about any folder on the internal sdcard, it's not a major problem. Just make sure you keep what is personally needed and any data that apps have put there that are needed.

Thanks everyone! I went ahead & just deleted them. I don't feel so cramped any more! I have almost 7gigs now! Also, thanks for telling me about that app! Really helped me!
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

"system data" what is it?

I have a file on my internal sdcard called "system data" and it's over 500mb...
Can someone explain what it says and how to downsize it?
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
"Sent Via Time Traveling Blue Police Box"

spikedzombies said:
I have a file on my internal sdcard called "system data" and it's over 500mb...
Can someone explain what it says and how to downsize it?
"Sent Via Time Traveling Blue Police Box"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's all your stuff needed to run your phone properly. If you want to downsize it you can delete unused ringtones and other sounds, but dont tinker with much more or you could brick your phone.

jbats said:
That's all your stuff needed to run your phone properly. If you want to downsize it you can delete unused ringtones and other sounds, but dont tinker with much more or you could brick your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on a fresh format with everything on my external sdcard
There's no reason it should be that large
Internal memory
And
External sdcard
"Sent Via Time Traveling Blue Police Box"

spikedzombies said:
I'm on a fresh format with everything on my external sdcard
There's no reason it should be that large
"Sent Via Time Traveling Blue Police Box"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U need to use a root file explorer and do some digging, very curious. Report back the cause if u find

i spent 2 hours going through the entire internal sdcard.. and found nothing out of the ordinary.

spikedzombies said:
i spent 2 hours going through the entire internal sdcard.. and found nothing out of the ordinary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had this problem pop up even after running a clean install until I finally figured it out (for myself at least) SD card/DCIM/THUMBNAILS. It would usually use about 3.75 Gig if not more, until I would delete it and free up the space as it's really not needed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T769 using xda premium

chinabear13 said:
I've had this problem pop up even after running a clean install until I finally figured it out (for myself at least) SD card/DCIM/THUMBNAILS. It would usually use about 3.75 Gig if not more, until I would delete it and free up the space as it's really not needed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T769 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't keep picture on my phone and I've cleared the thumbnail data multiple times.
"Sent Via Time Traveling Blue Police Box"

Bumping this hopefully someone knows the answer...
"Sent Via Time Traveling Blue Police Box"

[Q] Cleanup of internal memory

Alright I'll explain a bit my case.
At CM10 I had no problem with internal memory, I had around 200-170mb free with all my must-have apps, and even other ones I think. I switched to CM10.1, most precisely, to besttt's Slim Bean, as @mikeioannina said, it's just not necessary to wipe /data at any moment, (see this wiki article) so yeah, to update from like.. Slim Bean 7 to SB8, I just wipe /system (even when it's said not to), cache and dalvik. Even after removing a LOT of system apps (over 15), including the google search one (QuickSearchBox.apk) my phone displays a total of 64 megabytes free, with all the SD card apps moved to SD card.
I am experiencing the problems in having low internal storage, such as this problem. I haven't been able to update whatsapp or download any other app, not even BBM that is 13mb, it just won't let me install due to "insufficent storage available", even when I have enough room for both apps.
What do I think that happens? I guess there are some leftovers from previous ROM(s) in /data, and I wanted to know how to clean properly my /data/, or well just entirely my internal storage WITHOUT having to:
Having to reinstall ROM
Wiping the whole /data
Doing a factory reset
Having to redownload ALL my apps again
as I see the procedures listed above unnecessary at my case.
EDIT:I also did a sum of what my apps weigh in Settings>Apps and gave this result (approximate), not exceeding the 200mb, just as it was at CM10.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
EDIT2 The sum of all the apps that were at Settings>Apps>All, I mean, these:
(I have more space free because deleted the YouTube app, it's still really low)
and it gave me an approximate of 240mb, being used by all of those apps, where's my 160mb left of free storage?
Best regards~

No one? This took me a bit of effort..

They may say that it is not necessary, however the best way to do things is always to do a full wipe before installing or updating any ROM. This is especially useful if you encounter problems like this. Yes, it is indeed time consuming and tedious to redownload the apps and restore the save data, but this is the best way to ensure that the installation or update went well. It is to also prevent leftover data from messing up with the ROM installation.
僕のLT18iから送られてきた

I think that the dalvik uses around 60-100 MB depending on how much apps you have, and its not showed. Apps like Link2sd tell you that it can move the dalvik to the sd, but if you make a wipe from the cwm the dalvik is created in the phone memory again. At least that is what happen to me.
By the way, you could also erase the apps before you install a rom, delete them from the zip. Just be aware of which ones are important to the system. Maybe you gain some free MB

Including SD Data as Internal space?

Hi
My phone keeps saying its full. Its not. Going through my installed apps it just doesn't amount to around 12GB.
Checking the properties of the Android folder including data and obb only amounts to 5GB.
It seems the phone thinks files in Pocket Casts on the SD and other SD based files like Here Maps data reside on the internal when they dont!
Anyone clarify this or figure out a fix?

Update: deleting app data of Pocket Casts and Here Maps didn't change anything..
There's still something not right as I went through and checked folder sizes of everything on internal and give or tale a MB here and there, there's nothing else other than the 5.1GB of data. Where is the other 5GB??

Do you happen to have Google Play Music downloaded locally and saved to SD?

Indeed I do...
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

Clear that cache and stored music. Use Google MusicManager for PC to download your music, that way you will not reach your 2 download limit, as it does not count against that limit according to Google when using the manager.
That way you can copy that music to your SD card and it will be in MP3 format.

No, that's not the issue. It only had 40MB of data. I'm literally stumped as to where this hidden few gigs are!

Highlighting all files including hidden on Windows or with File Commander on the phone only shows 3.9GB, but the phone thinks 9GB is used!

One of my work mates had something similar, was told to factory reset and start again and it did actually fix the problem

Did you try the clear cache option in storage settings? It clears for all apps.

Yes. Cleared everything. No joy. Factory reset in the end and that sorted it as its now back as it was with 7GB free. Assume it may have been some oddity from flashing UK generic over O2 rom? Only thing I can think it was.

Ah I didn't see you replied to this. Anyway, I noticed that Google play music does a funny thing where if you have saved music (not cached music) stored on the external SD, the space counts against your internal SD as well. Again, this is not cached music, but music that you've indicated you want saved to device.

change default storage of screenshots

to SD card. aOS9. I can't recall after a factory default.

If you do that, DO NOT use dcim in the SD card folder name.
I simply transfer the dcim files periodically to the SD card*. That way less my backups I retain 2 copies on the phone. Redundantly is a good thing... flash memory seldom fails but it can.
Forget trying to recover images from a corrupted card, it be a horrible impossible mess
Plan ahead.
*if you're running out of space, copy/paste to the SD card then verify size and if the copy is readable then delete the original images. Always backup the SD card redundantly to at least two hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other and the PC!
Best to use the SD card as a data drive, all critical data and backups go there. Only apps, the DCIM and download folders go on internal.

that's all what I do. but how to set the SD as the default. Not worried about losing stuff as I back up quite often.

metropical said:
that's all what I do. but how to set the SD as the default. Not worried about losing stuff as I back up quite often.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're on Pie? I don't know if it's possible on Android 9 or higher. Others have said it isn't.
However I see the camera app on my N10+/Pie does have write SD card permissions.
Try this, first backup all your dcim folders, 2X.
Delete the dcim folder on internal memory and then create a new one on the SD card.
Not sure what will happen... I have NOT tested this.
Maybe someone here has or knows a better way like a adb edit.

Try this. Scratch what I said above
Apparently this is an option for me.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
If you have this option it should work.

yea. did that. my photos are going to SD, but not the screenshots. Darn the Luck ! ! !

metropical said:
yea. did that. my photos are going to SD, but not the screenshots. Darn the Luck ! ! !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's odd. Did you delete the DCIM folder on internal memory? There can only be one.

yup

I vaguely recall someone posting or reading something about this a while back. Lol, screen shots are throw aways for me. Try a reboot and clear the system cache if you have that option.

I did. oh well.

metropical said:
I did. oh well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Play with it, and do more searches on Google.
That's how I solve any issues I have.
ADB editing is a possibility but no idea how to do it for this.