how to ... manage SD / Internal Storage - General Questions and Answers

Good evening ..
You will probably think that I'm a real newb and it's maybe the case....
In fact the problem is simple (I guess) ..
I have detected that some files (cache or whatever) are shared between the internal memory and the SD card.
So I wanted to do a clean up of both memories ... and finally I didn't do it for the simple reason that I want to avoid the fact to install all apps again...
My question is : What should I have to do in order to perform this clean up ?
I have one remark linked to Android ... why the conceptor didn't think to that issue ? I mean that it could be easy to create :
- A folder with all APPS.
- 2 extra folders (one on the SD and one on the internal storage) containing all the temporary files / data required for the app to work.
- 2 extra folders (one on the SD and one on the internal storage) containing an hystory of the apps that have been installed. Like this when you decide to remove a apps, all temporary files are deleted at the same moment. (currently I have some apps that have been deinstalled but there are some folders that remain on the SD or the internal memory....
.... I stopped there but I guess you understand my remarks ... or you can fire me because I'm totally wrong lol
in all cases thank you for your help.
Kind regards,
Scarymover.

This is the exact type of app I want/ trying to create.
E4GT Rom-a-holic!!!

Es file Explorer
Try es file explorer.
It has an option sd analyst which keep the track of all your aps and data.
Their locatio how much space are they using.
Etc

Related

[Q] My apps won't load after switching SD card

I just got a legit sandisk 32gb class 4 off of newegg and before swapping I transferred everything from the external SD folder to my internal, did the swap, formatted in the phone then swapped the contents of my old external SD to the new one. Rebooted a few times but my apps will not load. All my apps are saved to phone or internal SD card as well.
Does anyone know why?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
copying from external to internal would not have copied hidden files.. and many of the apps may have had their own direcdtories on external sd with hidden files..
i always do this is pc by backing up old sd to a directory on the pc (make sure to have view hidden and system files on)
they copy back to a new sd card..
double check what was copied by doing a check disk on the old and new cards and comparing number of files and directories including hidden.. should be the same.
Even if show hidden files was checked off within the phone options itself?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
I keep all the .apk files in a seperate folder on my PC ,as I switch phones to the newest thing once or twice a month,I swap my SD card to new phone,then reinstall the programs from the .apk folder using Astro or whatever your choice of software ,the saved files will find the newly installed progs with hidden files and all,you dont even have to reinstall key codes,passwords or nada,If you are a SICK phone Junkie like me,it will save you lots of stress...Vegas
Sorry, is there a way to move this to the Q and A section? my XDA app doesn't show the Q&A area.
lgkahn said:
copying from external to internal would not have copied hidden files.. and many of the apps may have had their own direcdtories on external sd with hidden files..
i always do this is pc by backing up old sd to a directory on the pc (make sure to have view hidden and system files on)
they copy back to a new sd card..
double check what was copied by doing a check disk on the old and new cards and comparing number of files and directories including hidden.. should be the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That worked, thank you!
Vegaslightsss said:
I keep all the .apk files in a seperate folder on my PC ,as I switch phones to the newest thing once or twice a month,I swap my SD card to new phone,then reinstall the programs from the .apk folder using Astro or whatever your choice of software ,the saved files will find the newly installed progs with hidden files and all,you dont even have to reinstall key codes,passwords or nada,If you are a SICK phone Junkie like me,it will save you lots of stress...Vegas
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I will keep this in mind as well.

Vodafone Smart tab 2 (Lenovo A2107A) - Swap SD

I couldnt find a dedicate thread for Vodafone Smart tab 2. So I guess I ll post this here maybe will help some people.
This tablet is basicaly a Lenovo A2107 (A2107A_A404_010_002_120913_VODA)
- with single sim slot ( call feature restricted - only data enabled) and 4gb storage (1.8 gb user available)
For root - you can use http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2044496
User isyrider managed to install recovery and pemergency rom unlocking the calling feature also.
I was looking for a way to swap the internal storage with the sd card so I could get more space if posible without installing a custom rom to avoid incompatibility issues that could appear. Directory bind can help with big game files like gameloft but those 2 gb are still not too much . I was unable to install N.O.V.A 3 because it requires 1.81 gb free on sd.
Anyway long story short . To swap internal memory with SD card you need to have root and replace your VOLD.FSTAB file from system/etc with the one I attached.
You need to have root .
Use any root explorer.
Unzip attachment
Rename your VOLD.FSTAB to VOLD.FSTAB.BAK
Copy my VOLD.FSTAB to system/etc
Reboot.
Check in settings, You will see your sd card listed as internal memory.
This combined with link2sd app will give you plenty of space to install anything .
Hope this helps .
Hi icrazy, I've tried this procedure but unfortunately, I wasn't able to copy your 'vold.fstab' to the directory 'system/etc'. I've rooted my unit before I did this. Now the unit cannot detect SD card. I cannot rename/copy/move any file on this directory. please help... How to restore it, Thank you in advance
Hello, I don't understand what happen. If you were not able to copy my vold.fstab what did you change ? I ask this because you must have done something if now is not working.
Anyway it looks like is a problem with your file explorer , make sure it has read /write rights for system files.
Can you please share some light on isyrider? what is that? where can we find it? Google search didn't seem to help me with this
Is there any way in unlocking the phone feature without installing a different ROM? The last time i did that, with another lenovo tablet, i lost my 3g capabilities , and honestly i don't want to repeat that thing allover again.
Thank you icrazy, working perfectly
I have now 2x Vodafone Smart Tab II 7" with 4 GB and 8 GB storage on internal memory
Hi i managed to use the vold.fstab and replace the internal memory with the sdcard but my problem wasnt solved because the tablet also has another partition 503mb of internal storage and when i install any app will install the apps data on that internal storage even if i have sdcard or internal memory as default write disk so after a couple of apps i have the out of space issue because the internal storage is full is there any way to swap the internal storage 503mb ( not the internal memory 1.85gb) with the internal memory or even with the sdcard this is really stupid why have only 503mb of internal storage if the apps save keep saving data on that partition
Regards
Cristian.Ene said:
Can you please share some light on isyrider? what is that? where can we find it? Google search didn't seem to help me with this
Is there any way in unlocking the phone feature without installing a different ROM? The last time i did that, with another lenovo tablet, i lost my 3g capabilities , and honestly i don't want to repeat that thing allover again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to bump an old thread but i'm also wondering how it's possible to install a custom rom on this tablet. Any help aprecciated

Installing apps to the SD.

Hey all,
Does the Z3 support installing every app fully to the SD card? I ask because 16gb seems a bit limiting if you can't fully use the SD card.
I just came here to ask the same question. In Kitkat 4.4.4 (and maybe other versions?) the 'Move to SD' is disabled/not there and it is up to the phone manufacturer to enable/add it. There is no option in settings on the Z3 to move app data to your SD card. It is very easy to enable apps to be able to use the SD card, either manually or using an app such as SDFix (but you will need to be rooted).
Here are some questions I would like answered if anyone knows:
There are folders on the SD card for most apps in /Android/data/ for example, 'com.microsoft.skydrive'. That same folder is also in the same place (/Android/data/) on the phones memory and contains data for the app. Can that just be moved with a file explorer to the SD card? If so are there any other steps to take?
Is there an app to automate moving data or a way to add the button in settings, apps?
Cheers
Wait till 5 ! It's was disabled is kk
You can use FolderMount to transfer game data to external storage (sdcard)
I use it and it is really essential to me
installed 4 big games

[Q] Unmovable Files

Hi. I try to explain this briefly and informative so you can help me out. I transferred a huge amount of files (video, music, pictures and apks) via zapya from my old xperia m dual to xperia m2 aqua. After moving files I just found out the files do not get automatically in Album, Movies and .... apps and just remains in Zapya and you can view them only there (So noone else faced such problem?!) But the main problem is, I just finded files and moved them with ES File Explorer File Manager, this is what happend >>>
I accidentally moved files to wrong section (storage/emulated/0) which I guess is systemic path. So the phone began to alerting me with love storage space and when I tried to move files to SD card (with same method i moved them to wrong path), It says the phone needs to be rooted for moving files. Now the files can not be deleted, copied, cut or modified as I guess the phone consider them as systemic files and phone internal storage became full.
I just don't want to root this new phone (at least now, or even root and unroot again), so please help me what to do without rooting (I consider root/unroot as my last hope).
What is the version of android you use ?
If I remember correctly in Android 4.4 KitKat without root you can copy, move files as follows:
Internal memory -> external sd card.
External sd card <-> cloud storage.
You can only copy, move in this direction, but not back:
Internal memory -> external sd card.
Cloud storage -> external sd card.
Also you can't rename or delete folders on external sd card.
You can fix this inconvenience only if you're rooted.
You need to add add <group gid="media_rw" /> in file /system/etc/permissions/platform.xml .
Root
I am concluding that only rooting can make it possible, but waiting for more responses maybe something happen! Now looking for a safe half root method.
Try with File Commander that came with phone as preinstalled system app. You can't use ES File Explorer to edit files on external SD card as KK restriction because it's user application, only system apps can do that.
@AleksJ
Sorry man, but you are so wrong, you can edit external SD card content only with system (non-user) apps and that's KK restriction. So I got this File Commander app preinstalled and I had used it until I rooted my phone. Now Solid Explorer is the best...
Go to Settings/Memory (I think). There is an option to move images/video/music files and maybe other content from/to the internal memory and the SD Card. It also has an option to wipe the cache files (not the directory /cache which is another thing).

How to prevent Android 11 from using the SD card?

Dear all,
the following problem might be unusual and the opposite of what other people want, but as the title says:
Is it possible to prevent Android 11 (and custom ROMs based on it) from writing to the external SD card? That is, I don't want apps or the O/S itself to store any data there. You now probably are asking yourself whether I have gone totally crazy, putting an external SD card into the phone and not wanting it to be used, so I'll give a bit of background:
I have a Samsung S9 plus Duos (G965F/DS) and have installed a custom recovery (TWRP 3.5.2) and a custom ROM (ArrowOS 11) onto it. Then I have installed SSHelper 13.2 and have put an external SD card into the phone.
I am taking backups very seriously. I don't want to root my phone, but nevertheless want bit-for-bit backups of all partitions or data, respectively. I don't have much data on the phone, but the data and the O/S configuration I *do* have must be regularly backed up no matter what. The backup must *not* be in the cloud. That led me to the following idea for the backup process:
- Boot into TWRP
- Let TWRP make the backup, using the partitions of the internal storage as source, and using the external SD card as destination
- Reboot to system
- Fire up SSHelper
- Copy the backup from the external SD card to a PC, e.g. via WinSCP.
That process works like a charm; I have done it several times.
[ Side note: The SSHelper / WinSCP combo is ingenious. It enables me to transfer data (e.g. backups) between my PC and my phone without involving the cloud and without having to pull out the external SD card all the time. Doing the latter every other day would probably damage the phone or the external SD card quite fast. ]
Now I have only one small problem left: Android itself of course recognizes the external SD card as well and installs a folder structure on it (e.g. Downloads, Movies, Pictures etc.). Although I actually haven't seen files (other than placeholders) in there yet, I have no clue if and under which circumstances apps or the O/S might put important data in these external SD card folders. I have to prevent the latter, because it would render my backup method (backup internal storage completely to external SD card) useless.
Hence the question: Is there a method to tell the O/S and all apps that they may read the external SD card, but under no circumstances must place data there?
Thank you very much in advance for any ideas!
P.S. I have seen many threads where users had problems with the external SD card, e.g. not being able to make apps use it or not being able to see its contents. But I somehow have the opposite problem: Of course, I need to see the external SD card's contents (which is no problem), but I want to prevent normal apps and the O/S from writing something there.
No you can't prevent android from creating default folders on it, but I'm pretty sure you can exclude them from backup.
Thank you very much!
However, excluding these folders from backup wouldn't be wise if Android or an app would have put data in them ...
D9yHyi8Fe3mo1YgM said:
Thank you very much!
However, excluding these folders from backup wouldn't be wise if Android or an app would have put data in them ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then don't exclude the whole Android folder, just some folders inside. Like /obb folder or system apps data inside /data
Or just exclude "LOST" or other cache folders.
D9yHyi8Fe3mo1YgM said:
Dear all
Is it possible to prevent Android 11 (and custom ROMs based on it) from writing to an SD card? That is, I don't want apps or the O/S itself to store any data there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming you are speaking of an External SD-card ( Note: As with Android internal storage memory by default is named SD-card ).
As long as you don't use an external SD-card ( completely or partially ) as Adoptable Storage by default neither apps nor OS itself write to it ( store data on it ).
@jwoegerbauer Thank you very much! This what I have experienced, too. I have seen the folders, but no data in them. I am still wondering why it creates those folders at all if it doesn't put data in them.
I eventually have missed it, but I think I have gone through every option of ArrowOS, but didn't find a menu item where I could activate (or inactivate) the external SD card as adoptable storage. Therefore I suspected it would do that automatically, depending on circumstances.
Another mystery (for me) is that (AFAIK) data would go into subfolders of the "Android" folder on the external SD card. But the Android folder is nearly empty, while the rest of the folder structure (Documents, Pictures etc.) is at the root level of the external SD card (i.e. at the same level as the "Android" folder).
P.S. Yes, I was speaking of the external SD card. I'll check if it's still possible to edit my posts and make that clear.
Thank you very much again!
XDHx86 said:
Then don't exclude the whole Android folder, just some folders inside. Like /obb folder or system apps data inside /data
Or just exclude "LOST" or other cache folders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much again!
I should have made myself more clear: My plan is to have all data only in internal storage and to back up internal storage to the external SD card.
When there is normal data (besides these backups) on the external SD card, three problems arise:
1) The normal data on the external SD card takes up space. If I can't control which data Android and the apps put there, the remaining space may not be sufficient for the backups one day.
Every portion of normal data which is on the external SD card counts twice in that sense. First, it increases the backup size by its own size; secondly, it reduces the space which remains for the backups by its own size.
2) I know that I wrote that I will transfer the backups to a PC wirelessly. However, I still want the phone to run normally even after I have removed the external SD card. If Android or the apps put normal data on the external SD card, this is not possible any more.
3) Excluding certain data on the external SD card from backup is problematic and would void the main advantage of my backup strategy:
I really don't need to think about what to exclude or include. I just back up all internal partitions, completely and bit by bit, to the external SD card. If I lose the phone, I can buy another one, flash TWRP onto it, restore those backups, and have the original O/S, apps and all data, and even dm-verify will be no issue.
I have no clue about Android and I am not able (or would be too lazy anyway) to decide which data to include or exclude to achieve the same. So I really would like to avoid that triage.
I believe that some time ago I had found an ugly trick to keep Android and the apps from creating and using those folders. I'll have to check whether I have taken notes about it ...
Thank you very much again!
@D9yHyi8Fe3mo1YgM
To clarify things:
You have to distinguish between portable storage and adoptable storage. Adoptable storage really extends device's internal storage, whereas portable storage does not.
If apps are granted WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE / READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission then they can access the external SD-card, too.
jwoegerbauer said:
You have to distinguish between portable storage and adoptable storage. Adoptable storage really extends device's internal storage, whereas portable storage does not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much again! I suspected so, but didn't find the setting in the UI of ArrowOS yet. I am nearly sure that I just missed it, and will research again (just out of curiosity, because extending the internal storage to the external SD card is exactly the opposite of what I want).
jwoegerbauer said:
If apps are granted WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE / READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission then they can access the external SD-card, too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. Thank you very much for the explanation. I'll go through the app permissions and check that. Then only the O/S itself could put data there.
[ Side note: In the meanwhile, I have corrected my posts according to your hint regarding the term "SD card". ]
I don't know if this topic has aged or not, have you found any solution?
I don't want Android system to write files like Android-Podcast-Alarms-Music-Notification into my sd card, I want my sd card to be clear and clean
this order system which android uses is very useless and annoying, when will they remove that??!!

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