Database Info

Very low Storage (Internal)

So, i have VERY low storage on my Internal memory.
I have 2.78MB out of 303.99MB.
But I'm very confused as to why i have taken up all this space, i have all my videos,songs, pictures on my memory card.
Maybe its my text messages because i have plenty of them, is it possible to transfer my text messages to my memory card? So everytime i get a text it will save to the memory card, aswell as my old ones.

Each text message is only about a few kb. 300mb of text message is about 500 million text messages-if my math is correct! Go in to "Settings" and "Memory" and at the bottom is a feature to find large files. You probably have either photos/videos, backed up files or internet cache files clogging your arteries.

i already cleared my history,cookies and cache from the internet.
I have no idea what to do, i dont have anything saved on the internal memory, and i have searched for big files but they are all on my memory card

mtreesize is the answer. Invstigate

You may have a log file running out of control somewhere. Open windows and sort by size with total commander. Then look in \my documents and \application data and all the temp files. Clear Temp or a similar program may help you out, it's not always easy to find stuff like this. Also, check your Youtube folder or any streaming folders. Sometimes the stream dump hangs around, and it can be huge. Files with weird extensions don't necessarily show up in the 'search for large files.'

Joe_PDA said:
Each text message is only about a few kb. 300mb of text message is about 500 million text messages-if my math is correct! Go in to "Settings" and "Memory" and at the bottom is a feature to find large files. You probably have either photos/videos, backed up files or internet cache files clogging your arteries.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's absolutely true, but what about the mms'es? Do you have a lot of them too?
The other very important question is where do you install all of your software (programs and games)? I have a game installed on my Raphael that uses over 100mb!

[Q] .Thumbdata3 file

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.

Sd card Q&A

Never owned a phone that came with microsd and this new Sony phone intrigues me. Biggest bummer about this phone is that it only comes with 16 GB internal storage. I don't know how this work since the kit-kat upgrade came out but my question is that say I'm a heavy Whatsapp user and and have lots of photos and convos saved onto my phone so can that automatically transfer to my sdcard? With this little memory im scared I might run out of room with all my other apps as well. Btw i'm not a guy that roots my phone so that would be out of the question unless that was the only last option to make this work. Hope to get some detailed feedback from you guys. :fingers-crossed::laugh:

I don't think you would need to root the Z3 to do what you want. I haven't had an expandable memory slot since my old HD2. Nexus 4 for the last few years, working with limited memory is something I wish to finally again leave behind.

I don't know how it works on the Z3, but with KitKat this is the gist:
Apps can write to the sdcard, but only to their "approved" folders. E.g. After 4.3 or so we got an /Android/data/ folder inside the root of our sdcards. Inside that are app package names. So if a developer calls getExternalFilesDirs() it will list an array, one being the internal Android/data folder and the other being the SDcard Android/data folder. However, no change is needed on the app developer if they let you browse directories (you can just point the save location to the proper data folder package name). So, for example, I use FX File Explorer and move files to /extSdCard/Android/data/nextapp.fx/files from my internal memory on my S4.
Currently the only negative are games like Baldur's Gate. They only install to the internal memory and at 2.3GB can not be moved to the sdcard. If you root you might be able to swap the directories, but I haven't tried as I prefer to not root. But as it stands, that 2.3GB would go against the 16GB internal storage.

jonshipman said:
I don't know how it works on the Z3, but with KitKat this is the gist:
Apps can write to the sdcard, but only to their "approved" folders. E.g. After 4.3 or so we got an /Android/data/ folder inside the root of our sdcards. Inside that are app package names. So if a developer calls getExternalFilesDirs() it will list an array, one being the internal Android/data folder and the other being the SDcard Android/data folder. However, no change is needed on the app developer if they let you browse directories (you can just point the save location to the proper data folder package name). So, for example, I use FX File Explorer and move files to /extSdCard/Android/data/nextapp.fx/files from my internal memory on my S4.
Currently the only negative are games like Baldur's Gate. They only install to the internal memory and at 2.3GB can not be moved to the sdcard. If you root you might be able to swap the directories, but I haven't tried as I prefer to not root. But as it stands, that 2.3GB would go against the 16GB internal storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea Iike the what's app itself is only cpl MB and I don't mind that on my internal but within what's app I have 3GB worth of photos videos from my group chats that I like to keep so I need to know if that can automatically be saved to sdcard or I have to find a different phone.

ms54 said:
Yea Iike the what's app itself is only cpl MB and I don't mind that on my internal but within what's app I have 3GB worth of photos videos from my group chats that I like to keep so I need to know if that can automatically be saved to sdcard or I have to find a different phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where is WhatsApp saving the pictures? To tell you the truth, no phone post 4.4.4 without rooting will do what you need. So you may need to look for something with larger internal storage.

[Q] Insufficient storage

My Nexus S (GT-I9020)keeps giving me an "insufficient storage" message. Particularly when updating "Google Newstand".
So I have cleared out lots of Photos and music and stuff. Cleared caches. Moved stuff to SD etc. Still keeps happening.
So while connected to my PC by USB, I ran "Treesize" on it, and it tells me that I have 9.87Gb free. What is the problem?
Of the few Gigabytes that are used, by far the biggest folder is called "DCIM", I know that this is where pictures are stored, but I have cleared out loads of photos. The largest file in there is called " thumbdata", at 966Mb by far the largest file on the entire phone. What is this waste of space? Can I delete it?
It seems that whenever I take a pic. with my phone, it is stored there, then a little while later a second copy appears thanks to Google upload or something, but the new copy is not as high res as the original. I do want Google to upload my photos back to my PC, but why does it have to send them back to the phone? How do I stop this? I spend too much time deleting copies of pics that are already on the phone in original. I think that the thumbnails folder is a result of all this.
The biggest memory hog after DCIM is Clockwork Mod, within it a folder called "blobs". What is it and can I delete it?
The Next biggest memory hog is called "TWRP". What is it? Can I delete it?
Is there a guide to what all these things mean and do, for us learners?

monkey shoulder said:
My Nexus S (GT-I9020)keeps giving me an "insufficient storage" message. Particularly when updating "Google Newstand".
So I have cleared out lots of Photos and music and stuff. Cleared caches. Moved stuff to SD etc. Still keeps happening.
So while connected to my PC by USB, I ran "Treesize" on it, and it tells me that I have 9.87Gb free. What is the problem?
Of the few Gigabytes that are used, by far the biggest folder is called "DCIM", I know that this is where pictures are stored, but I have cleared out loads of photos. The largest file in there is called " thumbdata", at 966Mb by far the largest file on the entire phone. What is this waste of space? Can I delete it?
It seems that whenever I take a pic. with my phone, it is stored there, then a little while later a second copy appears thanks to Google upload or something, but the new copy is not as high res as the original. I do want Google to upload my photos back to my PC, but why does it have to send them back to the phone? How do I stop this? I spend too much time deleting copies of pics that are already on the phone in original. I think that the thumbnails folder is a result of all this.
The biggest memory hog after DCIM is Clockwork Mod, within it a folder called "blobs". What is it and can I delete it?
The Next biggest memory hog is called "TWRP". What is it? Can I delete it?
Is there a guide to what all these things mean and do, for us learners?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how many apps in your device? u can check your remaining storage at setting>apps>downloaded...if the remaining is under 100mb...u need to delete some apps to update some apps...

Re:insufficient storage
cshnz said:
how many apps in your device? u can check your remaining storage at setting>apps>downloaded...if the remaining is under 100mb...u need to delete some apps to update some apps...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 51 countable icons for apps, 102 in the list of "All apps." which includes all sorts of android stuff.
Under "downloaded" (36 apps) internal storage shows 784Mb used, 224Mb free.
Under USB it shows 3.4Gb used, 9.9Gb free. Aha! so that's what Treesize is looking at.
I get it, my 1Gb of internal storage is being used up. I will try and move more apps to USB.
Is that it?

also check your system partition, google apps often go there, if you're not rooted you wont be able to free space on it, the system partition is about 500MB large so it gets easily filled up, it contains your android rom and system apps
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

monkey shoulder said:
I have 51 countable icons for apps, 102 in the list of "All apps." which includes all sorts of android stuff.
Under "downloaded" (36 apps) internal storage shows 784Mb used, 224Mb free.
Under USB it shows 3.4Gb used, 9.9Gb free. Aha! so that's what Treesize is looking at.
I get it, my 1Gb of internal storage is being used up. I will try and move more apps to USB.
Is that it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i think you must move some apps to sd, or delete it.... hope it will work

Why is Whatsapp using so much internal memory with useless files and enormous logs?

Hello everyone!
While I was cleaning my internal memory deleting cache and some app data, I found that almost 30% of my 2gb dedicated app memory has been used by Whatsapp (≈640MB)
This doesn't include Media files on SD CARD (1,3GB)
Sooo, I started to think about it.
It's true that I have so many conversations stored, but god damn it 640MB?
So I opened the Root File Explorer and start digging inside data/data/com.whatsapp
Inside /databases/ I found a strange file apart from the actual message database which is about 282MB.
It was called "msgstore.db_new" (140MB) and it was unmodified since April.
I moved it to the SD card and Whatsapp still works perfectly fine with all my conversations available, so what the **** is that file supposed to do?
Also, I found a tmp log file (90MB, but internally it's compressed so about 11MB ) that contains MORE THAN 30k pages of log and almost 7M words . WHY is this so neccesary so it's stored in the internal files and not on cache!?
Sometimes at some pages it includes the package name of all my installed apps (maybe whatsapp collects info about everyone's installed apps??) and also contains info about all my numbers and names.
A single second of time can stand for more than 30 pages of log.
Edit: The entire log (all the 30k pages) starts yesterday at 14:28 and ends at 23:59 of the same day.
I don't understand what is going on.