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What happens to internal SD when you insert an external SD card?
Why does it disappear?
When I go into 'My Files' after I've inserted an external SD card, I can now see the files on my SD card, but my internal SD is now missing!
Mysteriously though, when I remove my external SD card, my internal SD files become visible again in 'My Files' !!!
Yes, both internal and external SD are mounted in Settings.
TIA
in File Manager app
/sdcard/ = internal SD
/sdcard/sd/ = external SD
AllGamer said:
in File Manager app
/sdcard/ = internal SD
/sdcard/sd/ = external SD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe our phones are a little different?
When I don't have my external SD in the phone and I go into 'My Files'
I see at the top /sdcard/
and below that I see:
albumbthumbs
bluetooth
DCIM
Android
SD (internal)
When I have my external SD in the phone and I go into 'My Files'
I see at the top /sdcard/
and below that I see:
albumbthumbs
bluetooth
DCIM
Android
SD folder with a white symbol (indicating external SD card)
what if you navigate to /sdcard/sd/
what does it shows?
AllGamer said:
what if you navigate to /sdcard/sd/
what does it shows?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It shows all of the folders on my SD external card (nothing at all about internal SD card).
not sure what's the cause of the problem, but that is one weird bug indeed.
So when you go to /sdcard/ without an external SD card you find all the files on your internal SD card (albumbthumbs, bluetooth, DCIM, etc.)
And when you go to /sdcard/sd/ with an external SD card you find all the files on your external SD card? I don't see a problem.
You said without the external card you see "SD (internal)" in My Files, does it actually say internal or are you assuming? That should actually be external.
ShezUK said:
So when you go to /sdcard/ without an external SD card you find all the files on your internal SD card (albumbthumbs, bluetooth, DCIM, etc.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well let's first make an important distinction here.
There appears to be an internal SD card section that is *separate* from another part of the phone's memory.
So *without* the external card in the phone I have the following at /sdcard/
-bluetooth
-albumthumbs
-sd (internal) (with a bunch of test files that I placed here)
-DCIM
-Android
You seem to be lumping all of the files that are not on the external SD card as 'sd internal'. This is not the case!
Now, when I place the external SD card back in the phone and go back to /sdcard/, this is what I see:
-bluetooth
-albumthumbs
-DCIM
-Android
-sd (white marker external, with all of its subfolders and files)
And when you go to /sdcard/sd/ with an external SD card you find all the files on your external SD card? I don't see a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. See above, there is a problem. My SD internal is now gone (with the test files that I placed there).
You said without the external card you see "SD (internal)" in My Files, does it actually say internal or are you assuming? That should actually be external.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It simply says 'sd'. I know for a fact that it is 'sd internal' because of the test files that I placed there, and because there is no little white icon next to the sd folder.
When I tap on this sd icon I see the test files and I don't see any of my 'SD external' folders/files.
i was always under the impression that the the place where the
-bluetooth
-albumthumbs
-DCIM
-Android
folders IS the internal SD card and the SD card folder shown in there is the external?
I'm assuming i've been incorrect all this time then?
makamiso said:
i was always under the impression that the the place where the
-bluetooth
-albumthumbs
-DCIM
-Android
folders IS the internal SD card and the SD card folder shown in there is the external?
I'm assuming i've been incorrect all this time then?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes by all indications you have been incorrect.
Let's put it this way. If someone paid an Android OS programmer to develop the most confusing way to set up the SD/file system on this phone, they couldn't have come up with something more complicated than what we have.
I just tried out some new experiments, but before I get into them, I notice in your example above you have left out the 'sd folder' under /sdcard/. Is this because you can't see it listed with the other folders listed above?
How big is your internal memory and is your internal SD card mounted?
Here's my latest experiments:
I went into settings/sd card and phone storage/ and Unmounted my External sd card.
Then I went into 'My Files' and this was the list under /sdcard/
-00001.vcf (a backup of my phone contacts)
/bluetooth
/albumthumbs
/sd (in here are some of my test files)
/DCIM
/Android
I couldn't see my external SD card because I unmounted it, but I COULD see my internal /sd folder now (mentioned above).
Next I went back to settings/sd card and phone storage/ and Unmounted my Internal SD card. It's Interesting to note that the message on the front notification panel said "Internal SD card safe to remove; The internal SD card can now be safely removed" !!!! Yeah right!
Next we go into My Files and it says "Your phone does not have a SD card inserted. So even though I believe the internal SD section is separate from the other phone storage memory (DCIM, Android etc.) they are still tied together so that when you Unmount the 'internal SD card' you are unmounting both of them at the same time.
Next I went back to settings/sd card and phone storage/ and Mounted my External sd card and left my Internal SD unmounted.
But before I could do that I had to physically remove the SD card from the phone and re-insert it! The phone will not allow you to Mount the external SD card unless you pull it from the machine (unlike the internal SD card).
Or should I say I tried to Mount my external SD card. Get this!!!
After I removed and then re-inserted the card and went back to the home screen there was a message on the front notification panel that said "Can not mount External SD card; Mount point absent or incorrect. Please unplug USB".
!!! Holy cow. USB! I haven't been able to get my USB to connect to my computer. What's the deal now??? There is nothing plugged into the USB!!!
Back to "My Files'. "Your phone does not have a SD card inserted" Yeah right.
Back to settings, sd card and phone storage/ and Mounted my internal SD card.
Guess what happened on this same screen when I mounted my internal SD?
Yes the Internal SD card said mounted, but what about the External SD card?
It was now mounted too!!!
OK back to 'My Files'. What do you predict will show? I know what I'm betting on.
You guessed it. Back to square one. Only the External SD card and its files are showing:
/albumthumbs
-00001.vcf (another backup of my phone contacts)
/bluetooth
/DCIM
/Android
/sd (with WHITE icon, and all of my subfolders and files inside)
Now you go figure this one out!
The folders layout on sgs makes PERFECT sense. Before the sgs there was no other phone that had built in storage of 8-16gigs so a external card would be named /sd card/ and apps where written to expect that folder if they ever needed to access external cards. Now along comes sgs with its built in mem, rather screw up all the apps out already they was smart enough just to do a soft folder link from /dev/whateverhardware/ to /sd card/sd/ and save everyone trouble. So if you dont have a card inside probe you are actualy viewing a folder called sd but when system sees the external card the folder turns into the ext card and links it while the original sd folder goes hiding. Your basic linux file handling knowledge would have told you. Simple
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
ickyboo said:
... Now along comes sgs with its built in mem, rather screw up all the apps out already they was smart enough just to do a soft folder link from /dev/whateverhardware/ to /sd card/sd/ and save everyone trouble. So if you dont have a card inside probe you are actualy viewing a folder called sd but when system sees the external card the folder turns into the ext card and links it while the original sd folder goes hiding. Your basic linux file handling knowledge would have told you. Simple
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You obviously have a lot more experience with this OS than I do and I think you are pretty close to on the money. There's just one or two things I still don't understand though.
For fun and to see if I could get to the heart of this, I re-named the sd folder (when I didn't have my external Sd card inserted) to 'sd-internal'.
And soon after that (not immediately), and new folder popped up on its own, called 'sd'. Interesting.
Then later when I re-inserted my external sd card, I could now (for the first time) see the sd-internal folder (with my test files inside) BUT.... the new 'sd' folder was again hidden!
So I still don't quite understand what's happening.
Also, when you go into Phone/SD card storage you see the sizes of internal SD, external SD and phone memory. For me it's approx. internal-6G, external-8G, phone-2G.
So please, besides explaining why the SD internal comes and goes, can you explain what is considered 'internal SD' (the 6G of space) and where this storage space is? Is it ANDROID + DCIM + other + SD, or is it just 'SD' or ???
TIA
well when you're doing an update.zip, people say put it on the root of your internal sd card. Which is the screen you go into when going into astro or my files. I mean that whole directory is called /sdcard, that IS your internal SD card.
I have no damn idea what the SD folder is before you put an actual external sd card in as that folder then has that little white sd card icon on it indicating that its the external card. I believe the folder beforehand is just a placeholder or something similar. Basically when you want to put stuff on your internal, you put it in your main folder where stuff like the "Download" folder and alike is. At least thats what i do.
makamiso said:
well when you're doing an update.zip, people say put it on the root of your internal sd card. Which is the screen you go into when going into astro or my files. I mean that whole directory is called /sdcard, that IS your internal SD card.
I have no damn idea what the SD folder is before you put an actual external sd card in as that folder then has that little white sd card icon on it indicating that its the external card. I believe the folder beforehand is just a placeholder or something similar. Basically when you want to put stuff on your internal, you put it in your main folder where stuff like the "Download" folder and alike is. At least thats what i do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Makamiso I believe you've got it!
After much deliberation I believe we have solved the Internal SD card puzzle/mystery.
Here's how I see it.
As you said, that SD folder that you see inside the /sdcard/ is simply a placeholder, nothing more (actually it is a little more).
That was my mistake!
When I first saw it, I thought IT was the entire Internal SD card.
So when I had some files that I wanted to transfer to the phone that's the place I logically thought I should place them in!
It ALLOWED me to place files inside it! Therefore it's not simply a placeholder.
And when I inserted my external SD card into the phone, the 'SD' placeholder folder turned into the external SD folder (the only difference was the white icon next to it).
BUT, the files that I had placed into the 'placeholder' SD folder were gone!
Couldn't access them.
Later I renamed the 'sd' folder to sd-internal (I know it's a bad choice of name now) and when I did this a new sd folder was created automatically (the new placeholder).
NOW when I had my external SD card inserted, I could access the files in the 'sd-internal' folder.
So to summarize;
-the /sdcard/ IS the Internal SD card.
-the sd folder is a dummy/placeholder folder used simply to confuse users like us.
-when you insert an external sd card, the sd folder becomes a real folder (and has a white icon next to it).
-DON'T be tricked like me and place any files inside the SD folder (when you don't have an external card in the phone!!!)
*This last paragraph should become a sticky for new users!
I really have no idea how to fix this.
I have the EXACT problem.
I just got my note, for about 3 weeks now. I have installed some files. But somehow I dont know how to transfer the files on the "USB storage" into the SD card? anyone? Thanks in advance!
of course you need help when you are posting in Q&A, so dont name your thread please help. give it a name leading to topic -> read forum rules.
your sd card is mounted under /mnt/sdcard/external_sd in your /mnt/sdcard folder - normally.
open file explorer -> go to: sdcard -> external_sd. that would be your sd card.
uhm, Yeah I know where my sd card is. My problem is when I install apps and transfer them to my SD card. There are still some files/memory which remains in the "USB storage". How do I transfer those remaining files to the SD card as well? Thanks again.
long press the folder icon you want to transfer then it shown pop-up option for copy or remove or delete..
Hi, I have a Moto G 2014 with Stock 5.0.2 rooted, and I bought a 32GB SD Card a few days ago. The thing is that everything is still going to the internal memory, instead of the SD (photos, downloads, etc.), so I want to know if it's a way to make everything write on the SD card without messing up the phone (I heard I can mount SD in /sdcard changing init.rc but I don't want to do that). I also want to move my WhatsApp chats to the SD too, hehehehe (WhatsApp data is in the internal :'c)
Thanks in advance.
Hi,
For the photos and videos part, you can select from the camera application if you want to store them in the internal memory or on the SD card. For applications I think they are installed in the internal memory by default but you can move them after installation on the SD card by going to settings -> apps -> touch app -> move to SD card. To change the default installation location you need the android SDK installed on your PC and adb and then to edit a file. But I do not recommend this since the SD card is not accessible while the phone is connected to the PC. This will make applications that always run to work improperly(widgets, Facebook, etc. might generate a lot of errors because of it).
I think it's a Xposed module for that.
KuranKaname said:
I think it's a Xposed module for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you're rooted then try link2sd from play store. you need to have an ext partition on your sd card for this to work.
if you are not rooted then you will have to manually create symlinks to the files on the sd card.
ethanchow said:
if you're rooted then try link2sd from play store. you need to have an ext partition on your sd card for this to work.
if you are not rooted then you will have to manually create symlinks to the files on the sd card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Better try Link2SD. The procedure to turn your external SD to internal storage causes a lot of trouble in most cases.
There are also scripts that link the possible apps and libraries automatically to the SD card when installing them.
Hi,
My phone is installed by a pre-rooted MM rom and currently it's working welll without any problem.
But I found out one issue for sd card name.
internal memory name is under 'sdcard'.
sd memory(External) name is under 'storage/9016-4EF8'.
I think some app's data is not moved to sd card(External) due to that sd memory name.
For example, I installed "Day" app and data is saved both 'Internal' and 'Ext' in Link2SD app and App2SD app.
I checked file location for the app using 'Link2SD' but app's file location is still in the Internal.
Internal - Data(Data in Link2Sd) : /data/user/0/com.osmino.day
External - Data on SD Card(Data(Ext.) in Link2Sd) : /data/media/0/Android/data/com.osmino.day (Why internal???)
So I could not move data to Data(Ext.) because it's already recognized Data(Ext.) to extern SD card.
I think External SD Card file location would be like this "/storage/9016-4EF8/data/media/0/Android/data/com.osmino.day".
How can I change sd card and internal name or move to external sd card to move to external SD Card?
Do you have any idea?
Thank you.
notgi7up said:
Do you have any idea?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are several paths to the external SD card with MM
/storage/exfat_uuid
is probably the shortest.
Download a copy of root explorer and familiarise yourself with the new MM file structure, it's not complicated, it just has new names from LL.
Using apps to move other apps onto the SD card doesn't sound like a recipe for success.
Let the Sony app manager do it.
thanks for reply.
then how can i move data to real external sd?
my storage is not enough so i need moving.
i think some app try to install data in external sd. I think many apps try to find sdcard named. currently sd card is internal memory. and exact sd card name is storage/9016-4ef8. i think that's why my internal memory is not enough.
notgi7up said:
thanks for reply.
then how can i move data to real external sd?
my storage is not enough so i need moving.
i think some app try to install data in external sd. I think many apps try to find sdcard named. currently sd card is internal memory. and exact sd card name is storage/9016-4ef8. i think that's why my internal memory is not enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take the SD card out, save the data on it, then format it
When you put it back in your phone and it asks you what to do with the SD card, DO NOT format as internal storage. This feature doesn't really work, or if you do get it to work. then it's really buggy and apps can't use it.
Once you have the SD card working, just use settings/apps/*your app* In the first bar down it will say where the app is stored and if you click on it, it will give you the option to move it.
Hello. I have just upgraded to marshmallow S228_160621_ROW. I changed my sd card to internal memory and it became invisible. Is there any way to move photos, vids or files to my sd card and also to be able to see them?
SACS73 said:
Hello. I have just upgraded to marshmallow S228_160621_ROW. I changed my sd card to internal memory and it became invisible. Is there any way to move photos, vids or files to my sd card and also to be able to see them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes... There is only one way... Which is... You have to make your SD card to portable storage.... Before doing this action take a backup of your SD card... After completing the process you will see your internal storage's contents again on file manager or explorer.
mrinalkd27 said:
Yes... There is only one way... Which is... You have to make your SD card to portable storage.... Before doing this action take a backup of your SD card... After completing the process you will see your internal storage's contents again on file manager or explorer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From your answer , I understand that if the sd card is internal storage, there is no way to move media files to the card and to be visible. Am I right?
SACS73 said:
From your answer , I understand that if the sd card is internal storage, there is no way to move media files to the card and to be visible. Am I right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once your card is set as internal, then there is virtually no difference in the SD card storage and the 8gb internal storage. After formatting to internal SD card, the storage becomes "internal shared storage" and anything on internal or SD is treated as a single storage. So basically if any file is in internal or SD will then make no difference to the way Android will detect it.
However, I shall tell you a difference.
After formatting SD as internal, the internal goes to the location /data/media and SD goes to /sdcard
tanish2k09 said:
Once your card is set as internal, then there is virtually no difference in the SD card storage and the 8gb internal storage. After formatting to internal SD card, the storage becomes "internal shared storage" and anything on internal or SD is treated as a single storage. So basically if any file is in internal or SD will then make no difference to the way Android will detect it.
However, I shall tell you a difference.
After formatting SD as internal, the internal goes to the location /data/media and SD goes to /sdcard
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Click to collapse
I don't understand. In the phone's settings-->storage and usb, I see internal storage and sd scan disc. Also in phone's file manager, I see only internal storage, which is the phone's internal storage and not the formated as internak storage sd card. Also in ES file explorer I see sd card and storage with emulated folder and self folder and nothing else in it. Also the only way to see the option to move media files from internal storage to sd, is when I connect a usb flash drive and after they moved to sd card they become invisible and the phone's media apps don't detect them.
SACS73 said:
I don't understand. In the phone's settings-->storage and usb, I see internal storage and sd scan disc. Also in phone's file manager, I see only internal storage, which is the phone's internal storage and not the formated as internak storage sd card. Also in ES file explorer I see sd card and storage with emulated folder and self folder and nothing else in it. Also the only way to see the option to move media files from internal storage to sd, is when I connect a usb flash drive and after they moved to sd card they become invisible and the phone's media apps don't detect them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro I told you all that is completely normal and is working just as it should.
Your SD card is now treated as a part of your internal storage.
I have a 16gb card as internal. See the ss below to see what the settings treat it as...
This means that if you have any pics, or videos, then it doesn't matter whether they are on SD or on internal, because they are basically the same.
As far as transferring stuff to other devices, lemme tell you that SD as internal won't work with other devices... So if you have a pic on SD and you remove SD and plug it in your PC using USB adapter to view it, then you will not see anything...
The only way for transfers is
1) Apps like ShareIt
2) USB to phone.
BTW internal SD will only help you if you want to install more Apps than allowed by the internal 8gb storage alone.
tanish2k09 said:
This means that if you have any pics, or videos, then it doesn't matter whether they are on SD or on internal, because they are basically the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By that you mean that if the internal gets full from pics, I can move pics to sd and be also visible?
SACS73 said:
By that you mean that if the internal gets full from pics, I can move pics to sd and be also visible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro. First of all :
After SD as internal format, all pics start going to SD card instead of internal. Internal storage is pushed with apps and data with the option of moving some apps to SD card too.
It's too simple but you seemingly don't understand it.
Look bro @SACS73 I already spent my time trying to reply to you and helping you when no one else was active.
The least you can do for me is to press the thanks button on my posts here.
tanish2k09 said:
Bro. First of all :
After SD as internal format, all pics start going to SD card instead of internal. Internal storage is pushed with apps and data with the option of moving some apps to SD card too.
It's too simple but you seemingly don't understand it.
Look bro @SACS73 I already spent my time trying to reply to you and helping you when no one else was active.
The least you can do for me is to press the thanks button on my posts here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The pics continue to go to internal storage. Its too bad that you are so aggressive. Obviously you behave like this because you are miles away from me.
SACS73 said:
The pics continue to go to internal storage. Its too bad that you are so aggressive. Obviously you behave like this because you are miles away from me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a bit in haste because this whole a7k forum is being run because of me and the devs rarely come online.
I do my best to stay away from posts that are too noobish. It would just waste my time. And if I reply to you, then I certainly feel that the post should not be ignored.
Also, I was not aggressive at all. I was just straight forward.
Your statement has left a scar though. I will never help you on this forum anymore. Best of luck getting help from other people who might come up once a while. It really hurts when you try to help but no one cares.
As the saying goes :
"Everyone seems to care when it's too late."
Thanks for the chat