Database Develop

Exclude directories from media scan?

Hey all,
Anyone know if its possible to exclude certain directories (or only scan certain directories) from the media scanner? I have a bunch of games on my phone that put audio / video files on the SD card. The media scanner picks these up and means when I am in music player I have thousands of tiny sound effect files from the games listed. Bit annoying to say the least

i believe you can get around this by adding a file .nomedia into the directory
ive never tried it personally but thats the way. a google search for .nomedia on android will probably point you in the right direction if no one can give u a 100% answer.
this link may provide more information:
code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=3692
might be worth trying on a test folder first.......

Sweet, that works a treat.
Thanks!!

Yep, worked here too...saved me from makin a post
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

Grims said:
Yep, worked here too...saved me from makin a post
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
..... did not.

So this post is over a year old but you know what it was useful and also worked for me!

and here is free app from market to do that =)
StudioKUMA .nomedia Manager

Do not apply this
Did any of you actually read the issue report mentioned by OrionTC? (code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=3692)
It says that if you place a .nomedia file in a directory, all media files that were previously indexed inside will also get deleted from the file system because of a bug!
The bug report was officially closed on May 3rd but if there ever was a working fix, it hasn't made it into any major distribution of Android 2.2 and upwards.
So if anyone finds this thread (like me) and applies the .nomedia solution without reading the bugreport (luckily unlike me), I hope they see this warning.
Do not apply this solution if you care about any of the files inside the affected folder (+ recursive folders inside)!!
Apparently I'm not even affected by this, but I'm on a custom ROM so it's not clear who put the fix in or whether I tested this correctly.
On the issue report there's a Nexus S user confirming the issue on his stock Android 2.3.4.
Please subscribe to the reopened issue report code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=19798 and comment there if you're able to reproduce this on your device. (use a test folder!)

emmm...
I DO NOT know what is written somewhere.
I know what I DID.
So, let me make one suggestion to you: before posting: check.
On stock Froyo, then JVQ/JVR - i NEVER experienced this, although I put .nomedia files on.... some directories.
ALL files remain visible, and can be view/transferred.copied if I want.
Again: try. Make: dummy folder on SD card, copy ONE jpg there, and then - make .nomedia file there.
Browse, edit, reboot, make whatever you want. then: delete .nomedia file. Browse with gallery, and whatever you want.
TIP: your link refers to i-897 model, we are here with i-9000. then: sorry, mate, but who's so stupid idiot, who expect that AFTER FACTORY RESET, his/hers files will remain?
Isn't it obvious, that during factory reset you shall remove card/copy your files?
Let me just remain you: FACTORY RESET should format ALL your files, not the media ones, and if any of your file is remaining - this is a bug.

This is a general issue at the core of android, just happens to be discussed in the I9000 forum. I found it through Google.
The factory reset in the new issue report isn't important. This is also reported to happen after a simple remount of the sd-card.
Factory resets shouldn't touch the sd.
As I already stated, I couldn't reproduce the problem myself, but since people of various models and Android versions reported this, including Nexus S, I think it's important to point that out.
I couldn't in good conscience give the .nomedia advice to anybody, as long as the bug hasn't been confirmed dead for some time. It's just too gross and too risky.

Nomedia trick is safe...the folder n all sub folder will be excluded in media scanning. It doesnt delete or adds files...it just scan..
Thread closed. Problem solved already.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

I'm not sure about Samsung, but I've just lost 10GB of videos because of this bug on HTC Desire S, [Endymion V2.1|Sense 3.5|GB 2.3.5].
The problem is when media scaner "knows" about your files, and you add .nomedia. After next rescan are all media files deleted. Not by mediascanner itself, but by some job connected to mediascanner database.

Horacek said:
I'm not sure about Samsung, but I've just lost 10GB of videos because of this bug on HTC Desire S, ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure about Samsung, but uncle of my grandma's sister's nephew lost his pants when entered the church. We all think that it was a God's will... and is common to SGS same way as your post...

holy shmoly youve got my banana face moulded in concrete award for that one

I know this is an old thread, but since this is one of the first results when googling how to hide directories from media scanning, I'm reporting here that the ".nomedia" solution had always been the official solution: https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/data-storage.html.
Hiding your files from the Media Scanner
Include an empty file named .nomedia in your external files directory (note the dot prefix in the filename). This prevents media scanner from reading your media files and providing them to other apps through the MediaStore content provider. However, if your files are truly private to your app, you should save them in an app-private directory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bug reported by @OrionTC should be no more relevant in recent Android versions.

Deleted a file called <none> ...

... that was only visible via Android File Transfer, in the music folder in my internal storage. A string of errors in the program led me to reboot my phone, whereupon the Music folder and 17GB of music was missing. I recreated the Music folder and experienced some of the "random" disconnection errors I used to get with my Atrix 2, so did another reboot, and tried toggling USB debugging (which has for some reason, superstitious or otherwise, helped in the past). The <none> file has recreated itself but still--same problems. Now AFT will crash partway through large transfers. I am currently using Superbeam to rebuild my music library while I type this. Maybe I'll stick with this method, as it works and I can do transfers while sitting on the porch: which I love.
I have searched and searched but perhaps because of some search function syntax convention, I have found nothing.
Anyone?

[SOLVED] Note 5 Photos, Ringtone MP3 disappear. And unable to set as Rgintone

Two issues with my new Note 5.
1. When I copied my mp3 ringtone file to storage/sdcard0/ringtone it worked for one day, then failed. Tried to convert to wma, ogg, mp3, the program said, "unable to set as ringtone"
2. I copied the photos from the old phone to storage/sdcard0/dcim, but the new gallery can't find them. Any solution on this?
3. Actually mp3 files disappeared too.
5.1.1 no longer have the option to select where to store your photos, any work around, or should i use third camera and gallery app?
Thanks.
Ken

If you simply use a file exploer and go to Storage/DCIM you will have your photos in the correct place.
If you are using an apk like Root Explorer just go to SDCard/DCIM - (there is no SDCard0 that I know of. (unless you are trying to create a new folder there) Just put the new folder directly in SDCard directory and you should not have any issues. I have lots of personal photos and special ringtones I copied to the phone adn they all work fine. By the way, when I transfer audio files to any of my phones, it always asks me if I want to convert the file to a diffeent format - says if I don't it may not play correctly - I never do that - and they always work fine.
Good Luck - I hope I have helped in some small way

mocsab said:
If you simply use a file exploer and go to Storage/DCIM you will have your photos in the correct place.
If you are using an apk like Root Explorer just go to SDCard/DCIM - (there is no SDCard0 that I know of. (unless you are trying to create a new folder there) Just put the new folder directly in SDCard directory and you should not have any issues. I have lots of personal photos and special ringtones I copied to the phone adn they all work fine. By the way, when I transfer audio files to any of my phones, it always asks me if I want to convert the file to a diffeent format - says if I don't it may not play correctly - I never do that - and they always work fine.
Good Luck - I hope I have helped in some small way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks Mocsab. Unfortunately, i tried, been using andriod phones for 4 years, this is the only time i felt this no longer an android product. The permission setting and other restriction make it an iOS duplicate.
Going back to my issues, it was still resolve.

bigeneral said:
thanks Mocsab. Unfortunately, i tried, been using andriod phones for 4 years, this is the only time i felt this no longer an android product. The permission setting and other restriction make it an iOS duplicate.
Going back to my issues, it was still resolve.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand - I am not sure why are having the issues you described - they didn't happen for me - and personally, i think this is one of the best Android Phones I have ever used. Love it,

yeah, now that i have my data pretty much transferred, maybe i should do a full back up and reset to factory setting. Not able to change the ringtone i've using for 10 years really bother me.....

Ok, i did a factory reset and start from scratch. I was able to setup a custom ringtone by putting the file in the same ringtone directory, and copied the photos to the DCIM folder. It actually worked for 10 hours. 10 hours later, when i deleted a whatsapp images from the Gallery app, the entire photos collections as well as my ringtone were gone, ringtone back to default setting. I think this is a bug, if anyone experience this, please share your experience.
Thanks

ok, read another forum and found a solution to change the ringtone file name to ring.mp3 and amusingly, the file show up on the list of ringtone and it works.
now the bug on why photos and music disappear still unsolved.

Custom ringtone problem
I renamed the file to ring.mp3 as you said but the note 5 is still saying can not set as ringtone. Help?

killa28 said:
I renamed the file to ring.mp3 as you said but the note 5 is still saying can not set as ringtone. Help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try to see if you have a .nomedia file on your storage card root directory.
what happen to my case was, i found a .nomedia in the storage card root "/sdcard/ .nomedia" so all medias were omitted.
Now that i have deleted the file, my mp3 player work correctly.

Android.Processes.Media has stopped.

I am using X-Rom 2.3.1 and have issues trying to do anything in the Gallery or Google Photos app. Trying to copy, move, and sometimes view pictures throws an error saying it has stopped responding. This happens about 3 or 4 times for every picture moved, and it is frustrating. I've tried clearing Media Storage and Download Manager's , restarting the phone, and even disabling Media Storage. Disabling Media Storage worked, but I could no longer access the Gallery (which defeats the point of even trying to solve the error to begin with.) What should I do about this issue?
Edit: So I've gotten the error to stop appearing by using Simple Gallery instead of the Samsung Gallery. Simple Gallery is a better app anyway, so I don't mind using it. However, the thought that I am putting a band-aid on the problem doesn't sit well with me. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I've tried basically everything a Google Search will find and no amount of cache clearing, app preference resetting has been able to fix it.
Edit 2: I apparently had some file in my downloads folder that was refusing to be read. I backed up the folder and deleted it and it works now.

My pixel 4 xl "Files" app will not show current information

Hello friends.
I'm posting this today seeking the help of someone who is smarter than me. I know it's not very likely for anyone to have my particular phone model and android version combination, but here goes nothing:
First of all, I'm talking about the "Files" application that is a basic file manager that comes with pixel phones.
Anyway, ever since I got my pixel 4xl phone over a year ago, I noticed the Files app is never "current". By that, I mean it keeps showing files that were already deleted, either with another file manager or by accessing the phone storage with a computer.
The deleted files keep being showed in "Files" for several hours and sometimes even days after they are actually gone from my storage. "Refreshing" the app (by pulling down) does nothing, and trying to open the files gets me a toast notification saying "Can't open file", while trying to delete it gets me a silent notification that sais "Couldn't delete item".
Surprisingly, deleting the apps cache and storage does nothing either.
After a while, seemingly without rhyme or reason, "Files" seems to "catch up" to the fact that the files are no longer there, and stops showing them.
Can anyone relate to this?
Best regards!
Details: Pixel 4xl, unrooted, android 10

Essentially Android keeps a "media" database that the Files app is probably looking at. Most actions that create or remove a file through high level APIs will update this database, but some will not. For example, an alternate file manager app could add/delete an image and Photos won't realize it. Or a folder contains a ".nomedia" file in it, and random apps won't know about files stored there.
The type of operation you're looking to do is to force a media rescan.

Thank you for your reply and your useful information. I will try to find out if the app has a media rescan option somewhere.
Cheers.