Can't see SD card - Nexus 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

having a strange issue. Installed latest LP Purity ROM and latest tk gapps, and once booted, the phone can't access the SD card folders. Storage shows that data is on the SD card, but I can't see it on the phone or when plugged in. I can only see the data when in recovery. Tried reflashing but no good. Would changing the recovery from twrp to cwm help?
Can't download anything to the phone because of this...

Nexus 4 doesn't have sd card. You mean internal storage?
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pm_dsp_ra said:
Nexus 4 doesn't have sd card. You mean internal storage?
Sent from my SM-G7102 using Tapatalk
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Yes internal storage. The emulated / SDcard0 is not visible upon boot, but the data is accounted for when I check storage. Also, the data is visible within TWRP.

Where you able to see the data when connected to computer. Yes means take a backup of all your data and then try deleting data partition using recovery and try factory data reset. I am not sure whether it will work 100. Its just a thought.
If you are not worried about your data then try installing stock rom from Google. Then try factory data reset. It will work.
Custom recovery doesn't erase entire internal storage but stock recovery will erase entire internal storage. So you can get back full storage.
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Well, i solved the problem.
Since the phone wasn't able to download anything due to lack of visibility of emulated storage, nor was I able to see storage while connected to the computer when the phone was booted, I was having problems trying to even change my ROM or Gapps as I couldn't place them or anything anywhere on the phone. I know, I know, I should of had a backup, but this was my wifes phone and her storage was so full that there wasn't quite enough space to backup
But, while I was in recovery, the computer was able to recognize the storage so I added a different ROM. Long story short, changing to CM restored the phones connection to storage.

Related

Does flashing a ROM normally wipe not only system but also data and sdcard?

I just tried a ROM for the first time on my Nexus 7 (though I've used a lot on my past phones) and holy ****, coming from a non-Nexus device, I wasn't expect this, it wiped out my internal storage partition (/sdcard) as well as my data partition.
Losing the international storage partition is really painful, as that's where all my clockworkmod backups were.
Does this happen every time a ROM is flashed on a Nexus 7? (In case it makes a difference, this is the ROM I flashed.) Does this happen every time an update to a ROM is flashed?
For future reference, is there any way to try ROMs and flash updates without wiping out my whole internal storage?
Do you have a 3G?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
over the air system updates shouldn't delete any data but as far as I know flashing a different rom will wipe everything. With a phone the data is stored on a separate physical device such as a microsd card but with the nexus 7 its all held on the internal memory. You could use an otg cable and thumb drive as external storage for backup purposes.
dparrothead1 said:
Do you have a 3G?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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Yeah, I have a 3G.
corumuk said:
over the air system updates shouldn't delete any data but as far as I know flashing a different rom will wipe everything. With a phone the data is stored on a separate physical device such as a microsd card but with the nexus 7 its all held on the internal memory. You could use an otg cable and thumb drive as external storage for backup purposes.
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Click to collapse
So what do people normally do when an update to a ROM comes out? Do they fully backup everything and then do an advanced restore in CWM to get back their data? Or are most people starting fresh on every ROM update?
corumuk said:
over the air system updates shouldn't delete any data but as far as I know flashing a different rom will wipe everything. With a phone the data is stored on a separate physical device such as a microsd card but with the nexus 7 its all held on the internal memory. You could use an otg cable and thumb drive as external storage for backup purposes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What?
A rom shouldn't wipe the Emmc (internal sdcard), coming from Samsung phones that all have 16gb of internal storage plus a slot for an external card, i have never had it wipe my storage. Either internal or external.
I have also flashed a few roms on the Nexus and the ONLY thing that wiped my storage was unlocking the bootloader.
Looks to me like you were answered in the ROM Thread that you referenced.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=35322271
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Based on my experience with the original Droid, flashing a new rom usually calls for wiping system, cache, data, boot, and dalvik. Internal memory data is deleted, but external microsd storage is not cleared. The N7 only has internal memory, and that is cleared when doing the wipes prior to installing a new rom. You should copy pictures, video, documents, downloads, music, saved texts, etc. to a pc or OTG storage along with the backups before the new rom.
Wiping system and data in recovery does not touch /sdcard. sdcard should remain intact unless flashing a factory image.
regalpimpin said:
Wiping system and data in recovery does not touch /sdcard. sdcard should remain intact unless flashing a factory image.
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Click to collapse
This.
If you want to be completely and absolutely sure it will not delete anything, open the zip go to:
META-INF/com/Google/android and open up the updater-script file in a text editor, look through and you will see every command that is given in the flash.
You will most likely only see it format the /system partition. Which is why you manually have to do a factory reset in recovery, which formats
/data (where your user apps and preferences are stored, as well as the dalvik cache is)
/cache
And the android secure file which is in fact located on the Emmc, but that is the only file on that partition it touches.
Thanks all, turns out the line that killed me was in the instructions for the ROM I flashed, the flash instruction was:
fastboot -w flash system system.img
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That -w flag is what wiped my internal storage.
manekineko said:
Thanks all, turns out the line that killed me was in the instructions for the ROM I flashed, the flash instruction was:
That -w flag is what wiped my internal storage.
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Click to collapse
So what did you do with that ?
manekineko said:
Thanks all, turns out the line that killed me was in the instructions for the ROM I flashed, the flash instruction was:
That -w flag is what wiped my internal storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@manekineko @studacris Can you please elaborate, what do you mean by that ? I am intending to flash a different ROM on a different device.I extracted the firmware zip and checked every file but couldn't find "wipe (-w) in fastboot with system.img".
Thank you

TWRP Recovery consuming internal storage

I got the 16 gb model of the X Pure because I figured with the expandable memory with SD Card, it would be something I can deal with. So I unlocked the bootloader, flashed TWRP recovery. I configured TWRP to use the SD Card to store backups. While installing apps, I noticed that I was getting an out of storage message. The storage area in settings is telling me that the Miscellaneous category is consuming 4.51 gb and TWRP is listed as consuming all of it. I tried checking the box and deleting it, without success. I checked the internal storage areas for TWRP and all of the folders appear to be empty except for the external sd card. This is very frustrating. Any advice on this?
definitely something is not right with your device, i hope someone can help you soon
Sent from my XT1575 using XDA Free mobile app
Check your TWRP folder on your device and make sure it doesn't have the backup in it? It should be pretty small without a backup (mine says 0.0kb). I did a TWRP backup (Nandroid) after all my apps downloaded and it's just over 8gb.
Here's a shot of my internal storage.

[Q] Formatted SD Card in MM and TWRP Issues?

Has anybody who's formatted their sd card as internal storage had issues seeing folders/zips in twrp? Previously was using the Indian MM on my MXPE and after a few days I formatted as internal...all was smooth but I guess I never went to use twrp again until I went to flashed the MXPE MM rom...booted into twrp but couldn't see any folders or zips in the internal storage so I had no way to actually flash the rom.
Wound up having to reformat the sd card as portable storage so twrp could read both storage locations again and was able to finally flash the rom...I'm thinking about trying to format again just to see if this is an actual issue or just a one time thing...but if anybody else has experienced the same thing let me know. Btw I'm using the 2.8.7.1 twrp.
I had this as well, and if i remember how MM works, it encrypts the card so that only the phone/OS can read it. So if you are going to be doing full flashes, i beleive it would lock out the sd card, though I'm not 100% on that. If you are trying to dirty flash a rom, or just a mod to it, boot to recovery, go to mount, move the files over to the actual internal storage, then flash.
I had the same issue. I backed everything up, formatted as portable, installed rom, then formatted as internal again, then re-copied all my stuff back onto it. @mseliga is correct as far as I know. I wanted to start everything fresh and clean, so I used a longer method, but moving the files to the actual internal storage should work.
Yep this sucked. When I go to es file explorer and navigate to the twrp folder it says cannot be found, but when I'm actually in twrp I think it lets me back up/restore. This sucks tho, I'm still not sure if its working 100%. What a hassle to have switch back and forth, smh
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How to decrypt android marshmellow formated sdcard

i was on twrp 2.8.7.0 and installed http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4/i9505-orig-develop/rom-kushan-cm-marshmallow-rom-t3258489. then formatted my sd card as internal storage. today i wanted to update to the latest build of kushan rom, but in twrp my sd card was listed as 0 mb and i couldnt enter it. so i decided to flash latest cwm trough rom manager. after flashing cwm my internal sdcard was wiped(not by me-automaticly) and now marshmellow tells me that te sd card is not supportet...please format.....
i think that as the cwm wiped my sd card "the unique? encrpytion key?" got lost and therefor i cant axcess the sd card. im i right?
if yes i hope the encryption key is not unique and i can recover the files on the sd card
k2828 said:
i was on twrp 2.8.7.0 and installed http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4/i9505-orig-develop/rom-kushan-cm-marshmallow-rom-t3258489. then formatted my sd card as internal storage. today i wanted to update to the latest build of kushan rom, but in twrp my sd card was listed as 0 mb and i couldnt enter it. so i decided to flash latest cwm trough rom manager. after flashing cwm my internal sdcard was wiped(not by me-automaticly) and now marshmellow tells me that te sd card is not supportet...please format.....
i think that as the cwm wiped my sd card "the unique? encrpytion key?" got lost and therefor i cant axcess the sd card. im i right?
if yes i hope the encryption key is not unique and i can recover the files on the sd card
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As stated many many times. The only recovery you can use is TWRP. Your sdcard shows 0 mb because it became part of your internal storage. So reflash TWRP and try again.
after flashing cwm i did nothing but booting once the rom and notice that everything was wipped and then flash twrp.
the result is i cant axcess my sdcard as the rom sais that the sdcard needs to prepared.
so my question is, can i recover the data on the sd card?
Not if you're at the point where the card needs to be prepared. What you should have done if you wanted to decrypt the MicroSD, is pulled the data off both card and internal storage, then gone into Settings > Storage & USB and converted the card to portable storage.
One thing. With CWM running, did you have any nandroid backups? If you did, you likely will have to reinstall CWM to free up the internal storage reserved for the nandroid backups. CWM by default allocates space for its nandroid backups that cannot be touched by the system or TWRP. Once you do that, you can then reinstall TWRP.
OK THX. I just created a image of the SD card.maybe in the future there will be a toop to decrypt such SD cards. For the future:
Is the SD card lost everytime i update the Rom build?
Is the SD card lost Ehen i change the Rom to another Android 6 Rom?
What do i have to do when updating to a Newer build oft the same rom,vor change to another Android 6 rom? Pull everything from bouth cards? Really? Thats a pain in the ass even with a uhs 1 SD card.
Whats the best way for backing up the data, so i can cop them back without trouble? Maybe ADB?
Whats about changin the recovery? Thats a nogo i think and whats about updating twrp?
What is a absolut nogo? What i ahouldnt do to f*** up the card again?
So many questions, but I'm going to answer just the last two, as their answer covers every other question in your post.
What is an absolute no go? What shouldn't I do to f*** up the card again?
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Click to collapse
The answer to this is so easy it's astounding. The answer is to not combine the card with the internal storage. Here's why. If you switch ROMs regularly in order to try them out, every single time you combine the storage the card has to be prepared for use, which means all data on it gets wiped. If you do a clean install of your current ROM and combine the storage, all data on the card is wiped. The reason the card gets wiped is because Android 6.x creates a virtual volume which spans both internal storage and the MicroSD. In order to ensure the data is secure Android encrypts the volume. This encryption is part of the reason Google throws up a warning to restore the card if you pull it out of the device.
By not combining the storage, you avoid the encryption problems, but you do have to deal with the issue of apps not seeing the MicroSD card. Unless an app with this issue is no longer being updated, this problem will resolve itself. Developers have to adapt to the new setup.
The encryption also impacts performance, though on my tests with it I didn't notice anything. The one thing it will do is impact the ability to perform backups. In my tests, the encryption prevented TWRP from doing anything useful, meaning no ability to install flashable zips or updated TWRP recovery images from the storage and no ability to do nandroid backups. TWRP could see the directory structure of the combined storage but could not see any files within the folders to install. Nandroid backups instantly failed with an "out of storage" error, even though I had some 15GB of space available on the MicroSD. TWRP's developers will need to adapt to this and custom ROM developers will have to recommend that users not combine storage.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
So many questions, but I'm going to answer just the last two, as their answer covers every other question in your post.
The answer to this is so easy it's astounding. The answer is to not combine the card with the internal storage. Here's why. If you switch ROMs regularly in order to try them out, every single time you combine the storage the card has to be prepared for use, which means all data on it gets wiped. If you do a clean install of your current ROM and combine the storage, all data on the card is wiped. The reason the card gets wiped is because Android 6.x creates a virtual volume which spans both internal storage and the MicroSD. In order to ensure the data is secure Android encrypts the volume. This encryption is part of the reason Google throws up a warning to restore the card if you pull it out of the device.
By not combining the storage, you avoid the encryption problems, but you do have to deal with the issue of apps not seeing the MicroSD card. Unless an app with this issue is no longer being updated, this problem will resolve itself. Developers have to adapt to the new setup.
The encryption also impacts performance, though on my tests with it I didn't notice anything. The one thing it will do is impact the ability to perform backups. In my tests, the encryption prevented TWRP from doing anything useful, meaning no ability to install flashable zips or updated TWRP recovery images from the storage and no ability to do nandroid backups. TWRP could see the directory structure of the combined storage but could not see any files within the folders to install. Nandroid backups instantly failed with an "out of storage" error, even though I had some 15GB of space available on the MicroSD. TWRP's developers will need to adapt to this and custom ROM developers will have to recommend that users not combine storage.
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thx for your very detailed answere. but whats about when i am using i.e. kushan rom build 07.12.2015 and i update to kushan rom build 11.12.2015. will the sd card have to be prepared to use also? and what about when i update twrp to a marshmellow support twrp. di i need prepare the sd card then again?
TWRP could see the directory structure of the combined storage but could not see any files within the folders to install. Nandroid backups instantly failed with an "out of storage" error, even though I had some 15GB of space available on the MicroSD.
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Click to collapse
This is the point where my trouble began. as so as the sd card is prepared as internal you cant even see files of the real internal storage. flashing zips you can still do with adb sideload. another question could we backup the internal flash inlcuding prepared sd card with this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1818321
?
If yes, is there also a way to restore the backup made?
To make things crystal clear, once the card is set for portable storage you will not have to reconfigure the card again unless you choose to combine the storage. Upgrading a ROM to a newer version will generate a message in the notification bar that you have to prepare the card, but you simply select the portable storage option and the notification goes away. Upgrading TWRP doesn't require doing anything to storage.
Should you choose to combine storage, upgrading a ROM may cost you whatever is on both the internal storage and microSD. Upgrading TWRP with combined storage would require you to flash it using Odin, because you wouldn't be able to copy the TWRP image to the device storage.
Backing up the internal storage doesn't require anything more than a copy operation from the S4 to the PC, so no special tools should be required. That applies regardless of whether the storage is combined or separate. However, for best results with TWRP, the storage should not be combined.
Sorry for reviving this old thread, but I've the same issue.
I flashed a new rom without getting the decryption code or backing anything up(No NANDs, no sd backup). Is there still currently no way to retrieve the files that are encrypted on this SD?
I've done exactly the same, I'm hoping theres a way to decrypt it.
k2828 said:
i was on twrp 2.8.7.0 and installed http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4/i9505-orig-develop/rom-kushan-cm-marshmallow-rom-t3258489. then formatted my sd card as internal storage. today i wanted to update to the latest build of kushan rom, but in twrp my sd card was listed as 0 mb and i couldnt enter it. so i decided to flash latest cwm trough rom manager. after flashing cwm my internal sdcard was wiped(not by me-automaticly) and now marshmellow tells me that te sd card is not supportet...please format.....
i think that as the cwm wiped my sd card "the unique? encrpytion key?" got lost and therefor i cant axcess the sd card. im i right?
if yes i hope the encryption key is not unique and i can recover the files on the sd card
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you found solution to decrypt the Sdcard.
I was facing this problem for almost 1 year I need only sdcard not data in it but I am unable to format it due to encryption but any device able to read the data and copy from that.
Even I can play Music out that SD card
Unless you're immortal, you're not decrypting the MicroSD card via brute force. Currently, the amount of time required to find the decryption key is longer than the current age of the universe.
If looking to simply format an existing card, use SDFormatter from http://www.sdcard.org.

Storage still full after clean install

I upgraded to the latest pure nexus rom last night and decided it's best to do a clean install. So I wiped everything but internal memory. Which only holds twrp backup (10gb) and ti backup (1.3gb) but after install out still shows I'm using almost 40gb on storage. Is there some sort of hidden folder that I'm not seeing that is holding a ton of stuff. I can only account for about less than 30gb being used. 10gb for OS, 10gb backup, and less than 5gb for ti backups and rom zips.
If you didn't wipe your /internal storage it would be logic everything is kept original.
Do a wipe of /internal storage and your storage space will lower.
therock3181 said:
If you didn't wipe your /internal storage it would be logic everything is kept original.
Do a wipe of /internal storage and your storage space will lower.
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Right but even looking thru all my folders I don't see where it's adding up to 39gb being used. Only thing I have on it is twrp backup and ti backup and rom zips
r1nstang said:
Right but even looking thru all my folders I don't see where it's adding up to 39gb being used. Only thing I have on it is twrp backup and ti backup and rom zips
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Did you download music from play music ?
therock3181 said:
Did you download music from play music ?
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It's all cached never downloaded And I wipe cache anytime i flash a rom
r1nstang said:
It's all cached never downloaded And I wipe cache anytime i flash a rom
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Click to collapse
Then like I said. Do a internal storage format but do a backup of your TWRP and TI folder on your computer before.
Just a head ups. I always do an advanced format and check everything before doing a clean install. I don't restore/keep my backups. I am the type of guy that starts from scratch to limit the problems.
Any solution to your lost storage space issue? I've noticed that after copying my internal storage to my computer and then wiping internal storage in twrp it still show over 5.5gig storage used and I ain't talking about system use. When I plug my phone into my pc it shows 5.5gig used internal storage but when selecting all files and show properties only totals to less the 5meg. Now that's after performing an internal storage wipe in twrp.
I had experienced the same kind of issue on my tablet external storage. Sd was showing 8gig of 16gig used and when I plug that sd into my pc it would show the same. But after doing the select all files/properties it would show a total of less then 3gig. I moved all files to my pc, now showing over 5gig used but the SD is empty(no hidden files). Format my SD, now showing completely emplty, move my files back to SD, plug into tablet. Now showing less the 3gig used .
Obviously some lost/invisible data hiding somewhere that a quick format could fix but with the 6P you can't perform a true format. Twrp wipe does not format, just wipes.
StatikBlue said:
Any solution to your lost storage space issue? I've noticed that after copying my internal storage to my computer and then wiping internal storage in twrp it still show over 5.5gig storage used and I ain't talking about system use. When I plug my phone into my pc it shows 5.5gig used internal storage but when selecting all files and show properties only totals to less the 5meg. Now that's after performing an internal storage wipe in twrp.
I had experienced the same kind of issue on my tablet external storage. Sd was showing 8gig of 16gig used and when I plug that sd into my pc it would show the same. But after doing the select all files/properties it would show a total of less then 3gig. I moved all files to my pc, now showing over 5gig used but the SD is empty(no hidden files). Format my SD, now showing completely emplty, move my files back to SD, plug into tablet. Now showing less the 3gig used .
Obviously some lost/invisible data hiding somewhere that a quick format could fix but with the 6P you can't perform a true format. Twrp wipe does not format, just wipes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, are you considering that you lose space for the os?
Also that 16gb card is right, you're not gonna get a full 16gb of storage. Most 16's end up being about 14gb after a format
Yes as mentioned in my post multiple time I am not talking about system storage use (OS). Especially when I refer to an external memory experiencing the same issue (completely wipe SD in twrp, plug same SD into PC, showing 5.5 gig still used on empty card, format SD, now showing completely empty on both PC and Android).
Not sure why, but somehow storage space gets lost, hard to explain. One would need to take the time to accurately compare what one has saved on internal storage and the amount Android says is used.

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