So, Marshmallow for Pure should be right around the corner, and it's nice to be able to use SD card as internal memory. My question is, when I need to upgrade the SD card (say, from a 32GB to 128GB in the future), what is the process? The thing is I have a 32GB card lying around, and I don't need a storage at the moment, so I plan to just start using that for now. But then later, may need to upgrade it to a larger/faster card.
namartlu said:
So, Marshmallow for Pure should be right around the corner, and it's nice to be able to use SD card as internal memory. My question is, when I need to upgrade the SD card (say, from a 32GB to 128GB in the future), what is the process? The thing is I have a 32GB card lying around, and I don't need a storage at the moment, so I plan to just start using that for now. But then later, may need to upgrade it to a larger/faster card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is from the Styles update notes: https://motorola-mobility-en-in.custhelp.com/app/answers/prod_answer_detail/a_id/108821
Expandable Storage
Android Marshmallow enables your SD card to fully extend device internal storage rather than just being used for media files.
After inserting a new SD card to your phone, you will see a notification to set it up. You can choose to use your new SD card as a portable storage or as internal storage:
Portable storage: use your SD card to store your pictures, videos, audio and other media files. You can remove the SD card at any time and transfer it to other device.
Internal storage: in addition to media, you can store downloaded apps and games, all their media and data. The SD card acts as an extension of the internal storage of your phone.
If you have an SD card inserted in your phone when you upgrade it to Android Marshmallow, the card will be defaulted to portable storage. Any existing application stored in your SD card before the upgrade will run as expected (in portable storage). In order to move any new application to the SD card, you have to adopt it as internal storage first. To set your SD card as internal storage:
Back up and preserve any data you have on the card, as formatting for internal storage will erase it.
Swipe the status bar down with two fingers and tap the gear icon at the top right corner of your screen.
Once in the Settings menu, scroll down and tap Storage & USB, then select your portable SD card from the list.
Tap the menu icon (3 vertical dots) at the top right corner of the SD card screen and select Settings.
Select Format as internal and follow the steps in the tutorial.
Important: when the SD card is adopted as internal storage, it is formatted and encrypted to protect your information. It cannot be removed and transferred to other device. If you want to use the SD card as portable storage or in another device after adopted as internal storage, then you need to format it. When doing so, please remember that formatting erases all the data stored in your SD card.
thanks, I have read that but doesn't seem to answer my question... I suppose someone could write an app to do it... migrating from one SD card to another...
Dump the smaller card's data on to a pc, then transfer that to the larger card. But if you choose to designate it as internal storage I think you'd have to dump it into the cloud first.
Sent from my SM-T230NU using XDA Free mobile app
namartlu said:
So, Marshmallow for Pure should be right around the corner, and it's nice to be able to use SD card as internal memory. My question is, when I need to upgrade the SD card (say, from a 32GB to 128GB in the future), what is the process? The thing is I have a 32GB card lying around, and I don't need a storage at the moment, so I plan to just start using that for now. But then later, may need to upgrade it to a larger/faster card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My assumption is that since this is a formatting to internal storage extension, then you will later (when ready to upgrade to the larger storage card) dump the current data either into a cloud, or usb into a desktop by copying/moving the files (app, media, system etc) onto the desktop into a new folder with just those files, (maybe name it moto x files) then copy/move them from the desktop folder onto the device with the new larger memory card via usb after it's been formatted as the new internal extended memory.
If we change the SD card to internal storage will it mean that sdcard read/write operations will be slower??
So, if adopting the SD card as internal encrypts the card what happens if you try to download music to it from a streaming service like Rhapsody? Will it successfully download? Will it successfully play back in the Rhapsody app on the phone? I have the feeling Rhapsody support won't even have a clue what I am asking. ?
opti1 said:
So, if adopting the SD card as internal encrypts the card what happens if you try to download music to it from a streaming service like Rhapsody? Will it successfully download? Will it successfully play back in the Rhapsody app on the phone? I have the feeling Rhapsody support won't even have a clue what I am asking. ?
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Click to collapse
I believe as long as it is in the phone it will work as normal. If it is removed from the phone you won't be able to read it.
Sent from my Moto XPE
Related
I feel like such a noob. I have a 16 GB model with a 128 micro SD card. I was expecting MM to come out much earlier than this (I'm on Verizon) but some time ago I had to not only point my music to the SD card but I also had to move a bunch of apps to the SD card in Lollipop because I was running out of space.
What is the most direct and foolproof way to backup my phone (not rooted), convert to adaptive storage and then get back to where I was with the least amount of work?
Thanks for any suggestions
Root it and use titanium backup
stevevetter said:
I feel like such a noob. I have a 16 GB model with a 128 micro SD card. I was expecting MM to come out much earlier than this (I'm on Verizon) but some time ago I had to not only point my music to the SD card but I also had to move a bunch of apps to the SD card in Lollipop because I was running out of space.
What is the most direct and foolproof way to backup my phone (not rooted), convert to adaptive storage and then get back to where I was with the least amount of work?
Thanks for any suggestions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Move apps back to internal storage, but free up space if you don't have it; you can copy the entirety of user-facing internal storage via MTP to a temporary directory on a PC, if you absolutely need the space for apps. Then, copy the entirety of the SD card to a temporary directory on a computer using either a microSD USB reader or via MTP through the phone itself. This will take an hour or so (maybe much longer) depending on how much data needs copying. If you don't need to free up space from internal storage, deal only with the SD card data.
You can then format the SD card as internal, and copy everything back to it via MTP. Moving apps to the SD card in MM is a bit more clumsy, and hopefully Google will fix that. But, as it stands, you have to individually move supported apps to the SD card by tapping on the app within Apps, and selecting Storage. Total step backwards, IMO.
Keep in mind that MM defaults to USB charging when connecting your phone to a computer, so pull the notification shade down, select USB for charging, then use the File Transfer (MTP) option.
so I think I followed Jason.Droid's suggestion right
I didn't feel like rooting to go about this so I did the move & copy thing. With minimal usage all things seem to work fine.
I am surprised by one thing though. I had thought that integrating the SD card via adaptive storage was supposed to just 'abosorb' it into what is shown as internal storage. Instead what I see is a summary at the top of 18.66 GB used of 133 , then a line item for Android OS, a line item for internal storage (7.11 GB used of 9.50 GB) and line item for the SanDisk SD card (5.04 GB used of 117 GB).
Is this how it is supposed to look? Does MM just handle where to put apps and data from now on so I don't get the internal storage full errors? Do I have to flip a setting to indicate to install apps on the SD card (like it was @ android 2.2)?
I'm expecting MM to just handle it. I also noticed the SD card option in Camera settings is now gone, so that to me is another indicator I'm in good shape.
Thanks again for any comments/confirmation.
I wanted to use the micro SD card for storing my application in Moto X Pure. But it looks like if I use the micro SD card as internal storage (which looks like is the only way I can move apps to SD card if it is mounted as Internal Storage) I cannot copy files to it from PC. When I connect it via USB to PC (formatted as internal storage) and use File Transfer option I can only see the internal phone storage and not the SD card internal storage. If I format it as internal storage I cannot access it outside of the phone since it is encrypted so that also does not work. I wanted to copy files to the SD card and also use it for my larger apps location but looks like I cannot have both Anyone has resolved this or is there another way? I do not want to use the SD card as portable drive since then I cannot move apps to the SD card i.e. do not get the option to manage storage on the apps. This is with MM.
obb to sd module, maybe its working with large obb on sd card
How do I browse the SD Card?
Don't know how I can copy files to SD card. Is there a file explorer that I can use to browse the SD card if I have formatted it to act as internal storage?
---------- Post added at 08:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:29 AM ----------
Also, my laptop does not detect my phone when connected via USB Debugging. Please help! I am not able to browse my SD card on my phone and internal storage on my laptop.
punjabi.dhiren said:
Don't know how I can copy files to SD card. Is there a file explorer that I can use to browse the SD card if I have formatted it to act as internal storage?
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Click to collapse
punjabi.dhiren said:
Don't know how I can copy files to SD card. Is there a file explorer that I can use to browse the SD card if I have formatted it to act as internal storage?
---------- Post added at 08:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:29 AM ----------
Also, my laptop does not detect my phone when connected via USB Debugging. Please help! I am not able to browse my SD card on my phone and internal storage on my laptop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use something like ES File Explorer App to browse the content of the SD card in the phone. When you connect the phone to your laptop, you need to look at the notifications and change the "USB For File Transfer" from "Charging only" to "Transfer Files (MTP)".
for transferring media files there is an option under Settings>Storage to move to SD Card.
I experience the same problem... It appears the microsd card is not visible to the PC for file transfer after selecting to use the sdcard as internal storage.
This means if your internal memory is full you can not copy the files over (as it stores it only in the internal memory space and it isnt smart enough to spill into the sdcard).
This is a big pain in the ass. So essentially microsd as internal memory means you cant get your pictures etc from the phone or store extra music to the phone. You are still limited to the 10gigs on the 16gig model etc.
This is a super let down...
Could you use gparted and split sd card into two partitions? Use partition1 for internal and partition2 for files/media.
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
Ptikjp said:
I experience the same problem... It appears the microsd card is not visible to the PC for file transfer after selecting to use the sdcard as internal storage.
This means if your internal memory is full you can not copy the files over (as it stores it only in the internal memory space and it isnt smart enough to spill into the sdcard).
This is a big pain in the ass. So essentially microsd as internal memory means you cant get your pictures etc from the phone or store extra music to the phone. You are still limited to the 10gigs on the 16gig model etc.
This is a super let down...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I just struggled figuring out how to put media on my SD card via micro USB, after combining the SD with the phone's internal memory.
Now I used the Android manager that's available for Mac. And it worked flawlessly. It doesn't show the SD card content only the entirety of storage. But I tested this buy making a folder on the internal. (Via Android manager)
Then I called it *Google play music*
I put about 14 gigs of music on the phone and went to view and monitor my storage change on the phone under settings and low and behold!
Only the SD card memory increased not the internal
So it's not a let down par se. If it works for music it'll work for anything bro.
And that's after I finished.
masterjay21 said:
And that's after I finished.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ill try to use Android Manager to manage this and i iwll let you know if it works. Its crappy that i need a third party software to manage what worked without issue before, but it is better than nothing. Thank you.
New android version Marshmallow has a feature to use microSD card as internal storage.
When Marshmallow detects a microSD card for the first time it asks to chose Portable or Internal storage mode.
If you choose "Use as portable storage" you will use it as before. You can save your photos, videos, some applications or their data,
backup/restore your phone, etc. and you can see your files if you take it out of your phone and connect to another device or PC, as usual.
But if you choose "Use as internal storage" and click "ERASE&FORMAT" button at next screen,
then your microSD card will be formatted as ext4 and encrypted. You will loose everything in your microSD card and it will
become your only internal storage. Now, If you take it out of your phone and connect to another device or PC, it will not possible to see your files
since it is encrypted. Your microSD is usable only with your phone.
Than, what is the advantage of using microSD card as internal storage?
If your phone's real internal storage very small (ex: 4gb) and you have trouble installing new apps then you may put a 32 GB microSD card and use it as internal storage. Then your internal storage will be 32 GB (Not total of 36GB).
It will act as your phone's internal storage.
Disadvantages?
microSD card used as internal storage is useless out of your phone since it is encrypted. You can not use it taking out of your phone and putting into another device to transfer your photos, music files, zipped ROM files etc.
It will not be visible as external storage anymore.
Phone's real internal storage is not visible.
So,
If your phone's real internal storage is not too small and especially if you want to use your external storage as usual, there is no need to use a microSD card as internal storage.
darkRd said:
New android version Marshmallow has a feature to use microSD card as internal storage.
When Marshmallow detects a microSD card for the first time it asks to chose Portable or Internal storage mode.
If you choose "Use as portable storage" you will use it as before. You can save your photos, videos, some applications or their data,
backup/restore your phone, etc. and you can see your files if you take it out of your phone and connect to another device or PC, as usual.
But if you choose "Use as internal storage" and click "ERASE&FORMAT" button at next screen,
then your microSD card will be formatted as ext4 and encrypted. You will loose everything in your microSD card and it will
become your only internal storage. Now, If you take it out of your phone and connect to another device or PC, it will not possible to see your files
since it is encrypted. Your microSD is usable only with your phone.
Than, what is the advantage of using microSD card as internal storage?
If your phone's real internal storage very small (ex: 4gb) and you have trouble installing new apps then you may put a 32 GB microSD card and use it as internal storage. Then your internal storage will be 32 GB (Not total of 36GB).
It will act as your phone's internal storage.
Disadvantages?
microSD card used as internal storage is useless out of your phone since it is encrypted. You can not use it taking out of your phone and putting into another device to transfer your photos, music files, zipped ROM files etc.
It will not be visible as external storage anymore.
Phone's real internal storage is not visible.
So,
If your phone's real internal storage is not too small and especially if you want to use your external storage as usual, there is no need to use a microSD card as internal storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No way to read or write in ext4 in pc???
jaswinprakash said:
No way to read or write in ext4 in pc???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possible, on Linux
Ranpe said:
Possible, on Linux
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Click to collapse
But its still encrypted, so that won't help I guess. Also once you flash your phone or something, the contents won't be available anymore I think. It's just a guess though, I don't know how it is decrypted and all.
Sent from my MotoG3-TE using XDA Forums
jaswinprakash said:
No way to read or write in ext4 in pc???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems to be not possible out of your phone by anyway since it is encrypted.
I don't not know whether it is possible to extract encryption key from phone and decrypt the files using this key but this shouldn't be possible because of security reasons.
No one desires access to the important files in the sd card if it is captured by any one else.
darkRd said:
It seems to be not possible out of your phone by anyway since it is encrypted.
I don't not know whether it is possible to extract encryption key from phone and decrypt the files using this key but this shouldn't be possible because of security reasons.
No one desires access to the important files in the sd card if it is captured by any one else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is possible done it in my Lenovo A328. Courtesy of this mod:
http : / / forum.xda-developers.com / android / development / rom-flight-a328-custom-rom-based-150429-t3137708
Hey all,
Forgive me if this question has been asked before (Google did not help me find an answer) but I'm looking for the "best practice" method of upgrading my MicroSD card once it's already been mapped to internal storage using Marshmallow's "Flex Storage" capability.
I bought a 32GB Moto X Pure Edition and promptly installed my fastest MicroSD card (a 32GB PNY U3 Turbo card) and set it to function as internal storage after the Marshmallow update.
Since then, I bought a 64GB U3 card so that I'd have ample space for music and video. What I'm trying to figure out is the process to:
1) Take a snapshot of my internal storage (i.e. copy to an external HDD)
2) Remove the "old" microSD without any detrimental affect to installed applications
3) Mount the "new" larger microSD as internal storage
4) Copy everything back to the new internal storage
Is there a documented process for doing this, or some sort of migration tool I can use to upgrade the microSD capacity?
Good question
Bumpage. Has anyone seen anything on the nets describing the storage upgrade process for Flex Storage?
Probably not possible unless you flash a new ROM over the old. My understanding is that the sd card, once made to be part of the phone storage, is that it is 128bit encrypted in EXT4 format.
bw03 said:
Probably not possible unless you flash a new ROM over the old. My understanding is that the sd card, once made to be part of the phone storage, is that it is 128bit encrypted in EXT4 format.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing is I currently have more internal storage free space available than actual data stored on my SD, so ideally there should be a way to migrate my data back to true internal storage, eject the SD, and replace with a bigger card?
Even if I have to do it manually, I want to make sure I don't screw with installed apps.
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
Might be a stupid question but have you tried taking out the card and seeing what happens?
I think the moral here is to start with the largest capacity card you think you'll need. 64GB cards are dirt cheap these days. Unless you need your entire mp3 collection on your phone, I doubt there is a real need for anything bigger.
I mentioned this in another thread, but probably more appropriate here. There is a way to partition the card for both internal and external storage. Portion of it is used for apps/data while the rest for pics/music and is visible when not in the phone.
The question is, can you create a twrp image of the system & internal storage with one sd card. Replace it with a different one, repartition it (in recovery), then restore your data?
http://blog.sam.liddicott.com/2016/02/android-6-semi-adopted-storage.html
Hello,
There might be a solution.
(Please notice I translate the android names from French, so there might be some variations)
In the settings/storage, click on the interal memory line.
In the settings -the 3 dots top right-, you might be able to transfer data from SD to internal memory.
Then, you can format back you sd card, remove and replace it, and voila, that should work.
My 2 cents,
Whats he best/easiest way to replace my sd card. At the moment it is a 64 gb and I'm upgrading to a faster Samsung 128GB. The current card is formatted as internal memory. I can easily move/ delete/backup some files to a pc. I'm wondering about app files and data that might be n the sd card if I just reformat it as a media card as someone suggested
Thanks.
You must first change the card to external, the phone will move all the system files for you. If you don't have enough room on the internal to do this you will just have to temporarily move pictures video and music to a pc/cloud/usb etc.
Once you have it set to external just swap them over, do not take the SD out while set as internal.
I thought as much. Thanks kudos1uk for confirmation.
kudos1uk said:
You must first change the card to external, the phone will move all the system files for you. If you don't have enough room on the internal to do this you will just have to temporarily move pictures video and music to a pc/cloud/usb etc.
Once you have it set to external just swap them over, do not take the SD out while set as internal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi All,
I am having same issue now. I want to replace my 32GB with 64GB card. Firstly, HOW do you change the card to external? There is no option doing anything like this. I can only see option to format the card as internal, which means all data will be lost.
For some reasons, i can copy the files from the 32GB out via USB to PC, but if took out the 32GB and put in the 64GB and format as internal, i have no way to access it or put the files back into the card.
Does it have something to do with formatting? Initially i format my 64GB to exFAT, but after putting into the phone, i formatted it again as required by the phone which i assume it will be formatted to whatever that is compatible by the phone.
All i want to do is to migrate the stuff on my old sdcard to my new sdcard and use the phone as usual.
Please help!
Thanks
I now have a 128 gb card in my A1
As far as I can remember you can copy your docs/media etc files on to your pc but not any app files which you will need to reinstall on your new card. The system files should stay on the internal card.
I changed my card before the phone updated to pie and now es file manager only sees the new card.
Update.
I just checked in settings /storage/apps and there is an option to move them to internal though with limited space only a few could be moved.
I'm not impressed with the A1. Sometimes it hangs or crashes. My redmi 6 is more reliable.
slammy O said:
I now have a 128 gb card in my A1
As far as I can remember you can copy your docs/media etc files on to your pc but not any app files which you will need to reinstall on your new card. The system files should stay on the internal card.
I changed my card before the phone updated to pie and now es file manager only sees the new card.
Update.
I just checked in settings /storage/apps and there is an option to move them to internal though with limited space only a few could be moved.
I'm not impressed with the A1. Sometimes it hangs or crashes. My redmi 6 is more reliable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm...i am not sure whats the phone OS version now, not sure if it's Orea or Pie. Maybe i can check later. The internal storage has about 23GB user/32GB. The old 32GB micro SD card has about 10GB used/ 32GB. Even if i took out the whatsapp media and DCIM folder media, there is still a couple of GB of files in the microSD card. So far i can only see i can move the apps back to internal, which i have only 1 (which i uninstalled anyway). So there is still 10GB of files in my 32GB microSD.
How do i move the DCIM folders back to internal? Another problem, in the Camera app, i can't find anywhere to point the camera storage settings at all!
Thanks for your feedback.
Matrixlyn said:
Hmm...i am not sure whats the phone OS version now, not sure if it's Orea or Pie. Maybe i can check later. The internal storage has about 23GB user/32GB. The old 32GB micro SD card has about 10GB used/ 32GB. Even if i took out the whatsapp media and DCIM folder media, there is still a couple of GB of files in the microSD card. So far i can only see i can move the apps back to internal, which i have only 1 (which i uninstalled anyway). So there is still 10GB of files in my 32GB microSD.
How do i move the DCIM folders back to internal? Another problem, in the Camera app, i can't find anywhere to point the camera storage settings at all!
Thanks for your feedback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never mind. I have solved the problem.
I keep looking for the options in the 3 dots in my SDCARD menu. Instead i should select the INTERNAL STORAGE. Clicked the 3 dots, there is a MIGRATE option. :silly: This will copy back the files from the SDCARD to the internal memory (provided enough storage...i have to uninstall some games first). Then i can swap out the card and put in new card.
Thanks anyway, hope this will help other people in the future!