Loading Data On To G3 Marshmallow

[paininthenuts]

At present my G3 is back with Motorola after only 4 days. Using the SD card as portable data was simple, but because of the massive amount of storage Marshmallow takes up, it is not viable. I had 3 attempts to format the SD card as "adoptable storage", and whilst last the time it looked like I had got somewhere, the phone crashed and I couldn't recover it. I had connected the phone to my PC, the card appeared as hard storage, but when I put files and data on it, and then checked the storage on the phone, it not only used space on the card, it had taken up nearly all the storage on the hard drive.

This is my question. Shortly the phone will be back, and I will mount the SD card as portable storage. From that point on wards how to I put my videos, pictures, and music on it, WITHOUT using up space on the hard drive ?

Thanks

 

[B. Diddy]

Typically, you can just use a file manager app (or connect the phone to your computer via USB and use Windows Explorer) to move the files to the microSD card. You should also be able to set the camera pp to save photos to the SD card by default. Were you having difficulty with this before?

What do you mean by the massive amount of storage for Marshmallow? The OS itself should only take up about 3 GB, and then any additional preinstalled bloatware might take up anywhere from 1 to 4 GB, depending on the phone.

 

[acejavelin]

Marshmallow doesn't take up any more space than any other OS on the Moto G... there is a partition table space for the system is a dedicated partition that you don't even see (although it does take away from the 8GB total).

Adopted storage works fine with the correct card... what SD card, specifically, were you using? You should be using a minimum brand name, UHS1 or UHS3 rated SD card for internal (adopted) memory to function correctly. Currently, the best $$/Performance value is the Samsung EVO+ series, I recently picked up a 32GB card as a spare at BestBuy for $10.70 with tax.

 

[paininthenuts]

Typically, you can just use a file manager app (or connect the phone to your computer via USB and use Windows Explorer) to move the files to the microSD card. You should also be able to set the camera pp to save photos to the SD card by default. Were you having difficulty with this before?

What do you mean by the massive amount of storage for Marshmallow? The OS itself should only take up about 3 GB, and then any additional preinstalled bloatware might take up anywhere from 1 to 4 GB, depending on the phone.

Yes, that's the theory. I drag the data (photos, music etc) onto the sd card after it has been formatted as adoptable storage, and for some reason the data fills both the card AND the hard memory.

With regards to Marshmallow. All I can tell you is that after I have put on a dozen or so apps, I am left with 1.2 gb of storage. On my wife's old S3 mini I am left with 3.3gb. If I had known this I would never have bought an 8gb phone

 

[B. Diddy]

I drag the data (photos, music etc) onto the sd card after it has been formatted as adoptable storage

I was referring to when you use the SD card as portable storage.

It's probably not worth trying again, but it'd be interesting to see what the storage menu looks like (i.e., a screenshot) when you use the card as adoptable storage. I wonder if it's reporting both the internal storage and the SD card as being filled only because they're incorporated together. So in other words, when you save something, is it truly saving it twice (to internal storage and the SD card)? Or is it saving once onto the SD card, but the system is just reporting it twice, since (a) it's on the SD card, and (b) the SD card is incorporated into Internal Storage?

Do you know how much internal storage your wife's S3 mini had? Maybe it was the 16 GB version. But yes, internal storage is one of the most important specs on a phone. I always recommend getting as much internal storage as you can afford, with a minimum these days of 16 GB.

 

[paininthenuts]

I was referring to when you use the SD card as portable storage.

It's probably not worth trying again, but it'd be interesting to see what the storage menu looks like (i.e., a screenshot) when you use the card as adoptable storage. I wonder if it's reporting both the internal storage and the SD card as being filled only because they're incorporated together. So in other words, when you save something, is it truly saving it twice (to internal storage and the SD card)? Or is it saving once onto the SD card, but the system is just reporting it twice, since (a) it's on the SD card, and (b) the SD card is incorporated into Internal Storage?

Do you know how much internal storage your wife's S3 mini had? Maybe it was the 16 GB version. But yes, internal storage is one of the most important specs on a phone. I always recommend getting as much internal storage as you can afford, with a minimum these days of 16 GB.

It is a samsung s3 with 8gb storage. Until Marshmallow this has always been more than enough. My last phone was an S4 mini, also with 8gb of storage, and this was more than enough. Don't kid yourself that Marshmallow doesn't rob storage.

 

[acejavelin]

It is a samsung s3 with 8gb storage. Until Marshmallow this has always been more than enough. My last phone was an S4 mini, also with 8gb of storage, and this was more than enough. Don't kid yourself that Marshmallow doesn't rob storage.

It doesn't, you don't understand how Android works or stores files, the operating system sits in the /system partition which is a fixed size. It doesn't matter if it's Gingerbread, KitKat, Lollipop, or Marshmallow, it is contained within that partition... The lost space is probably the OTA files, temporary files, and other updates are still in your cache. Clear your app caches in Settings-Storage and tapping into each storage and then Cached Data, and erase that. Then follow this guide to clear the cache partition: https://motorola-mobility-en-in.cus...prod_answer_detail/a_id/105656/p/30,6720,9390

In either regard it is easy to verify... if you take a Moto G 2015 running Lollipop and one running Marshmallow and factory reset each one, skip all setup and go directly to the desktop and check space, the free space is nearly identical.

 

[B. Diddy]

Another possibility is that the older phone you had was using older versions of your apps. The more an app gets updated, the more the size of the app tends to increase (just compare how much internal storage Chrome uses these days compared to a couple of years ago). Do you still have those older phones, and if so, are all of the apps updated to the most current version?

 

[paininthenuts]

It doesn't, you don't understand how Android works or stores files, the operating system sits in the /system partition which is a fixed size. It doesn't matter if it's Gingerbread, KitKat, Lollipop, or Marshmallow, it is contained within that partition... The lost space is probably the OTA files, temporary files, and other updates are still in your cache. Clear your app caches in Settings-Storage and tapping into each storage and then Cached Data, and erase that. Then follow this guide to clear the cache partition: https://motorola-mobility-en-in.cus...prod_answer_detail/a_id/105656/p/30,6720,9390

In either regard it is easy to verify... if you take a Moto G 2015 running Lollipop and one running Marshmallow and factory reset each one, skip all setup and go directly to the desktop and check space, the free space is nearly identical.

You are obviously more savvy than me on this issue. The fact is that on my Samsung S4 min with exactly the same apps I had over 3gb of storage left, whereas on the G3 I have 1.2gb. Yes. I have cleared the cache, which is no more than a few mb. If you look through the net, you will find this is an issue for many people. That said, I wouldn't mind if the adoptable storage option actually worked, which on my phone it didn't. Come to think of it, up until a few moths ago I had an HTC desire phone with 4gb, which didn't struggle either.

This is the reply I had from Motorola when I questioned the problem, which sort of confirms my what I am saying

>>The new Android runtime (known as ART) optimizes your applications to run more efficiently. This process involves pre-compiling the application so that it will launch and run faster when you need it.
>>Each application is different, and the cost of this speed and efficiency may be that an app takes up more storage space So this is the reason you are getting 1.5GB free space in Internal storage.

 

[acejavelin]

You are obviously more savvy than me on this issue. The fact is that on my Samsung S4 min with exactly the same apps I had over 3gb of storage left, whereas on the G3 I have 1.2gb. Yes. I have cleared the cache, which is no more than a few mb. If you look through the net, you will find this is an issue for many people. That said, I wouldn't mind if the adoptable storage option actually worked, which on my phone it didn't. Come to think of it, up until a few moths ago I had an HTC desire phone with 4gb, which didn't struggle either.

This is the reply I had from Motorola when I questioned the problem, which sort of confirms my what I am saying

>>The new Android runtime (known as ART) optimizes your applications to run more efficiently. This process involves pre-compiling the application so that it will launch and run faster when you need it.
>>Each application is different, and the cost of this speed and efficiency may be that an app takes up more storage space So this is the reason you are getting 1.5GB free space in Internal storage.

Yes, ART does take up space by "optimizing" apps, but it is also the same runtime used in Lollipop (it was also available in KitKat but was optional then)... it is not new to Marshmallow. The amount of space needed can vary widely, as apps are installed they are converted to machine code and kept in device or adopted storage. But again, this is not new.

Previous versions of Android used Dalvik runtime, which was a Just In Time (JIT) compiler that would convert, line by line, the code on the fly at execution time. Used less space, but cost in performance and battery life.

http://opensourceforgeeks.blogspot.com/2015/02/difference-between-dalvik-and-art.html

 

[paininthenuts]

Yes, ART does take up space by "optimizing" apps, but it is also the same runtime used in Lollipop (it was also available in KitKat but was optional then)... it is not new to Marshmallow. The amount of space needed can vary widely, as apps are installed they are converted to machine code and kept in device or adopted storage. But again, this is not new.

Previous versions of Android used Dalvik runtime, which was a Just In Time (JIT) compiler that would convert, line by line, the code on the fly at execution time. Used less space, but cost in performance and battery life.

Open Source For Geeks: Difference between Dalvik and ART runtimes in Android

All that is well and good, but the fact is my phones storage had almost disappeared with just a few apps on it, and that really can't be a good thing,can it ?
Meanwhile my G3 is still in hospital after only 4 days use

 

[acejavelin]

All that is well and good, but the fact is my phones storage had almost disappeared with just a few apps on it, and that really can't be a good thing,can it ?
Meanwhile my G3 is still in hospital after only 4 days use

No, it's not a good thing... But I can tell there are probably hundreds of thousands of Moto G 8GB models out there where people have no issues. The Moto G 2015 has been one of the most popular phones of the last year world-wide, and sold like crazy, if this was a wide spread, global issues the forums would be exploding with angry people, but they are not, of course there are always some instances like this...

TBH, it sounds more and more like you just chose a device that wasn't sufficient for your needs...

I am done arguing these things with you... You had a bad experience, I get that and I am sorry it occurred, and I acknowledge that your experience is not solitary but it is not common either, it is extremely rare.

My point is your constant posting in threads with no useful information to add and no point of your post but to bash the device or vent your frustrations, does not help the community as a whole, but harms it and can give a false impression to new or inexperienced users that isn't needed. That said, it is important to state what happened in your situation, impartially, so that if others have similar issues they have something to guide them or know they are not alone.

 

[paininthenuts]

No, it's not a good thing... But I can tell there are probably hundreds of thousands of Moto G 8GB models out there where people have no issues. The Moto G 2015 has been one of the most popular phones of the last year world-wide, and sold like crazy, if this was a wide spread, global issues the forums would be exploding with angry people, but they are not, of course there are always some instances like this...

TBH, it sounds more and more like you just chose a device that wasn't sufficient for your needs...

I am done arguing these things with you... You had a bad experience, I get that and I am sorry it occurred, and I acknowledge that your experience is not solitary but it is not common either, it is extremely rare.

My point is your constant posting in threads with no useful information to add and no point of your post but to bash the device or vent your frustrations, does not help the community as a whole, but harms it and can give a false impression to new or inexperienced users that isn't needed. That said, it is important to state what happened in your situation, impartially, so that if others have similar issues they have something to guide them or know they are not alone.

I can only presume you work for Motorola. A forum regardless of subject, is for people to voice their opinion. My experience of this product is not a positive one, and if this means a few people decide to purchase another product based on my experiences, so be it !!

 

[acejavelin]

I can only presume you work for Motorola. A forum regardless of subject, is for people to voice their opinion. My experience of this product is not a positive one, and if this means a few people decide to purchase another product based on my experiences, so be it !!

I will not continue to argue facts with you, but I want to make it clear that I do not work for, nor am I associated in any way with, Motorola or Lenovo.

You are welcome to voice your opinion, in fact if you read the post you quoted I actually encouraged it, and if that means people buy something else for valid reasons, that is good because you probably saved them a headache later.

My point is when someone is looking for help and has a valid, straightforward question, a post like this does not help in any way at all:

Any external storage is a problem with this load of sh12e. I hate this phone

 

[B. Diddy]

Ok, let's all be mellow here.

It's worth noting that the 8 GB 3rd gen Moto G has about 4 GB of internal storage available to the user out of the box:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKfVET3Qnfk

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S4 mini has about 5 GB of internal storage available to the user out of the box: Samsung announces the Galaxy S4 Mini with just 5GB of available storage | TheINQUIRER (This is actually kind of surprising, since Samsung is notorious for excessive bloatware.) So according to this information, the 3rd gen Moto G is already starting at a disadvantage, with at least 1 GB less available storage than your old S4 mini. It still may not completely explain the 2 GB discrepancy you see, but it makes the difference less surprising. It's also possible that your 3rd gen Moto G might have even less available storage if the carrier loaded on even more bloatware than whatever variant was shown in the above video. Did you get your Moto G completely unlocked, or through a carrier? If it was through a carrier, which one?

 

[paininthenuts]

Ok, let's all be mellow here.

It's worth noting that the 8 GB 3rd gen Moto G has about 4 GB of internal storage available to the user out of the box:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKfVET3Qnfk

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S4 mini has about 5 GB of internal storage available to the user out of the box: Samsung announces the Galaxy S4 Mini with just 5GB of available storage | TheINQUIRER (This is actually kind of surprising, since Samsung is notorious for excessive bloatware.) So according to this information, the 3rd gen Moto G is already starting at a disadvantage, with at least 1 GB less available storage than your old S4 mini. It still may not completely explain the 2 GB discrepancy you see, but it makes the difference less surprising. It's also possible that your 3rd gen Moto G might have even less available storage if the carrier loaded on even more bloatware than whatever variant was shown in the above video. Did you get your Moto G completely unlocked, or through a carrier? If it was through a carrier, which one?

The G3 was fresh out of a sealed box, and originally came via Carphone Warehouse, which is about the biggest supplier of mobile phones in the UK. My wife has a G2, also Android 6.0, and I formatted her SD card as adopted, and it worked fine. You must also realise that Marshmallow deals with apps in a different, and as a result the storage gets gobbled up very quickly. If you all you want to do is use this phone for calls, text messages, and web browsing, it's very good, if you want to put anything on it other one or two small apps, it's hopeless

 

[paininthenuts]

I will not continue to argue facts with you, but I want to make it clear that I do not work for, nor am I associated in any way with, Motorola or Lenovo.

You are welcome to voice your opinion, in fact if you read the post you quoted I actually encouraged it, and if that means people buy something else for valid reasons, that is good because you probably saved them a headache later.

My point is when someone is looking for help and has a valid, straightforward question, a post like this does not help in any way at all:

Look at this way. If you had just purchased a Ford Focus and it hadn't of done as the manufacturer promised, and it then broke down, only so you could be told you had to return it to Ford at your own expense, and then be without the car for a couple of weeks, would you then go on a car forum and tell everyone how great the car was? My guess is that you wouldn't, so please excuse me for criticizing an item that has let me down badly.

Everything I have read indicates I had done everything correctly, and the fact my wife now owns a G2 with the same software would also indicate that the my phone is faulty. I also believe that ANY phone manufacturer is making a mistake by manufacturing a phone with Android 6.0 with only 8gb storage, when to include 16gb storage would cost them about 10p difference.