Reinstall a factory app for samsung with android 4.4.2

[Android Central Question]

The main file manager in this older android 4.4.2 is an app
by samsung.

It is the original file manager called "my files"
this is android 4.4.2 on phone.

This file manager suddenly lost the date and size of the file
in its listing of my files and folders,
so that the list of files has only titles etc.
I assumed that a reinstall may very well solve the problem.
So
i went to samsung website...it is called "mirror apk" not sure
what that means but it does have the samsung
download
for the specific my.files app i am looking, it has a list depending
on android version,
and i found the version for the app itself it is 2.0.65 that
will install the same my.files program i have now.

However it will not install it, it did however download as a
zipped file, and presumably will open and install when the
following obstacle is solved.
In
settings..then security...
It has an option for blocking unknown apps etc.
It was checked yes blocked. Before i started this
app search.
So of course i unchecked the box so that the fone now
accepts a download.
This raises the first question however..

Why did it refuse to install based on the blocking when i have
installed no less than 12 other apps over the year or so,
and the downloads from google app store etc. Never required
me to uncheck this blocking box.
In fact i did not even know about it until this samsung website
i downloaded from
(actually i guess technically it is not samsung by a "mirror apk")
whatever that means.

Anyway, anyone can help with following specifics?

If i decide to remove the older buggy version of my.files, that
is entirely remove it,
what about the hundred files on it, will they be saved automatically
somewhere on the phone waiting for me to reinstall the
my.files app or not?

Secondly are there others with this condundrum about
blocking or unblock preventing the installing on
this.

Please keep in mind this is android 4.4.2

also is the mirror website the official website for these
samsung products or not.

So i need to know if i have to do a full copying of all files
before i risk removing the current file manager.

Anyone who has this similar situation and solved it,
i hope for an answer.
Please email to me at

[address redacted]

thank you

 

[belodion]

Downloading APK files requires Unknown Sources to be turned off. What was the name of the site? Just because it may have the Samsung name in it does not necessarily mean that it is an official Samsung site.

We don't normally allow email addresses to be published, so I've removed yours accordingly. Please register as a member so that you can continue posting. https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=409154

 

[Rukbat]

i went to samsung website...it is called "mirror apk" not sure
what that means but it does have the samsung download for the specific my.files app i am looking, it has a list depending
on android version

APK Mirror is not an official site by anyone, it's just a site.

Why did it refuse to install based on the blocking when i have installed no less than 12 other apps over the year or so, and the downloads from google app store etc.

Because the Play store is the only officially recognized site from which you can get "known apps". What that checkbox really means is "allow anything other than Play to install apps".

If i decide to remove the older buggy version of my.files, that is entirely remove it, what about the hundred files on it, will they be saved automatically somewhere on the phone waiting for me to reinstall the my.files app or not?

If you have Photo backup enabled in the Google account on the phone, yes. They're saved to your Google Cloud account. (Otherwise they're saved to the phone itself. They're never saved "to an app".)

BTW, the other version isn't buggy, it's just been changed. You'll see that with a lot of apps - getting things you liked removed, or getting new things you like added.

Secondly are there others with this condundrum about blocking or unblock preventing the installing on
this.

Everyone using Android. Since it first came out. That's to prevent viruses from installing without your permission.

also is the mirror website the official website for these samsung products or not.

No, only the Samsung site (https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...alaxy%2Fapps%2Fgalaxy-store%2F&token=6xFT1r9c) is. APK Mirror is an accepted (by Google) site for apps but it's not the Play Store, so you have to have "Block unknown apps" disabled.

So i need to know if i have to do a full copying of all files before i risk removing the current file manager.

I don't think you can remove the current one - it should be installed as a system app. (The phone has to be rooted to remove system apps.)

Please email to me at

Standard internet rule - "Asked here, answered here."