Problems copying to SD card

[Ubtree]

I'm new to Android, so please forgive me if this is a stupid question!

I have installed and formatted an SD card in an Android Lollipop smartphone. However, I am unable to copy files (using ES File Explorer) from the internal memory (SD0) to the SD card (SD1): when I perform the copy operation, although ES File Explorer reports that the file was successfully copied to SD1, the file does not appear on the SD drive, but a second copy of the file has been created in the internal memory!

And I'm having similar problems moving apps to the SD card: when I use the Android app manager (clicking on "Move to SD card"), the app manager reports that the app is now on the SD card, but ES File Explorer shows the files still in the internal memory.

Can anyone cast any light on this, please?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Which phone do you have? Older phones divide their Internal Storage into two partitions--a smaller App Installation area, and a larger "Internal SD" (that is part of internal storage, but acts like an SD card). If those phones also have an external SD card slot, then the external SD card is usually called "external SD." That may also be the reason why apps moved to SD are still in Internal Storage, because those older phones can only move apps to the "Internal SD," not the external SD.

 

[Ubtree]

Many thanks for the reply, which has helped me to get some understanding of what is happening.

I thank that you're unlikely to have come across my phone: it is a De Walt MD501 - a modern, rugged phone that is almost identical to the RugGear RG730.

I have now taken the SD card out of the phone, and ascertained that what ES File Explorer reports as sd0 and sd1 are not the internal memory and the SD card respectively (as I had previously assumed). I cannot find the SD card on ES File Explorer, and it seems that sd0 and sd1 are both part of the internal memory. So when WS File Explorer copies a file from sd0 to sd1, it simply copies it within the internal memory, and duplicates it. If this theory is corect, it explains why copying results in duplicate files within the internal memory, and also why I could not find on ES File Explorer's sd1 the apps that had been transferred to the SD card.

So now I'll be choosing an alternative to ES File Explorer, since either it doesn't work with my phone, or it's not sufficiently intuitive for me to use!

 

[Mooncatt]

Due to some programming changes with Lollipop, it's harder to move files around between the internal storage and SD card. Without going into the details, it was to fix a security issue at the expense of ease of use. If you tether to a computer, you can get around that issue, using the computer's file explorer to move files since it's not set up to recognize Android's new protocol.

As for moving apps to the SD card, that's not generally recommended anyway. It runs the risk of making the apps stop functioning right, widgets will no longer work for said apps, and it still leaves part of the app on the internal storage. Your best bet is to move your media and other independent files to the SD card and leave the apps alone.

 

[B. Diddy]

Show us a screenshot of your Settings>Storage menu after you've inserted the SD card and mounted it: http://forums.androidcentral.com/am...ide-how-post-screenshots-android-central.html. It'd be helpful to see how the system reports the various storage areas.

I like Total Commander as a file manager app. It's powerful, free, and ad-free.