File manager question re writing to exterrna sd

[dianehelen]

So this has me head scratching.
Trying to copy some files to my sd ext card, to use with my phone. I know I have done this before. I get 3 different responses with 3 different file mgr aps.

I've read about the write issues to sd cards with kitkat, but forgot about it till I needed it. But why/how is it able to still work with the stock My Files app?

Here is what I get, and from which app. Any ideas what's going on?

 

[Moshe Barash]

Are you rooted?

 

[Moshe Barash]

Also, Samsung probably made it so that their stock file manager app could write to the external SD card.

 

[dianehelen]

No, not rooted. Ya that's my thought too, that Samsung app has some special access which is kinda weird, but glad it works. Don't get the logic of a device having an ext card, that you can't write to? Any talk of an update coming to correct this?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Moshe Barash]

No, not rooted. Ya that's my thought too, that Samsung app has some special access which is kinda weird, but glad it works. Don't get the logic of a device having an ext card, that you can't write to? Any talk of an update coming to correct this?

Posted via Android Central App

The limitations for writing to the external SD card were purposely implemented by Google, meaning that unless enough customers complain they are not going to change it. As of right now the only way for third and second party apps to write to the external SD card (with the exception of moving apps to the external SD card) is via rooting and then either flashing a custom ROM that fixed the issue, or you could install an app such as "next app sd fix"(on Google play store) which rewrites the code so all apps can write to the external SD card (as if it was pre kitkat).

 

[dianehelen]

That's really stupid. What was Googles thinking, what would their advantage be in rendering a part of a device virtually useless?

I've toyed with the idea of rooting but just can't seem to pull the trigger. I've done it in the past to devices but with such a expensive tablet I'm a bit timid. Maybe at the one year mark, when I'm usually getting itchy for a new tablet I'll get brave and go for it, then kick myself for waiting and being such a chicken *5hit ;-)

 

[Moshe Barash]

That's really stupid. What was Googles thinking, what would their advantage be in rendering a part of a device virtually useless?

Your guess is as good as mine.