Can't access some files on Samsung Note 5

[AC Question]

When I connect my phone to my computer using the USB port, I can only see some of my files. I see my downloads to the phone, for instance. But I can't reach the system folder, so I can't get to the phone's ringtone folder. And thus I can't add my own custom ringtones. I was able to do so on my old Note 3. I've tried showing hidden folders and items on Windows Explorer. I've made sure to choose the media storage option on the status bar of the phone. It's as if I can't get to the top directory on my phone. Any ideas please?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! What folders show up in Windows Explorer?

 

[Justin Shellaway]

Thank you!
So I can see Alarms, Android, DCIM, Download, media, Movies, Music, Pictures, Playlists, SNotedata, and yahoo. Using a file manager within the phone, it appears that these folders are stored within the directory "System Memory/SDCard".

But I want to get to "System Memory/system/media/audio/ringtones," which is where the phone keeps its ringtones. I can't get up to the "System Memory" directory and down into the "system" directory using my computer.

You might ask why I don't just use the file manager on the phone to move files into the ringtones folder. I tried that, but it didn't work; the items I paste just don't show up in the directory.

I already tried checking the boxes in windows to show hidden files and show system files.

Any thoughts?

--Justin

 

[B. Diddy]

The /system directory is not user-accessible on an unrooted phone, so that's why you can't see that particular directory or subdirectory.

Using your file manager app, look for the specific directory /storage/sdcard0/Ringtones (or /storage/emulated/0/Ringtones). This is a pretty standard user-accessible directory on the phone's Internal Storage (sdcard0 is actually Internal Storage, while sdcard1 is the external SD card). If you don't see it, create it, then move a custom ringtone there and see if it shows up when you want to select a tone.

 

[Justin Shellaway]

Creating the directory worked! Thanks for the method and the other wisdom. I hadn't realized that the ring tone list was pulling from more than one directory.

 

[beh]

There is a directory for ringtones you can access from my experience. Internal Memory > Ringtones. This isn't where the OEM ringtones are but any ringtone stored here will show up on the ringtone selection menu and be usable. No root necessary.
I access this file via Solid Explorer App on the phone so I don't know that you can from a PC. However if you upload the ringtones from the PC to the cloud you can then easily download them and move them to the Internal Memory > Ringtones file. Again I use Solid Explorer App to do this.