Ghost apps after SD card corrupted?

[Android Central Question]

I have an LG G5 running Android 8.0. I recently followed a system prompt to reformat my SD card after it became corrupted. I had several apps on the SD card which had 'greyed out'. The problem is that I can't reinstall those apps from the Play Store - I get a 506 error. Any other app I can install fine. I've done all the usual tricks, restarting, removing the SD card, clearing Play Store and Play Services cache and data, removing my Google account and re-adding it. I have even tried downloading the .apk of one of the apps that was on the card, but it asks if I want to update the 'existing app' even though there is no sign of it on my phone or in my Play Store installed apps or library. Can anyone help?

 

[mustang7757]

Most likely going to factory reset the phone.

I'll leave a Link to register so you can communicate here as a guest account you can only post questions but can't reply.https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=409154

 

[templar_64]

Thanks for that. It pains me to think of doing a factory reset, even though I have a full backup from 2 months ago. I can see that the eBay app previously on my SD card is listed in Settings - Apps & notifications - App Updates, as an installed app (Version null - 230 kB) but nowhere else. Is there a file explorer app I could use to try and find the com.ebay.mobile folder without being rooted? Perhaps deleting it might help?

 

[mustang7757]

Can try file manager like total commander

Thanks for that. It pains me to think of doing a factory reset, even though I have a full backup from 2 months ago. I can see that the eBay app previously on my SD card is listed in Settings - Apps & notifications - App Updates, as an installed app (Version null - 230 kB) but nowhere else. Is there a file explorer app I could use to try and find the com.ebay.mobile folder without being rooted? Perhaps deleting it might help?

 

[templar_64]

Thanks, buddy. I can see that all of the lost apps that were on my SD card are still logged on the virtual file system (config/sdcardfs). I can't delete them, I'm guessing, without root?

 

[mustang7757]

Thanks, buddy. I can see that all of the lost apps that were on my SD card are still logged on the virtual file system (config/sdcardfs). I can't delete them, I'm guessing, without root?

Yeah most likely with commander , let tag @B. Diddy SEE IF HE CAN OFFER SUGGESTIONS
sorry for the caps lol

 

[anon(10614692)]

Going back to your first post you sted that you tried to install using the apk, when it asked if you wanted to update the app, did you try to?

 

[B. Diddy]

I assume you've already looked in the Settings>Apps menu to see if the apps are listed there, right?

 

[templar_64]

Nothing in All apps, and to answer the previous question, I'm not able to update the specific app that my phone says is installed. It goes through the downloading process, then nothing happens. I'm pretty sure it's to do with Google's virtual sdcardfs as I can now see all of those ghost apps in the config/sdcardfs folder. Thanks to mustang7757 for recommending the Total Commander app, but I can't delete the offending app folders, because I don't have root. I've always had rooted, unlocked Android phones in the past, but I'm reluctant to do that with this phone. I know for a fact that my banking app won't work on a rooted device.

 

[mustang7757]

Nothing in All apps, and to answer the previous question, I'm not able to update the specific app that my phone says is installed. It goes through the downloading process, then nothing happens. I'm pretty sure it's to do with Google's virtual sdcardfs as I can now see all of those ghost apps in the config/sdcardfs folder. Thanks to mustang7757 for recommending the Total Commander app, but I can't delete the offending app folders, because I don't have root. I've always had rooted, unlocked Android phones in the past, but I'm reluctant to do that with this phone. I know for a fact that my banking app won't work on a rooted device.

Don't open that file and try delete only the folder ?

 

[templar_64]

Files or folders, no. Can't delete. Can't change the permissions either.

 

[mustang7757]

Files or folders, no. Can't delete. Can't change the permissions either.

Strange, long press commander and tap info scroll to permission is storage allowed?

 

[templar_64]

Stranger still! Google Play is now letting me reinstall the missing apps, so I've no idea how this managed to resolve itself. I did try to root my device with Kingo Root which rebooted my device a couple of times but failed to root, but I'd already rebooted my phone 3 or 4 times trying to fix the issue. Other than that, I've honestly not made any other changes or repeated any of the previous steps.

 

[mustang7757]

Stranger still! Google Play is now letting me reinstall the missing apps, so I've no idea how this managed to resolve itself. I did try to root my device with Kingo Root which rebooted my device a couple of times but failed to root, but I'd already rebooted my phone 3 or 4 times trying to fix the issue. Other than that, I've honestly not made any other changes or repeated any of the previous steps.

I dont recommend kingo root but your issue resolved that's great.

 

[Rukbat]

Since it's running Marshmallow or better, use Magisk to root it.

 

[methodman89]

Anyone mention not putting apps on the SD card? Use it for media and file storage, while keeping the apps in the phones storage is recommended.

 

[mustang7757]

Anyone mention not putting apps on the SD card? Use it for media and file storage, while keeping the apps in the phones storage is recommended.

I agree with you , and I overlooked that