Question How does the Android file system work ?

[jack63ss]

I have been working with the Windows file system since is was DOS. It is pretty simple. You have a file tree, You put a file someplace. It is there until you move or delete it. Nothing strange 99.9% of the time. My question is, is the Android file system supposed to work the same way ?
I ask because File Managers on Android seem to do very strange and somewhat stupid things. I have been using Google Files, a 3rd Party file manager and Windows by connecting to my PC via USB. Using either file manager it is easy to get things out of sync with what Windows shows, which I think is the actual file system structure. I get duplicate files if I move things, file showing where they are not if I delete something, and other strangeness. They seem to be trying to help you and for most users that may be okay, but it makes me crazy. If I put something someplace or move it someplace I expect it to be in the right place. Ex. right now in Google Files it shows a directory in Documents that is not there with a file in it that does not exist.
I'm not sure if this is the Android file system itself or just the apps being stupid, although I would guess the latter. If it is the file system, WT?. If it is stupid apps, does anyone know of a file manager that works correctly ?
Thanks

 

[B. Diddy]

For this directory and file that don't seem to exist according to Windows, are you able to open that file on the phone, or does it give you an error, like file not found?

I like Total Commander, which is free and ad-free, with a dev who has reliably supported it for years: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ghisler.android.TotalCommander&hl=en_US