Note 3: KitKat update disabling use of external micro SD Card

[ShaggyKids]

I don't think that you will have the same capability with that setting - it's under "accounts"

I understand, I was referring to the phone settings as in the entire phone unit = hardware, thanks.

Notes from Deb's Note 3

 

[treenet]

I have the same problem. I purchased a new SD Card with more capacity and tried copy the apps and data from old SD to new one. On PC to copy was no problem, when I connected Galaxy Note 3 with new SD Card inside and old SD in Card reader. I could copy without problem. BUT
The Galaxy has not recognized the data on new card. I tried ist more hours.
Then the solution:
1. I installed the old SD Card.
2. I moved all apps to phone memory using excellent app AppMgr III (its free)
3. I removed the old SD an inserted the new one.
4. I moved using the AppMgr III the apps to new SD Card.
Done. It works.

 

[RB_DaEngineer]

I am having similar problems with my S5. Well it started when I upgraded my S4 to Kit Kat 4.4.2. I was no longer able to copy files to my sd card or delete files already on the card. I am able to play mp3s and open pics but that is it. I took the card out of my phone and plugged it into my computer. I copied some songs files and pics over to the sd card. I made sure that the files were on the card. When I put it back into my phone the files were deleted. I used my usb cable and plugged the phone into my computer and copied the songs and pics to the internal drive without a problem. I used the "my files" app to copy the items to the sd card. The copy completed successfully. I closed down the app and then went back into it and the files that I just copied were deleted. I tried to delete some pics that I no longer wanted on my phone. Got the message that the files deleted successfully but when I close down "my files" and go back into it, the folder and files are back. My camera app is set to save to the sd card and that doesn't work. I can understand the need for more security but I use my sd card religiously. The 3rd party app access to the sd card is not as important to me as being able to copy my pics, music, and videos to have on my sd card. I am don't like having all my content in the cloud. I like my content on my phone and available whenever I want to access it. Has had this same experience and have found a way to circumvent it? I tried ES File Explorer and the result is the same, fails to delete the files that I want to delete or deletes the files that I copy over to it. I now have the S5 and it is doing the exact same thing.

 

[ShaggyKids]

The built-in "backup" only saves stuff like WiFi configs and some internal Android settings. Hopefully, eventually, it will be able to save data from all your apps too, but that day is not yet here.

The DropBox app itself will auto-backup photos and videos, but backing up all data on the device is going to require a 3rd party app like DropSync. A one-time purchase of $6 isn't all that bad. That's less than a dinner out for one person.

So the paid version of DropSync will back up everything?

Notes from Deb's Note 3

 

[JIMZCENT]

I found a few articles that say that devices using secondary external SD Cards such as the Note 3 and the S4 will no longer be able to write to the external micro SD card after the kitkat update. Has anyone experienced this first hand??

Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk

Here is the sdcard fix from KK update. [APP][4.4][ROOT] SDFix: Modify device permissions to allow apps to write to MicroSD - xda-developers

 

[B Harris1]

Nope. I am rooted and while I can move a few things to the SD card, most things I can not move unless it is done from the PC.

 

[TenshiNo]

Nope. I am rooted and while I can move a few things to the SD card, most things I can not move unless it is done from the PC.

Just rooting is not enough. There is an xml file you have to modify in the system folder. It's just a copy/paste of a single line. The xda link posted in this thread (multiple times) details exactly how to do it.

 

[TonedF]

I'm not sure if this has been caused by kitkat but I can't even format or write to my microsd card with my pc... it's permanently write protected...and no it's not the switch on the sd adapter.

 

[Timinftl]

Haven't gotten any higher than my Samsung Galaxy S3 yet but "sortof" upgraded to KK and so far the few problems that I did encounter involved not being able to find media files with the .aac suffix in the different player programs and my file management programs are sporadically not seeing more than .mp* extensions but it's not a consistent situation. Have you had anything like that happen ?
Cheers

 

[Jalopiejoe]

I have had no problems with my SD card since installing KitKat. I can even save Scrapbook to SD, I didn't know that before!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 3
"Size Does Matter!"

 

[Ahmed Mady1]

yes, it doesn't work properly specially with apps installed on sd card what a piece of ****

 

[Ja Koe]

I am not rooted (nor am capable of that) and have a Boost LG Volt, file manager apps cannot paste a file to the sd card. I am very annoyed, because I send pictures to my 90 yr.old Mom via text and not it is extremely cumbersome to find the photos and get them to her. I hike and am often out of any reception and would like to be able to have photos on my sd card to share with fellow hikers.

I'm so tired of spending hours and hours trying to get this technology to work properly and the lack of support or instructions for apps that this will probably be my last smart phone. In 10 years when they (MAYBE) have simpler more standardized operation, I might give it another try. I really don't see the big fuss with android as it really is poorly designed. My opinion is developers are lazy. Just using a gazillion symbols that are really meaningless making using it very difficult. There is no consistency. I'm also pissed at the lack of control I have over MY DEVICE that I PAID FOR and being forced to use Google's junk. Even looking for an app in the Play Store is a huge pain. Google is lazy and unresponsive to it's end users. It's time for something else. Most people don't really want to spend hour upon hour trying to figure out their device.

 

[wdonbrown]

absolutely incredible they changed something so basic and obsoleted functionality of apps already purchased and running. I relied on S.S.E for encryption but now cannot encrypt anything to the extSDcard. I would be happy to switch to an app that is allowed but not sure there is one from google that has some functionality...WORSE of all; there was not notice that this was going to happen so I spent hours trying to see what went wrong with the app and then writing to SSE who then told me what happeded with the google change. they said 'nothing we can do about it'. Now i have to spend hours more tinkering and finding a substitute. I use my Note 2 specifically because of the handcuffed approach Apple takes with its products - although we own many iphones, macbooks, ipads etc in our household of 7. I'm the only one with an android and there's genuine jealousy at what I'm able to do...but now I'll be looking for a substitute that puts decision making in my hands.

 

[wdonbrown]

Update: i found directions on how to root the phone and then install SDFix app. That app changes removes the restriction to use the extSDcard. here's a good article with stepwise directions and links to the rooting process etc: How to Bypass the SD Card Restrictions in Android 4.4 KitKat on Your Galaxy S4 ? Samsung GS4

 

[the1roseman]

I found a few articles that say that devices using secondary external SD Cards such as the Note 3 and the S4 will no longer be able to write to the external micro SD card after the kitkat update. Has anyone experienced this first hand??

Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk

Yes, it happened to me yesterday 4 July 2014. Until then I could read & write/edit from other apps and calculator to my SD card installed in my s3. I'm waiting for an answer from developers of Pro OfficeSuite regarding a patch work around right now. I really neede to write to my card. If anyone has a fix...

 

[anon8380037]

Were there posts removed?

 

[Aquila]

Thread has been cleaned. Please try to keep discussion productive and on topic.

 

[Feldon]

If all the posts from folks who have no idea what is going on were removed, it would be far a more constructive thread. As it is, I have to tune out about 30% of the posts.

The folks claiming that this is a perfectly reasonable change by Google and that "it will be sorted out by the developers" clearly don't understand the issue. The folks saying "I didn't have a problem" or "Works for me" don't understand the issue. Any power user or anyone who bought an SD card specifically because 11GB (16GB - 5GB for Android) is not enough storage is having their functionality hopelessly crippled by this unilateral change by Google, and there is nothing third party developers can do to mitigate it.

This change essentially kills all File Manager apps and will prevent developers from writing their own apps to write to common areas like Music, Photos, etc. Instead, Kit Kat is a huge step backwards to how iOS works -- where data is siloed inside of each app. On my iPad, I had video files that were siloed inside of 3 different apps (FileApp Pro, CineXPlayer, and the built-in Videos app). With this change in Kit Kat, I'm basically back in the same boat as I was under iOS. Each app I install on Android that plays with videos is going to have video data siloed and inaccessible from other video type apps.

What Google SHOULD have done is defined some common areas on the SD card that apps can write to, but when you try to overwrite or delete a file, it's throws a system-level prompt asking if you are sure. This change would help get SD cards organized into Photos, Videos, Work, Play, Documents, let's say a preset list of ~10 folders they can write to. Heck, it could be an app setting to choose which of these each app can write to. Then all video type apps could play together. It would allow users to define which folders are "pooled" between apps. At the same time, this would have accomplished the same goal of stopping bad actor apps. But no, Google took the wrecking ball approach and now SD cards are as crippled as iOS.

This is a misguided change just to to protect a few folks who aren't careful about what apps they install and are surprised when "ZOMG Amazing Free Flashlight App MUST DOWNLOAD NAO!" mysteriously pwns their SD card.

 

[TenshiNo]

Dude, apps can still read *anywhere* on the SD card, so your video players aren't soloed to where you would need a copy of the file for each player. This chnage affects *write* permissions *only*.

Granted, it's not a perfect solution, and it's definitely an inconvenience, but neither is it quite as catastrophic as you're making it out to be.

The only lyrics 3rd party apps that will be seriously negatively affected are file managers. Any other app can (and should by now) be rewritten to write it's file to the appropriate app-specific folder. If it's a media file, the Android media scanner will then pick it up and add it to the catalog of media for the Gallery and Music apps. For anything else, you can navigate to the app specific folder on your SD card and read it just fine.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[arnestang]

This is not the external SD card. Plug in USB and check the ext sdcard. Look in internal memory and there you will find your photo.

Posted via Android Central App