Where do files go?!

[tabletnovice]

I've been trying to figure out where things go when they are saved to my Nexus7, and have spent a lot of time trying to do so. Just when I think I nailed it, there are the exceptions to the rule and I can't find something I've saved even using Astro File.

For example, I emailed myself about four wallpapers from this site (thank you for them). I can find one, but not the others. If I recall correctly, I downloaded the first but opened the other three in the email: Gallery, > Set picture as in Wallpaper. The wallpaper on my device changed but now I can't find the other three wallpapers using the Gallery application or Astro File.

Believe me, the wallpapers are no biggie to me but only serve as an example of how elusive it is for me to find things on the device.

Does this site offer a primer about locating documents and images on a tablet? If not, I'd sure appreciate some tips from forum members. I'm not very techie so keeping it simple for me would be helpful.

Thank you again for your patience with this novice tablet user.

 

[crackberrytraitor]

They go to the happy place up in the clouds, where all the little files can be free. Hope that helped.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[tabletnovice]

They go to the happy place up in the clouds, where all the little files can be free. Hope that helped.

Sure it helped. It helped me understand one of two things. Either:

1 - you don't know a hill of beans about where to locate files

or

2 - you do know but are unwilling to share that information​

Hopefully, someone will come along who can offer some meaningful help.

Thanks anyway.

 

[jpash549]

Sounds like you need a file manager. Try Ghost Commander available in the app store. Maybe its still free.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[hichris123]

One place is the downloads folder. Use a file manager to find the folder, or plug it in via USB to a computer, and look at the folder there.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[crackberrytraitor]

Sure it helped. It helped me understand one of two things. Either:

1 - you don't know a hill of beans about where to locate files

or

2 - you do know but are unwilling to share that information​

Hopefully, someone will come along who can offer some meaningful help.

Thanks anyway.

Or:

3. Wasted and don't feel like thinking hard enough to write an FAQ ATM.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[tabletnovice]

One place is the downloads folder. Use a file manager to find the folder, or plug it in via USB to a computer, and look at the folder there.

I've checked the the downloads file, both with the app and with a file manager (Astro file). Maybe there really is a "happy place" after all.

 

[hichris123]

I'm searching, but cannot find anything yet.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[tabletnovice]

or plug it in via USB to a computer, and look at the folder there.

I tried this and really could not find anything other than the same files I saw using Astro File. I turned on "Show hidden files" and whatever new showed were not things I'd mess with. I'm still surprised how may items I can't locate. For example, I have several notes in the Simple Note App, but found no files associated with them.

Can someone tell me what "archived" files are? They are text files that can be opened and read; but are for items that I deleted so I don't understand why such files are still there?

Thanks again.

 

[tabletnovice]

In answering your questions about email attachments, they will either stay on the mail server until you save them, in which case they will be saved to your download folder.

Thank you.

So I've discovered since starting this thread. It remains a mystery why a wallpaper that I didn't download remains the home screen background even when the wi-fi is turned off. When I check with a program like Astro file, I've never seen so many empty folders. lol

 

[retsaw]

Technically everything you view has to be downloaded, although in many cases it is just downloaded to a temporary file and automatically deleted when you are done. In the case of the image you set as a wallpaper, my guess is that it was copied to a special file reserved for the current wallpaper (no I don't know where that file would be).

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[ChromeJob]

Thank you.

So I've discovered since starting this thread. It remains a mystery why a wallpaper that I didn't download remains the home screen background even when the wi-fi is turned off. When I check with a program like Astro file, I've never seen so many empty folders. lol

Some things download to /mnt/sdcard/Download but I've noticed that some end up in /mnt/sdcard/ which is the top of your user storage area. Chrome, Gmail, other programs all have their peculiar logic as to where they save downloaded files. Get used to using the file manager.

My choice for file manager is Total Commander. The dev has been doing this long before Android, makes great use of the screen space.

// Posted from my Nexus 7 with the Android Central app //

 

[Xopher]

It also depends on the app.

Most apps will downkoas files to the sownload folder. Things I've downloaded from the browser and via the gmail app usually end up there.

Other apps store their files in their own directories, usually found in /Android/Data/app.name.here - The Amazon AppStore downloads app installs in its own directory, 500px caches images and thumbnails in its directory, it would surprise me if SimpleNote did the same thing. Most of the time, the app keeps things in thiese folders so they have access without having to sort through everything else.

I've used a couple of wallpaper apps, and they store downloaded images into their own folder, insyead of downloading into the common folders.

 

[dmmarck]

They go to the happy place up in the clouds, where all the little files can be free. Hope that helped.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

Sure it helped. It helped me understand one of two things. Either:

1 - you don't know a hill of beans about where to locate files

or

2 - you do know but are unwilling to share that information​

Hopefully, someone will come along who can offer some meaningful help.

Thanks anyway.

Or:

3. Wasted and don't feel like thinking hard enough to write an FAQ ATM.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

See this exchange? Does nothing, adds nothing, and is incredibly immature.

Be useful, helpful, and supportive. If you can't do that, don't post. Because reading the above just wastes all of our time and patience.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent Cyan Tapatalk 2

 

[tabletnovice]

retsaw, ChromeJob and Xopher,

Thank you! Your information expounded on some of what was previously shared and I found it very, very helpful.

 

[Ailanthus House]

So, really, opening a simple put download requires a new app, and there's no consensus as to what that is or how to use it? Chrome, Android developers: are u there?

 

[Seronac]

Did you try running the Downloads or Drive apps? Those sometimes will have a clue as to where files are located.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[B. Diddy]

So, really, opening a simple put download requires a new app, and there's no consensus as to what that is or how to use it? Chrome, Android developers: are u there?

Welcome to Android Central! Most downloads go to the Download folder, which can be accessed by the Downloads app. Some apps download files to a separate folder, either by design or because the coders weren't thinking straight. An example is where Facebook downloads photos--it isn't to the Download folder, but instead to /storage/sdcard0/com.facebook.katana.

The best thing to do is install a good 3rd party file manager app like ES File Explorer or Total Commander. If you download something that doesn't show up in the Download folder, then you can use your file manager app to look for wherever the file may have been downloaded.

 

[Dmjohn29]

On occasion, the Nexus Download app will show an empty Download folder. But ES File Explorer will show files, usually PDF's I downloaded. Any idea why?

 

[B. Diddy]

On occasion, the Nexus Download app will show an empty Download folder. But ES File Explorer will show files, usually PDF's I downloaded. Any idea why?

Welcome to Android Central! I think the Downloads app will only show files downloaded using the Download Manager. The tricky thing is knowing which apps use the Download Manager and which don't. Certain apps (and I can't remember which ones off the top of my head) bypass the Download Manager, so the files they download are visible in the directory /storage/sdcard0/download, but not visible when you open the Downloads app. This is why a good file manager app is always handy to have on your device.