Why are my folders showing up in both "Internal Storage" and SD card memory?

[Android Central Question]

When I go to storage and check, the folders (photos and videos) are showing up in both SD card memory and internal storage. When I click on the folders, the same folders (latest files too) open up in the file explorer.

I formatted and migrated data to SD card due to low memory on the internal storage. But due to this I still get the error message that memory is low.

When I got to file explorers (tried two different apps), it only shows one storage location. One of them calls it "main storage" and the default app shows only (Images/Videos..etc and a separate tab "SanDisk SD card" which has these images and videos across different folders..).

Is there any way to fix this without possibly losing data (i.e. not formatting SD card etc..).

Phone is Moto G6, Android 9 (04/2020).

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Some manufacturers don't implement Adoptable Storage very well. I recall seeing a number of posts about it for Moto devices talking about still having low storage despite formatting the card as Internal Storage. I suspect the duplicated folders you see are an artifact of Adoptable Storage, and a symptom of the poor implementation.

I'd back up your photos to your computer's hard drive (via USB or via uploading to your Google Drive/Google Photos in the cloud) and then reformat the card to Portable Storage. Adoptable Storage is an imperfect solution, and can put your data at risk, since SD cards are inherently less reliable by nature -- if/when they fail, you could lose a fair amount of data without warning.

Please register on this forum, which will allow you to engage in discussion more easily, as well as post images. https://forums.androidcentral.com/ask-question/409154-join-android-central-community.html

 

[Rukbat]

Make sure that what's on the card isn't shortcuts to the actual files that are still in internal storage. If it is, you didn't move anything, you just make shortcuts and put them on the card. Using a file manager app, copy the files in internal storage and paste them to the card. Check them - if you can open them from the card, delete them from internal storage. (If you have the time, after you've copied and pasted all of them, shut the phone off, put the card into a card reader, insert it into the PC and see if you can open the files from the card. You won't be able to if all you put on the card is shortcuts.)