Why did my phone data wipe out after connecting Nexus 5 (Android M) with PC?

[AC Question]

My phone is not rooted. A couple of weeks ago, I got a notification that Marshmallow is ready to install on my Nexus 5. I installed it without a hitch. Everything has been running perfectly.

Today, for the first time since I updated the phone from Lollipop to Marshmallow, I connected it through its original cable with my PC. I selected the MTP and PTP for file transfer and photo transfer respectively but to no avail.

I encountered the following problems:

1- Using PTP, I couldn't copy, paste or view photos using Windows Explorer to access my phone's storage.
2- Using TPT, I couldn't copy, paste or view files, likewise.

Couldn't establish file transfer. Neither PC to phone nor phone to PC.

Then, I went to (after disconnecting phone) settings>storage & USB>cached data>clear cached data for all apps

I restarted my phone and reconnected it with the PC.

Both Protocols started working. Copy, pasting and I can access and view files. But the only catch is, all my data e.g pictures of whatsapp, viber, instagram, text files that I saved in my phone's memory are erased.

I want to know if I was at fault so I do not repeat it or is it something to do with Marshmallow update?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I'm not sure why MTP wasn't working initially. Clearing cached data also shouldn't wipe out photos that you actually saved--it's only temporary data.

If you use a file manager app (like Total Commander), can you find those files on the phone (rather than looking with Windows Explorer)?

 

[chiltan]

Thank you for the welcome!

Yes! I thought of accessing the files in my phone through the File Explorer app. But after I had restarted the phone, I checked the data on my phone - and it was wiped clean. The contacts and all my apps and accounts were up-to-date and signed in but my phone data (pictures & files I had stored in the memory) was wiped out.

 

[B. Diddy]

That's strange. Was it only the directory with your photos or was it any and all files you may have manually saved or transferred to the phone? Do you recall the phone seeming like it was going through a factory reset? Did you have to go through the Setup Wizard again?

 

[chiltan]

Sorry it took me long to get back to this thread.

I couldn't read or copy or paste any files from the phone - files saved in the phone's memory. Files that I had manually saved: camera photos, music audio files, text files containing notes or messages.

No, no factory reset as far as I remember. I have been updating from Kitkat to Lollipop with no prob as updates would come. But the jump from Lollipop to M, dunno what triggered it, but it 1) made my files inaccessible (once I connected my phone for the first time after the update) 2) wiped out the manually saved files in phone's memory (once I disconnected the phone from the computer)

No I didn't go through Setup Wizard again.

All in all, the phone works fine now. No prob. But this little incident was strange and I couldn't figure it out. I thought maybe someone else experienced it too. I learnt to back up my stuff before upgrading.