Kitkat Issue: Can't Write to External SD Card

[Leo G]

Well so far ES File Explorer seems to be able to see the SD card. I can take a file from internal memory and copy it into the SD card. The one thing I can't do is rename a file in the SD card. I can in the internal memory.

I use Kingsoft Office and it won't let me save to the SD file. I'd have to use ES to export it there. But what's the use? I wouldn't be able to save the edited file to it.

 

[bluzman]

Just tried to rename a file on SD card using File Manager (File Manager | Rhythm Software). Same result as you got with ES File Explorer...no go.

 

[ThatGuy2]

I've found that since the KK update, all my backups are unavailable. I did not wipe my phone prior to the KK update but found that it was overheating and battery life was quite a bit less. I decided to wipe and start back from scratch so made backups of all the pertinent apps and used My Backup Pro to create a backup of everything as well. All supposedly saved to the SD card but after wiping and restarting the phone, none of my backups were available. It appears that KK is creating an "emulated" location on the internal drive that it is using as the external hard drive and storing everything there. That's all fine except it is still internal memory and gets wiped along with everything else. Now all my backups are gone. I still have all my pics and anything that was saved to the external card prior to the update (music, etc) but lost everything else. I recommend watching this closely and possibly even manually moving all backups to the card or a computer before wiping the phone. Just to be safe. Hope they get this issue straightened out soon. JP

 

[pal1221]

just tested mine and was able to rename a file on the sd using file manager and i am on kitkat.

 

[monsieurms]

just tested mine and was able to rename a file on the sd using file manager and i am on kitkat.

What File Manager are you using? The built-in MY FILES is a Samsung app that works perfectly and has no SD card issues. It is 3rd party that have encountered issues.

 

[pal1221]

What File Manager are you using? The built-in MY FILES is a Samsung app that works perfectly and has no SD card issues. It is 3rd party that have encountered issues.

The stock my files app.

 

[monsieurms]

The stock my files app.

Yep........The others are a mixed bag. Samsung takes a lot of heat for bloatware, redundant apps, etc. But in this dust-up, there has been a method to the madness.

 

[Leo G]

ANY application that is default to the phone will work properly. They all have the correct permissions.

 

[RB_DaEngineer]

I am trying to copy pics and mp3s to my SD card from my computer. I am able to copy the files over but when I put the SD card back in my phone the files are gone. I tried it several times with the same result. I verified that the files were on the card before I removed it from my computer. Should I leave the card in the phone and transfer the files using my usb cable. I literally took the card out and transferred the files using a micro sd card adapter.

 

[monsieurms]

I am trying to copy pics and mp3s to my SD card from my computer. I am able to copy the files over but when I put the SD card back in my phone the files are gone. I tried it several times with the same result. I verified that the files were on the card before I removed it from my computer. Should I leave the card in the phone and transfer the files using my usb cable. I literally took the card out and transferred the files using a micro sd card adapter.

Try formatting the card IN THE PHONE.

Then recopy everything, preferably with the card in the phone (although by then it shouldn't matter).

 

[pjamese3]

Re: Kitkat Issue: Can't Write to External SD Card

"Overall, it turns out not to be a huge issue." Well, it's kind of a big issue for me because I do more than just copy music files to my external SD card. I have a Galaxy S4 and I have a number of apps that are set to store data to my external card. The apps themselves still work...except that they can't write to the card. Now I could bypass the KitKat read only issue by changing the storage location on those programs to internal storage, but doesn't that bypass the whole reason for having an SD card? I got the card for bulk storage of video and music files, loading the majority of my apps on it (especially those large android games) and storing data backups so that in case my phone was inoperable, I could just transfer the card to a new phone, reinstall the app and reload the data. It's not really a help if my data is stored on the internal storage of my phone if it has bricked.

For manually transferring files, I use ES File Explorer. It and its associated apps all work as before...except it won't write to the external SD card. I can't even create new files/folders manually thru the app. I tried using the File Manager app you linked to. It's not as good as ES File Explorer. With that app, I could create a directory, but I couldn't remove the directory that I had just created. I could do both with the native Android file manager (which makes sense as it was one of the apps upgraded to KitKat) but it's nowwhere near as good a file manager as the other 2.

This problem seems to go across the board for 3rd party apps. As such, I see it as a huge screwup by Google. I can't believe they didn't test the new OS with with 3rd party apps to see if there were any issues before releasing the update. This is more of a giant bug than an update. Hopefully, Google will be putting out an OS 4.4.3 update to fix this issue soon.

BTW, has anyone tried reformatting the SD card to see if the OS will allow writing to a card it has formatted?

 

[bluzman]

Re: Kitkat Issue: Can't Write to External SD Card

"Overall, it turns out not to be a huge issue." Well, it's kind of a big issue for me because I do more than just copy music files to my external SD card. I have a Galaxy S4 and I have a number of apps that are set to store data to my external card. The apps themselves still work...except that they can't write to the card. Now I could bypass the KitKat read only issue by changing the storage location on those programs to internal storage, but doesn't that bypass the whole reason for having an SD card? I got the card for bulk storage of video and music files, loading the majority of my apps on it (especially those large android games) and storing data backups so that in case my phone was inoperable, I could just transfer the card to a new phone, reinstall the app and reload the data. It's not really a help if my data is stored on the internal storage of my phone if it has bricked.

For manually transferring files, I use ES File Explorer. It and its associated apps all work as before...except it won't write to the external SD card. I can't even create new files/folders manually thru the app. I tried using the File Manager app you linked to. It's not as good as ES File Explorer. With that app, I could create a directory, but I couldn't remove the directory that I had just created. I could do both with the native Android file manager (which makes sense as it was one of the apps upgraded to KitKat) but it's nowwhere near as good a file manager as the other 2.

This problem seems to go across the board for 3rd party apps. As such, I see it as a huge screwup by Google. I can't believe they didn't test the new OS with with 3rd party apps to see if there were any issues before releasing the update. This is more of a giant bug than an update. Hopefully, Google will be putting out an OS 4.4.3 update to fix this issue soon.

BTW, has anyone tried reformatting the SD card to see if the OS will allow writing to a card it has formatted?

You might want to read this and the comments.

KitKat and SD cards — what's fixed, what's broken and what's misunderstood | Android Central

 

[monsieurms]

Re: Kitkat Issue: Can't Write to External SD Card

BTW, has anyone tried reformatting the SD card to see if the OS will allow writing to a card it has formatted?

Assume you saw Bluzman's link and understand now, but if not---this is not a bug, but a supposed security feature. Apps won't work the same way under KitKard with cards. Reformatting won't help. Check out the link, if you haven't.

 

[Meet Mehta1]

tips for moving files from internal storage to sd card-
1-first move all the files which u want to move to sd card in to the download folder of internal storage
2-now go to setting
3-open storage
4-go to phone memory and click on make more space
5-click on browser and select files which u want to move to sd card
enjoyyyyy

 

[Leo G]

My phone has none of those functions. When I go into storage, there is no phone memory

 

[Anthony Stump]

I can see why they are doing it. Nobody wants phones to have 128 GB of storage that can be transported everywhere. Apple hates it - cuts into iPhone sales. Tablet makers hate it - nobody needs to buy a tablet if they have 128, 256 GBs of storage on a phone. Laptop makers hate it - and desktop makers hate it for the same reason. Most of those fancy SSDs only have 256 GBs of space anyway.

Phones are getting too powerful. People know how to use them to their advantage. The industry hates "power users" and wants to keep you "in check" using KNOX, Lumen Toolbar, and other junk they put on stock.

 

[Leo G]

And then lock the phone down so hard you can't even root it. It's not their phone after they sell it to you. Let us do with it what we want.

 

[bluzman]

tips for moving files from internal storage to sd card-
1-first move all the files which u want to move to sd card in to the download folder of internal storage
2-now go to setting
3-open storage
4-go to phone memory and click on make more space
5-click on browser and select files which u want to move to sd card
enjoyyyyy

Or just use the built-in My Files app to copy or move files from internal to external storage.

 

[monsieurms]

My phone has none of those functions. When I go into storage, there is no phone memory

Well, I won't claim to be an expert in every model, but there has to be SOME storage or your phone wouldn't work. There's an operating system, for instance. That's stored. There are files created when you download apps, and the default these days is internal memory--so, that's stored, too. Android does sometimes through a file manager make it difficult to figure out where the storage is. "emulated sd card" is actually internal storage, for instance.

The poster to whom you were responding was talking about the SETTINGS, of the phone. Depending on the type of device (tablet, phone), on my phone I click the tab MORE (there are multiple tabs--connections, my device, accounts, etc). Scroll down--STORAGE is one. It tells you how much you have, what it is taken up with. You can clear caches.

I wouldn't really do it the way he does. Just open up a native file Manager "My Files." But I do have Samsung's My Files pre-installed. You may not if you don't have Samsung.

 

[Leo G]

That area is strictly for looking at stats on my phone. There are no manipulation functions there.