Hey guys, just wondering if there are any tips on removing the clutter on the SD card between ROM flashes. There are so many files and data that android creates on there that I don't know what I should and shouldn't get rid of. Do most of you just format it before a flash or what? I just feel like keeping all those old SD files on there from prior ROMs isn't good.
Keep the files you want and delete the rest.
I delete all the files on the sd card pertaining to android between flashes that includes the following folders
data, android, lost.dir, .android_secure, .data, rosie_scroll, tmp.
Its safe to delete them and I find that i have less problems when doing so.
I know that variations of this question have been asked before, and I apologise if it is answered somewhere, but...
I'm running Cyanogen 10.1 and I have four folders containing the entire contents of my SD card; /mnt/sdcard, /sdcard, /storage/sdcard0 and /storage/emulated.I understand that the structure of the memory in 4.2.1 has changed, but I'm fairly sure that each of these folders is actually duplicating all the contents and taking up a lot of memory - I only have 4gb left with no music, movies or photos.
What's the best way to address this issue please?
Thanks
I think all these duplicates are just "symlinks" to the same files because of the multi-user functionality of android 4.2. Therefore I think they are not consuming more storage.
My GNex has a total storage around 13 GB, so if you only have 4 GB left then check the size of the /sdcard/ directory. If it is about 9 GB then the other duplicated directories are just symlinks
When in doubt you could always do an SD card wipe (obviously backing up all important data first) and that should clear everything up. I know you can do that with TWRP, I think you can with CWM, or you can just Lock and then Unlock your bootloader and that will do it for you too.
I had a similar issue after I flashed my first 4.2 ROM without the latest version of TWRP (though mine was definitely not duplicating data as my memory was not extra full), but after a wipe and a flash using the latest version of TWRP I was good to go.
Also do not switch between 4.2 and 4.1 roms as you will get multiple /0 folders and you will have to move everything over and. I believe you can hop between 4.2 ROMs without a problem though. I have had any issues doing that.
so what do you do if you cant see any of your data on the sdcard, but the sdcard still shows the same amount of space used on it?
edit:
nevermind, i found my stuff
it got put in mnt/shell/emulated for some reason
Hi. My problem is based on the fact that I can not copy the built-in memory. Photos and generally everything can not be saved. Even the system folders can not create. Memory is seen by the computer but it is completely empty and you can not copy anything to it. I wanted to install the new ROM, but unfortunately I can not put a zip in memory -.-
probably best to work with a memory card but I lost it
Sorry for my bad english
DETELE THIS PLEASE
Hello guys. To begin with, sorry for my English (I'm from Poland).
I've got a problem with my Samsung Galaxy Note II. I have had jelly bean 4.1.2 (I think) stock system and today I changed it to Cyanogenmod 10.2. Everything is good now but there is a problem with storage on phone's memory. I did a full backup and all wipes using CWM recovery. After I installed new system, I have all my old contacts, but I don't have my music. Furthermore system says that there is only 2,14 GB of free space, although all media, applications, pictures, videos and other blablabla takes only around 100 MB. What should I do?
Thanks for any help
You're the 2nd poster in 24 hours whom I am 99% certain did not wipe as much as your think you did.
Odds are you did NOT wipe /data/media. So ALL you media files are still there. Now Android4.2+ use a different partition for the internal SD card than TouchWiz 4.1, which matters as the TWiz ineternalSD partition is NOT accessible from inside AOSP. There's a flashable zip to move your media across partitions somewhere here on XDA. Otherwise flash back to TouchWiz, move all your stuff over to an external SD card, and then flash back.
Skripka said:
You're the 2nd poster in 24 hours whom I am 99% certain did not wipe as much as your think you did.
Odds are you did NOT wipe /data/media. So ALL you media files are still there. Now Android4.2+ use a different partition for the internal SD card than TouchWiz 4.1, which matters as the TWiz ineternalSD partition is NOT accessible from inside AOSP. There's a flashable zip to move your media across partitions somewhere here on XDA. Otherwise flash back to TouchWiz, move all your stuff over to an external SD card, and then flash back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. I've got root and indeed there are all my old files in /data/media
But can I just remove them all from this folder (because I don't need them) or it won't give me free space on phone's storage?
wlodarix said:
Ok. I've got root and indeed there are all my old files in /data/media
But can I just remove them all from this folder (because I don't need them) or it won't give me free space on phone's storage?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Presuming nothing else is going on....If you really want then delete them and you'll get your storage space back. Otherwise just copy them over to your externalSD card or your new internalSD partition.
Coming from TouchWiz, probably 2GB of your memory is eaten up by your Nandroid backup of your OS...I'm guessing you chose to save everything internal, and nothing on your external SD card.
Skripka said:
Presuming nothing else is going on....If you really want then delete them and you'll get your storage space back. Otherwise just copy them over to your externalSD card or your new internalSD partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. Thank you very much. Topic to close
Hi there
I have a serious problem with my S4 Mini Duos GT-I9192. The problem is that the free internal memory space is wrong. At the moment it's showing about 1GB free space, but I confirmed my installed apps and it's impossible I have 5GB of installed apps. In fact I have about 2.5GB of installed apps, then I shoud have about 3GB of free space.
I made a test, plugged the device in the computer and it shows I really have 1GB free in internal memory, after that I selected all folders into it and get properties, and it shows 2.4GB size. (you can see in attached images)
My question: If the internal memory has 5.39GB and my all files has 2.4GB used space, I should have 2.99GB free space, not just 1GB free!!! Where is this lost space??? I need it, because I want install apps and games, and at now I cant!!
My andriod version is 4.4.2 kitkat (not rooted), manually updated from sammobile, but the problem was the same before update. The original version was 4.2 Jelly Bean.
Best regards for all.
You should look for hidden folders with a dot before the name. I think you probably got a big .thumbnails folder. That's a common problem, try searching on google for solutions.
marchrius said:
You should look for hidden folders with a dot before the name. I think you probably got a big .thumbnails folder. That's a common problem, try searching on google for solutions.
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Click to collapse
Hi guy, that's not the problem. I selected all folders, included with dot before name, hidden folders... Also had googled, but no answer...
renatotozzi said:
Hi guy, that's not the problem. I selected all folders, included with dot before name, hidden folders... Also had googled, but no answer...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did u play heavy games in the past? If you uninstall those games, occasionally their cache/data remain on your device. Go to internal sdcard > Android > Obb and look for any folders that correspond to the apps u used previously. Delete them and see if that solves your problem. I had this problem once in the past when I uninstalled gta3, the com.rockstargames.XXXX folder remained in the obb folder. I had to manually delete that to free up space.
If that does not work, backup everything u got on your internal sd card onto microsd card/usb drive and wipe internal storage via TWRP recovery.
Try what I suggested. hopefully it works. good luck.
Do what he said. you can wipe internal storage from your pc too
sasank360 said:
Did u play heavy games in the past? If you uninstall those games, occasionally their cache/data remain on your device. Go to internal sdcard > Android > Obb and look for any folders that correspond to the apps u used previously. Delete them and see if that solves your problem. I had this problem once in the past when I uninstalled gta3, the com.rockstargames.XXXX folder remained in the obb folder. I had to manually delete that to free up space.
If that does not work, backup everything u got on your internal sd card onto microsd card/usb drive and wipe internal storage via TWRP recovery.
Try what I suggested. hopefully it works. good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, I don't have old data/obb games in device. As you can see in attached screen capture, I selected all existing folders in my device and get properties, it shows I have 2.5 GB used, the refered space is really lost, maybe in some partition which windows does not recognize...
marchrius said:
Do what he said. you can wipe internal storage from your pc too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But wipe what? wipe not used files? I can't do this because all files used, I don't have unused files there. Or this wipe process is something which can find the lost space in device?
renatotozzi said:
But wipe what? wipe not used files? I can't do this because all files used, I don't have unused files there. Or this wipe process is something which can find the lost space in device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No what we meant is : You first copy everything from your internal storage to external sd card or usb drive. Then go to TWRP recovery and choose wipe>Advanced Wipe and select internal storage. Then swipe and your internal storage will be cleaned up off everything. Now you can transfer the backup files from that usb drive or ext sd card back to internal storage.Do not format internal storage via windows pc.
Do that only with TWRP recovery. Good luck.
Have you considered that the internal memory is shared?
Infact the internal sdcard is the folder /data/media.
The S4 mini has the /data partition of 5.4 GB.
So if you have 1 Gb free and 2.4 occupied into internal sdcard (/data/media), maybe you have 2 GB occupied into /data? In particular into /data/app e app-asec? (these folders contain the apks of app installed from play store).
sasank360 said:
No what we meant is : You first copy everything from your internal storage to external sd card or usb drive. Then go to TWRP recovery and choose wipe>Advanced Wipe and select internal storage. Then swipe and your internal storage will be cleaned up off everything. Now you can transfer the backup files from that usb drive or ext sd card back to internal storage.Do not format internal storage via windows pc.
Do that only with TWRP recovery. Good luck.
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Click to collapse
Ok guy, I understood your tip. I'll try to do that. Just another question: Doing this process I will lose all my personal settings, installed apps, accounts? Or all will be as before after do that?
renatotozzi said:
Ok guy, I understood your tip. I'll try to do that. Just another question: Doing this process I will lose all my personal settings, installed apps, accounts? Or all will be as before after do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for late reply. You wont lose installed apps but you will lose those photos, videos and any downloads or documents you have on internal storage. That's the reason I said backup/Copy everything on your internal storage to usb drive/external sd card and then format. Later you can move them back to internal storage and reboot.
sasank360 said:
Sorry for late reply. You wont lose installed apps but you will lose those photos, videos and any downloads or documents you have on internal storage. That's the reason I said backup/Copy everything on your internal storage to usb drive/external sd card and then format. Later you can move them back to internal storage and reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, guy, thanks for tip, I'll try this
I've got this problem today. Only 800 MB free in internal SD, but when selected all files/folders they only had 1,2 GB!! Where the hell was the remaining GB?
I've entered the recovery and found a backup in the internal SD. Deleted it and recovered the free space!
2 days ago, I've made a backup to the external SD (waiting for the M10 release!), and it really is there, but I don't know how, the backup was made to the internal SD too!
See if you don't have any backup in the internal SD, but you have to go by the recovery.