Develop Bugs

[Q] Why do folders on /SDCARD appear empty through computer?

This is driving me crazy. I want to copy the TitaniumBackup folder from my GNEX to my Win7 PC.
Looking at the folder through Root Explorer on the GNEX all appears normal. When I look at the folder through my computer the folder is showing but the contents are backups that are almost a month older than are on the GNEX. If I delete everything in that folder FROM THE PC it still exists on the GNEX.
It is like it is looking at a different folder entirely however looking and searching through ROOT EXPLORER there are no other TITANIUM BACKUP folders.
This happens with a lot of apps. Example: I created a ZIP file using ROOT EXPLORER. The zip, viewing through ROOT EXPLORER is located in the /SDCARD/SPEEDSOFTWARE/ZIP folder however when I look at the SPEEDSOFTWARE folder via my PC the folder is empty.
I have tried both MTP and PHOTO mode. This happens with a lot of folders when trying to view them from my PC connection. Some stuff is there and a lot is not.

Hmmm, there is a /MNT/SDCARD and a /SDCARD folder (I don't know much about Linux) and the files I am NOT seeing on my PC are in /MNT/SDCARD and the files I am seeing are in /SDCARD. Why are there 2 different "SDCARD" folders? I changed the TitaniumBackup to save to /SDCARD instead of /MNT/SDCARD but the backups are still not viewable (or copyable) from my computer. I just don't get it.
So the question is, how do you "backup" the contents of the "SDCARD" directory if you can't see the files when plugged into the PC?
Well, after comparing all the "visible" files on my computer when I access the GNEX via MTP vs what I see using ROOT EXPLORER the ONLY 2 folders NOT visible from my PC are TITANIUMBACKUP and SPEEDSOFTWARE (thus is the ROOTEXPLORER app data). Why would they be hidden?

It's due to how the Android MTP service works. It hasn't scanned your internal storage for the new files/directory to present to your PC yet.
Download and run an app called SDrecan from the Market. This will force the media services on your phone to rescan the device.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Absolutely amazing! Thank you so much! I have been pulling out my hair for days!

thank you! I had the same problem!worked flawlessly!

silow said:
Download and run an app called SDrecan from the Market. This will force the media services on your phone to rescan the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! This was really driving me crazy...

is there one for phones on android kitkat 4.4 and up

silow said:
It's due to how the Android MTP service works. It hasn't scanned your internal storage for the new files/directory to present to your PC yet.
Download and run an app called SDrecan from the Market. This will force the media services on your phone to rescan the device.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this app is force closing. i cant even run it . do you have any idea? just today was working fine , i installed a custom rom and now when i try to put another roms on my sd card , i get this message that it's empty

trickster mod also has a media rescan option in bottom of tools section if this is helpful to you, I have to use it after using the "a better camera app" in order for pics to show in gallery without reboot

Can't delete folder?

How the hell can i delete a folder that can't be seen via PC connection but i can see it using es file explorer?
I can't delete it using ES even with root enabled....

zerozoneice said:
How the hell can i delete a folder that can't be seen via PC connection but i can see it using es file explorer?
I can't delete it using ES even with root enabled....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depending on where it is you need to mount it first. Which folder are you trying to delete?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

I had a folder that became corrupted (repeatedly interrupted game data downloads, I think). I was unable to delete it (even as root) and received an Access Denied error. I was able to rename the folder (so it wouldn't conflict anymore) and delete the majority of its contents (still received the Access Denied error on a file or two). I eventually had to do a full wipe via fastboot -w to get rid of the corrupted files.

had the same problem. had to reflash su.zip and it worked. can't explain it though. just reaching at straws

matt30 said:
Depending on where it is you need to mount it first. Which folder are you trying to delete?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's the folder created by the Photaf application.
i uninstalled the app and the folder is still there...permissions are writable, not hidden...
i can rename it, but can't delete it....and the subfolder within it as well...
i remember it happened once before and the only way to get rid of it was to reinstall the ROM (AOKP). Once installed, i could delete the folder.....

Try reinstalling the game and using settings/application/name of game clear data
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

bwcorvus said:
Try reinstalling the game and using settings/application/name of game clear data
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no effect, still can't be removed
LE: WTF, i just plugged in the phone into USB for charging and i saw the folder?! It deleted just fine?
Damn weird didn't do anything different than yesterday when i couldn't even see the folder via PC...

Thank you!
My Asus Transformer (TF101) hasn't been able to download anything to the Download folder for months now. Even Opera (which I installed just to try and fix this) could only download to a different folder. I did what you said, plugged it into the computer and first renamed the folder with ADB but couldn't create a new Download folder. "File already exists." Lies. Windows Explorer said it was still there as Download so I deleted it in Explorer and created a new folder named Download. The create failed but Android said it was there and Voila! I can download again. Very weird, but not ready yet to reformat in fastboot. Thanks guys!

If you're rooted you may be able to delete the files from /data/media, which is the true location, instead of the visual SD that you are seeing.
Could also be a file ownership issue.
Using a terminal emulator, use the following command to list ownership and permissions:
ls -l
(Lower case letter L, not i or 1)
Most of the files and folders should show up as media_rw, but the problematic ones may show up as numbers. To fix them, boot into CWM recovery, plug in the USB cable, go into adb shell. Also make sure that /data is mounted in the CWM mounts menu. Then:
cd /data/media
chown -R media_rw.media_rw *

[Q] How do I fix file permissions on SD card?

OK, I finally installed PA 2.99 beta6 which I've wanted to do for a while. First to preserve the file structure and not have /0 folders, I copied all my old SD card files to /data/media as told in the guide linked below. I'm thinking my issue started when I didn't delete the /0 folder after installing the stock 4.2.1, but now all my old SD card files have incorrect permissions for me to access them. Is there a quick and easy way to fix it, preferably from the phone? I'm gonna wipe and reinstall everything tomorrow if necessary, but I can't do it until tomorrow morning. I'm not even sure what permissions I should set to make the files accessible again. I think I may have screwed up by not setting permissions when copying files using the toolkit also. I'm still pretty noobish and I thought that was only necessary for system files. I thought the correct permissions would follow everything else. I did find that I can take a song that's in the /data/media/music file, which won't play, move it to /sdcard/music, and it plays. I tried changing permissions and owners on the non-working files to match the working files, but no luck.
I really appreciate any advice or help anybody has.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1999214

Ok, so you have moved all your content, in the new media folder, but I read you can't read any media from that folder. I guess that it s completely normal, as I would have only put backups to be used in this precise folder. Correct me anybody if I'm wrong, but music should be pasted in the new music folder, and so on and so on, for each media. In the first place, those files were not all put in the data/media folder right ?
So, why not try and use a file explorer, and move the content in their respective appropriate new folder, and see how it works. And that done delete the initial folders. Hope it will work.

Aur3L said:
Ok, so you have moved all your content, in the new media folder, but I read you can't read any media from that folder. I guess that it s completely normal, as I would have only put backups to be used in this precise folder. Correct me anybody if I'm wrong, but music should be pasted in the new music folder, and so on and so on, for each media. In the first place, those files were not all put in the data/media folder right ?
So, why not try and use a file explorer, and move the content in their respective appropriate new folder, and see how it works. And that done delete the initial folders. Hope it will work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to the guide to keep the pre-4.2 file structure, with no /0 folders, you're supposed to ADB push all sd card files to the /data/media folder. Now I think what I screwed up on is I was supposed to delete any /0 folders but I misread the guide and didn't delete the folder. Now all of the data I pushed to the phone is in it's respective folders under data/media, such as Music and Downloads, but there is also a /data/media/0 folder with standard android folders. There is also /sdcard, with standard android folders. From my understanding, either data/media and /sdcard or /data/media/0 and /sdcard should show the same files, but neither does. If I make a change in one directory it doesn't show in the other directory. The weird part to me is that when I copy and paste a file from /data/media/Music (or any other directory there) to /sdcard, the file permissions and owners and groups of the file will change, and then I can access the file in the /sdcard directory. But if I try to apply the exact same permissions and owner and group to the file under /data/media it will still not give me access. On Root Explorer, looking at properties of a file in /data/media, the md5sum shows Access Denied, but works on /sdcard. I'm thinking it has something to do with the /data/media folder's permissions instead of the files/folders under it, but I'm kinda afraid to mess with it. When I get home in the morning I'm gonna try dumping EVERYTHING and start again, but I would love to be able to fix it first.
Will I see any problems if I just copy all the files from /data/media to /sdcard, where I'm sure I can use them? Also, why doesn't /data/media or /data/media/0 show the same files as /sdcard?
Thanks for any help!

02ranger said:
According to the guide to keep the pre-4.2 file structure, with no /0 folders, you're supposed to ADB push all sd card files to the /data/media folder. Now I think what I screwed up on is I was supposed to delete any /0 folders but I misread the guide and didn't delete the folder. Now all of the data I pushed to the phone is in it's respective folders under data/media, such as Music and Downloads, but there is also a /data/media/0 folder with standard android folders. There is also /sdcard, with standard android folders. From my understanding, either data/media and /sdcard or /data/media/0 and /sdcard should show the same files, but neither does. If I make a change in one directory it doesn't show in the other directory. The weird part to me is that when I copy and paste a file from /data/media/Music (or any other directory there) to /sdcard, the file permissions and owners and groups of the file will change, and then I can access the file in the /sdcard directory. But if I try to apply the exact same permissions and owner and group to the file under /data/media it will still not give me access. On Root Explorer, looking at properties of a file in /data/media, the md5sum shows Access Denied, but works on /sdcard. I'm thinking it has something to do with the /data/media folder's permissions instead of the files/folders under it, but I'm kinda afraid to mess with it. When I get home in the morning I'm gonna try dumping EVERYTHING and start again, but I would love to be able to fix it first.
Will I see any problems if I just copy all the files from /data/media to /sdcard, where I'm sure I can use them? Also, why doesn't /data/media or /data/media/0 show the same files as /sdcard?
Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, as I said previously move your music photos apks downloads in the sdcard structure, then erase the /0 folder, you would have found your stuff, where it's ought to be, legible by their respective programs. So move your photos /data/media to your actual /sdcard/Dcim/ folder, and so on and so forth for each content, problem should be solved. It's really simple.

Aur3L said:
Again, as I said previously move your music photos apks downloads in the sdcard structure, then erase the /0 folder, you would have found your stuff, where it's ought to be, legible by their respective programs. So move your photos /data/media to your actual /sdcard/Dcim/ folder, and so on and so forth for each content, problem should be solved. It's really simple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand that and that is what I plan to do to get through tonight. My question is, why is this even a problem? Is there something that I could do to not have to move the files? Not out of laziness, more out of curiosity. I still plan to dump everything because with all the crap I've tried to fix the permission issues there's no telling what I may have screwed up, but until I get to start over I'm planning to just copy everything to /sdcard. Now I just would like to know why it was an issue. Why can't I access files in the /data/media folder, or any other folder on my phone for that matter, when I'm rooted and using a root explorer? I have never seen this issue before, regardless of phone or ROM. Is this due to the new 4.2 multiuser file structure, or something I did? I appreciate your help and I apologize if my intention wasn't clear from my last post, I am at work and typing in a hurry. I started the thread looking for an easy fix and you've given me that, now I'm mostly just curious as to why it happened to begin with.
Thanks again!
Edit: I just tried copying some alarms into the /sdcard/Alarms/ and they won't play either, but Music still does. I actually got a "Not Enough Free Space" message when trying to copy them, with 5+ GBs free on the sdcard and the files were only about 130kb. I'm just going to have to dump everything and just copy what I really have to have to the phone. If you have any other ideas I'm open to hear them, but I think its FUBARed at this point. Thanks though.

Well, if you use a root explorer, such as ES file, you have to move your alarms/rigtones notifications in telephone/system/media. Once put in here, you will have to correct the permissions to rw rr , and reboot your phone. As to why it happens like this, I guess it is related to the new structure, and also because you cannot play everything from everywhere in your device, some folders are system folders, and not every file is legible from that location. My guess in your situation is that you have twice the same content on your phone (hence the Not enough free space message), so just paste everything you need in the appropriate volume, and erase the one you have messed up with.
Might be a suggestion, but if you have a nandroid backup, just look at how and where your files are organised.
Now, however, if you have a hard time fixing this up, well you might as well save your stuff on your computer, flash a stock image, root it, install TWRP, your favorite Rom, transfer your files back from your computer, and you will have a fresh and probably better running phone.
Hope it will help you, and if you have an insomnia, just take that opportunity to browse your phone structure, so that you know where each file is located. Good luck with it .

That last part is what I did. I just wiped everything, reinstalled PA 2.99B6 and ADB pushed to /sdcard instead of /data/media. It all works perfectly now. I'm not 100% sure what the issue was before, but I still think it was the new file structure. If I go at a music file through /data/media it still won't play but will from /sdcard, which is the only place I put the files. I guess its just the way the new file structure for multi-user works. I appreciate your help. I think I'll keep the /0 folder too. Trying to get rid of it is part if why I did things that caused problems, and its gonna be part of the future of android so we might as well get used to it.
Thanks again!

[Q] [Help] Invisible/"Missing" files after flashing 4.2.x

I know this has been addressed but I was hoping you could help me and my friend out because we can't seem to find a definitive answer out there....I have tried about 8-10 4.2.X ROMs on my galaxy nexus and every time I do the files are moved into sub folder 0 because of multiple users and the restructured file system that comes with it.....now our problem is that when we use 4.2 or 4.2.1 ROMs the files are invisible no matter what I do....I used many different file explorers and yes I have "show hidden files" checked off. However when I revert back to 4.1.2 the files appear again.....even when I hook my phone up to my computer when running 4.2.x the files are invisible and they are nowhere to be found so that I can merge the old and new file folders...so basically when I'm running 4.1.2 everything is great but when I flash 4.2.x everything is moved and cannot be seen or visible on my phone or computer until I revert back to the previous version of android (4.1.1 or 4.1.2). Any help or problem solving is much appreciated once again thank you for the time and patience for dealing with us lol

Seems you are not using the latest TWRP or CWM so you are running into the "0" folder issue. Update your recovery and try again.
Hope this works

ahmadallica said:
Seems you are not using the latest TWRP or CWM so you are running into the "0" folder issue. Update your recovery and try again.
Hope this works
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I will look but I think I am twrp version 2.3.3.1 something like that I will check thanks bud

ahmadallica said:
Seems you are not using the latest TWRP or CWM so you are running into the "0" folder issue. Update your recovery and try again.
Hope this works
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I'm definitely using the latest twrp 2.3.2.1 thanks anyway man

So what do you exactly have in /sdcard/ after you flash 4.2?
Oh and assuming you know that you have a folder called "xyz" and it becomes invisible, then did you try searching using the "Search" function of the file explorer you are using so it can find this "xyz" for you automatically?
The files should be stored somewhere because you see them when reverting to 4.1.2 so I think that determining where they are should help in understanding what's going on and what to do later
Note: I have to sleep so I will check this thread again in the morning if no one helped you already
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

ahmadallica said:
So what do you exactly have in /sdcard/ after you flash 4.2?
Oh and assuming you know that you have a folder called "xyz" and it becomes invisible, then did you try searching using the "Search" function of the file explorer you are using so it can find this "xyz" for you automatically?
The files should be stored somewhere because you see them when reverting to 4.1.2 so I think that determining where they are should help in understanding what's going on and what to do later
Note: I have to sleep so I will check this thread again in the morning if no one helped you already
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First and foremost let me say thanks for taking the time I really appreciate it.....OK.....yes I have used the search function.....let's see here.....so currently I'm running PACman ROM android 4.1.2.....I'm using ES File Explorer.....so when I use es explorer and go to SD card everything is there....games media pics videos basically everything I have on my phone....now when I flash a 4.2.X ROM I download es file explorer and I check off show hidden files.....when I go to SD card a brand new set of files have appeared....including but not limited to "Android" "Notifications" "Downloads" etc. It brings a whole new set of empty folders to the foreground and all of my original folders were moved.....but I can't seem to find a way to "go up a level" to see my original files and see folder "0" with this new set of empty folders.....I basically can't find a way to go up one level and see the entire contents of SD card on my phone or on my computer it just automatically brings me the the newest folder "0" with no way to go up a level no matter what I do or try

Actually in ES File Explorer you will not be able to go up and see the files of the root directory unless you are "rooted" and do the following:
1) Run ES File Explorer
2) Click on the botton right 3 dots
3) Click settings
4) Scroll down to "Other Settings" and choose "Root settings"
5) Check the first three options "Root Explorer", "Up to Root" and "Mount File System"
Now if you start ES File Explorer then you can go up one level by clicking the "up" icon in the main screen
Afterwards, maybe you can search manually or via the Search function to find your files

ahmadallica said:
Actually in ES File Explorer you will not be able to go up and see the files of the root directory unless you are "rooted" and do the following:
1) Run ES File Explorer
2) Click on the botton right 3 dots
3) Click settings
4) Scroll down to "Other Settings" and choose "Root settings"
5) Check the first three options "Root Explorer", "Up to Root" and "Mount File System"
Now if you start ES File Explorer then you can go up one level by clicking the "up" icon in the main screen
Afterwards, maybe you can search manually or via the Search function to find your files
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DUDE!!!!!!!! Thank you so much I am rooted and checking off those 3 options did it!!!! Thanks a lot man I really appreciate it thanks for taking the time

I'm having the same issue as the OP. I can see all file structure with Astro and root explorer, yet I can not see them with my windows computer. All I can see is internal storage and the folders that are in there which seems to be just the main folders.
How are you able to see the rest of the folders in windows explorer so you/I can put my backups back on my phones. Titanium is saving to storage/emulated/legacy. Yet I can not get there through my PC. This is driving me nuts. I have a fresh install and want to get my back up stuff back to the correct locations.
Thanks

msucoleman said:
I'm having the same issue as the OP. I can see all file structure with Astro and root explorer, yet I can not see them with my windows computer. All I can see is internal storage and the folders that are in there which seems to be just the main folders.
How are you able to see the rest of the folders in windows explorer so you/I can put my backups back on my phones. Titanium is saving to storage/emulated/legacy. Yet I can not get there through my PC. This is driving me nuts. I have a fresh install and want to get my back up stuff back to the correct locations.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems you have your Titanium backup folder on your PC and you want to send it back to your phone, right?
If so, then just move the titanium backup folder normally to your /sdcard/ then follow this post to let titanium detect the folder you sent to /sdcard/ then restore your apps

ahmadallica said:
It seems you have your Titanium backup folder on your PC and you want to send it back to your phone, right?
If so, then just move the titanium backup folder normally to your /sdcard/ then follow this post to let titanium detect the folder you sent to /sdcard/ then restore your apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct and I have everything pretty much the way I want, but I think I have extra folders in my internal storage. I can now see the main storage from windows and it is temping to just keep going with what i got, but I have this nagging feeling that I have something wrong.
Like in this thread.

4.2 roms + CWM 6.0.2.3
your old files are located in data/media
4.2 creates its new SD card directory in data/media/0
take the files you want out of the old directory and put them in the new one and they will show up on your computer.

gpfnzl said:
4.2 roms + CWM 6.0.2.3
your old files are located in data/media
4.2 creates its new SD card directory in data/media/0
take the files you want out of the old directory and put them in the new one and they will show up on your computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"data/media/0" ......there they are!! Thanks!

Old ROM files keep coming back.

I have this folder on my phone that keeps coming back that is filled with old ROMs I had flashrd before. These add up to around 1.5GB. I can delete the whole folder but when I reboot my phone they are back. The folder name is called "!ReadytoFlash" I thought maybe these files are coming from the very top root folder of the phone but I can't seem to find where they are being restored from. There an example of a old ROM I had stored on the phone. Don't take into account that it is for the i9100 has this is not the phone I have. It is the Samsung galaxy nexus. The picture show me doing a search on one if the files that keeps coming back.

Post a screenshot of your phone - might help getting an answer

update your recovery and remove all the /0/ folders except 1.

Zepius said:
update your recovery and remove all the /0/ folders except 1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK I deleted all but one /0/ folder and after rebooting it remade the rest of the /0/0/... folders and add the .zip roms
Edit for got to mention that I update my recovery to the latest version.

Give this a try...
Boot into recovery, plug in the USB cable, go into adb shell, and make sure that /data is mounted. Then:
cd /data/media
chown -R media_rw.media_rw *