Develop Bugs

[Q] MTP file transfer: how can I keep the original timestamps for the copied files?

Hi everyone,
I have the following issue: when I am copying files/directories from my GNex to a PC or viceversa, the timestamps of the copied files are changed to <sysdate> (e.g. the actual timestamp at the moment of the transfer). This is a bug because the timestamp of a file should only be changed when the content of the file is modified. Copy/move operations should NOT alter the file timestamp.
I usually sort my multimedia collection by the date/time attribute, allowing me to reconstruct the actual timeline for all the photos/movies that I've made in time using different phone models.
The only workaround that I've found so far is to use the "adb push <dir> /mnt/sdcard/<dir>" command. This command does not alter the file timestamps, but the transfer rate is significantly lower than the MTP transfer rate. There is also an advantage for using this command: it works much faster when dealing with cascaded multiple small file transfers.
If you know any alternative method for copying files over the MTP protocol while preserving the original timestamps, please share it.
Cheers

This is a bug because the timestamp of a file should only be changed when the content of the file is modified. Copy/move operations should NOT alter the file timestamp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not quite true; on linux a copy operation will modify the timestamp by default (it has an option to disable this), a move operation will not modify the timestamp.
The only workaround that I've found so far is to use the "adb push <dir> /mnt/sdcard/<dir>" command. This command does not alter the file timestamps, but the transfer rate is significantly lower than the MTP transfer rate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whether to modify the timestamp or not is really a function of the program/protocol you are using to copy the file, it's not likely to be a bug in android.
If you know any alternative method for copying files over the MTP protocol while preserving the original timestamps, please share it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AFAIK, MTP will always modify the timestamp.

You're right, on linux there is a "cp -p" option to preserve the file attributes (and also the timestamp), but IMHO a similar option should have been implemented also in the MTP protocol in the form of a client application that would allow the user to choose whether to preserve the timestamp or not when copying files over MTP.

hello guys
@tlc i've tried your workdaround but didn't work...always change timestamp...
have you find another solution for the problem?
thanks
regards

im interested in this too plz!!

zok-star said:
im interested in this too plz!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I need a solution to this as well for my Nexus 7. The fact that the filesystem changes the timestamps without actually altering the files themselves is crazy. Totally f**ks up a photo collection.

rename files
I'm kind of shocked that it's 2012 and my phone has its time synced to atomic clocks in orbiting satellites and takes 1080P video but the totality of human civilisation has not yet raised to the level of telling me when I took the video.
My HTC Desire would name the files after the time they were taken, but the ASUS Padfone does not (it calls them VID0001.mp4 and so on). But a good enough workaround for me would be to automatically rename the files.
A slick Android app would be best, but I have not found one. So since I know Python I am thinking SL4A's Python which I already have installed and a quick script.
Here is how to get the file timestamps in Python (reconstruct the URLs yourself because I am a noob so apparently need to be hindered in my attempts to provide useful notes):
stackoverflow.com /a/1526089
Here is how to rename files:
stackoverflow.com /questions/2759067/rename-files-in-python
Here is how to list the files in a directory:
stackoverflow.com /questions/120656/directory-listing-in-python
If I finish the script before finding a better solution I'll post it here.

I transfer pictures and video all the time using MTP (on Windows 7 64 bit) and the time stamps of the files on my computer match perfectly the time stamp of the original files.
I don't think I ever played with any settings to get it to do this either - it just did it like this, and I thought that it was the default behavior (and it makes sense to keep the original time stamp). so it is possible to copy files via MTP and not change the time stamp. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to do it.

SL4A Python script renames files to have dates
jss2 said:
I transfer pictures and video all the time using MTP (on Windows 7 64 bit) and the time stamps of the files on my computer match perfectly the time stamp of the original files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's possible this is a Linux/Mac problem only. My particular problem is with a Mac and we have to use a special program to transfer files; it's like something out of the dark ages.
Anyway, here is my script. Take care and comment out the actual rename and test it; the logic in there is specific to the Padfone's video naming scheme like VID000012.mp4 -- Galaxy Nexus may be different. Also you need to force a media rescan after this so the gallery notices the new filenames, which I do using Tasker's media / Scan Card action. I tried doing a sendBroadcast ACTION_MEDIA_MOUNTED with sl4a but couldn't get it to work.
You end up with files named like VID000012_2012_0817_132059.mp4 which is good enough for my purposes.
Code:
import os
import datetime
video_path = '/sdcard/DCIM/Camera/'
filenames = os.listdir(video_path)
# Padfone names videos like VID000012.mp4 so we look for all
# .mp4 files and exclude files we have already renamed because
# renaming makes the filename longer
for filename in filenames:
if len(filename) == 13 and filename[-4:] == '.mp4':
filepath = os.path.join(video_path, filename)
creation_time = os.path.getmtime(filepath)
creation_time_dt = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(creation_time)
creation_time_string = creation_time_dt.strftime('_%Y_%m%d_%H%M%S')
new_name = filename[:9] + creation_time_string + '.mp4'
print 'Renaming ' + filename + ' to ' + new_name
new_path = os.path.join(video_path, new_name)
os.rename(filepath, new_path)

jss2 said:
I transfer pictures and video all the time using MTP (on Windows 7 64 bit) and the time stamps of the files on my computer match perfectly the time stamp of the original files.
I don't think I ever played with any settings to get it to do this either - it just did it like this, and I thought that it was the default behavior (and it makes sense to keep the original time stamp). so it is possible to copy files via MTP and not change the time stamp. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the problem is....
when you put your files into Galaxy Nexus,
the timestamp will change into today's date.
while phone to pc is fine, no timestamp problem.
the real problem is when you transfer from pc to the phone.
my gallery pictures are now messed up, because this damn problem.
i tried both on stock ics, stock jb, cyanogenmod 10, it all the same.
i came from another device, and want to put my pictures on Galaxy Nexus.
and now it's not well arranged by date
come on google, it is sucks..
where do we should report this bug?

marhensa said:
the problem is....
when you put your files into Galaxy Nexus,
the timestamp will change into today's date.
while phone to pc is fine, no timestamp problem.
the real problem is when you transfer from pc to the phone.
my gallery pictures are now messed up, because this damn problem.
i tried both on stock ics, stock jb, cyanogenmod 10, it all the same.
i came from another device, and want to put my pictures on Galaxy Nexus.
and now it's not well arranged by date
come on google, it is sucks..
where do we should report this bug?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are correct, copying files from a computer to the phone, via MTP, does change the date. but the original poster in this thread only asked about copying files from the phone TO a computer, so my original post was relevant to that topic. While I understand your issue, I almost never copy anything back onto my phone, so it's not a big concern for me.
Out of curiosity, I just used adb push to copy a file from my computer to my phone. it was a photo taken on October 9, 2004 (long before the GNEX was available :laugh: ). And using adb to copy the file instead of MTP, it kept the original date. check out the screenshot of Root Explorer (with thumb-nails edited for privacy).
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
So while MTP might alter file time/date stamps, clearly, adb does not. So if you've got a lot of files to copy from your PC to your phone, and the time stamp is important, just go ahead and adb push them to your phone.

i got permission issue when doing adb push..
adb push xyz /data/media/xyz/
denied because permission issue,
how do you guys do adb push?
Sent from Galaxy Nexus - Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1

I use Local Sync, it easy and works for me.

marhensa said:
i got permission issue when doing adb push..
adb push xyz /data/media/xyz/
denied because permission issue,
how do you guys do adb push?
Sent from Galaxy Nexus - Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used /sdcard/xyz instead of /data/media/xyz. not sure why using /data/media didn't work for you, but try again with /sdcard instead.

jss2 said:
I used /sdcard/xyz instead of /data/media/xyz. not sure why using /data/media didn't work for you, but try again with /sdcard instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aaah..
yes /sdcard/ works just fine..
thank you.
now my pictures from motorola defy is well arranged on this Galaxy Nexus :good:
Sent from Galaxy Nexus - Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1

marhensa said:
aaah..
yes /sdcard/ works just fine..
thank you.
now my pictures from motorola defy is well arranged on this Galaxy Nexus :good:
Sent from Galaxy Nexus - Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This isn't working for me - the files have been pushed using adb from my backup of the \Edited\ folder to /sdcard/Edited and they're all showing today's date.
Have there been any updates to this command that I need to run?

Pfitzy said:
This isn't working for me - the files have been pushed using adb from my backup of the \Edited\ folder to /sdcard/Edited and they're all showing today's date.
Have there been any updates to this command that I need to run?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
use local sync app
to sync files into your virtualsdcardcomputer.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30471293
it works like a charm.
date modified stays original.
if you confuse how to use it, just pm.
Sent from Galaxy Nexus - Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1

Just one tip for those who got wrong timestamps after copy to phone.
Use Quickpic app from playstore it has a built in option to correct timestamp.

Buy a Galaxy S2. It has dedicated partition for internal sdcard, so allows you to use Mass Storage Mode, which is not the case for newer devices (S3 and up).
Another possible option (not tested), is to transfer files via FTP.

scandiun said:
Buy a Galaxy S2. It has dedicated partition for internal sdcard, so allows you to use Mass Storage Mode, which is not the case for newer devices (S3 and up).
Another possible option (not tested), is to transfer files via FTP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
transfer via FTP also alter date modified timestamp.
-----
Sent from Android device

Can't Copy Titanium Backup Files to My PC

I created a Galaxy Nexus folder on the "data" drive on my PC. I connect my rooted Gnex and can see "Internal Storage" with folders and data in them. I can drag and drop the Clockworkmod folder and all the files inside move over to my PC just fine but with (paid) Titanium Backup only the folder is moved and none of files inside. The folder is empty. I can try to drag and drop single or multiple TiBu files and nothing is moved. I tried moving them to my desktop rather than the other drive and same thing happens. This happens with drag and drop or copy/paste. Why would Clockworkmod files move but not TiBu files?
Any help appreciated.

Have you tried using a file explorer on the phone and copying the the TitaniumBackup files to a folder that is viewable always through MTP such as DCIM and then transferring from that folder to your PC?

hEaTLoE said:
Have you tried using a file explorer on the phone and copying the the TitaniumBackup files to a folder that is viewable always through MTP such as DCIM and then transferring from that folder to your PC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll have to do more reading but I sort of understand that. Isn't that just a workaround? Shouldn't I be able to drag and drop the TiBu folder and its contents?
There's no problem dragging and dropping folders from my PC to my Gnex.
Thanks for help!

It may be...I got my GNex today (been on the same Drod Incredible since mid 2010). Already rooted, CWM and custom ROM, but I haven't had much time to play with the phone yet. I did notice using File Explorer I can see more folders on the SD card root than I can see using MTP which I believe may be related to the issue you're having.
I've only transferred files from my PC to the phone and subsequently deleted files using MTP, but I'll update trying to pull files from the phone. You could use ADP as well if MTP doesn't work.

MTP has to do with Media Player right? Maybe my problem is when I hook the Gnex up via USB the AutoPlay box comes up and I've just been closing it out without selecting anything. The only selection that mentions Windows Media Player is, "Sync digital media files to this device using Windows Media Player". Should I select that one? There's also, "Open device to view files using Windows Explorer" There're some others but I don't think they pertain.
Thanks, again for your help.

I've been clicking open device to view files or opening it through My Computer.
Make sure the phone is set to MTP and not Camera mode.

You can also use adb to pull the folder of your phone, assuming you have the correct drivers installed.
adb pull /sdcard/TitaniumBackup/

hEaTLoE said:
I've been clicking open device to view files or opening it through My Computer.
Make sure the phone is set to MTP and not Camera mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is MTP mode in Settings? I can't see it.

mudferret said:
You can also use adb to pull the folder of your phone, assuming you have the correct drivers installed.
adb pull /sdcard/TitaniumBackup/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The drivers are the ones that came with Mug's Toolkit. I need to read up on abd.
Thanks

thusband said:
Is MTP mode in Settings? I can't see it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you connect via USB, you can pull the notification bar down and change the type of connection type.
thusband said:
The drivers are the ones that came with Mug's Toolkit. I need to read up on abd.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ADB seems daunting, but is actually easy to use. Same with fastboot. Before you start running things, get ADB and other apps installed, open a command prompt from the platform-tools folder of the SDK and run the command: adb devices to verify the drivers are working. I've found usually the ADP driver installs fine, but the Android 1.0 driver for fastboot doesn't. Make sure both work fine before you start messing with things.
To test fastboot, boot into the boot loader and see if the computer recognizes the phone. You can then run the command: fastboot devices to see if you have a good connection.

hEaTLoE said:
When you connect via USB, you can pull the notification bar down and change the type of connection type.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK thanks. The pulldown shows MTP checked. Could it be something in Win 7 that needs changing to be able to recognize the Internal Storage files?
Looks like there's quite a few steps in setting up ADB. I'll have to read through everything carefully.
As with so many things unlocking and rooting opens up a can of worms. I don't mean that in the negative but it's like learning how to ride a bike again.

thusband said:
OK thanks. The pulldown shows MTP checked. Could it be something in Win 7 that needs changing to be able to recognize the Internal Storage files?
Looks like there's quite a few steps in setting up ADB. I'll have to read through everything carefully.
As with so many things unlocking and rooting opens up a can of worms. I don't mean that in the negative but it's like learning how to ride a bike again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GNex Toolkit can easily install the correct drivers for you. You don't need the entire Android SDK if you just want Fastboot and ADB.
There's a DL link to Fastboot + ADB here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1366806&highlight=download+fastboot

Thanks everyone for the help. Fastboot and ADB will certain't have to be installed but it seems like it's a work around for not being able to drag and drop the TiBu files to my PC. I haven't seen other folks with this problem so I need to find out why it's happening with me.
Again, I really appreciate the help. I've learned a lot.

thusband said:
Thanks everyone for the help. Fastboot and ADB will certain't have to be installed but it seems like it's a work around for not being able to drag and drop the TiBu files to my PC. I haven't seen other folks with this problem so I need to find out why it's happening with me.
Again, I really appreciate the help. I've learned a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same issue here. was told to disconnect-reconnect usb cable. i did it twice but still i cant see the tibu folder... other folder works fine strangely..
i have a downloaded directory where i push files manually and i can see its contents!.
Whatever, i will use the tool kit

same problem here...when i make a backup i can't find titanium backup folder when i connect usb,even if a create a new backup folder from explorer in windows7.... :crying:

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Sync your tibu to dropbox or Google drive. Easily done over wifi.
I agree you can't copy the entire folder but I have no problem copy/paste the individual files inside titanium backup folder.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

zackpack said:
same problem here...when i make a backup i can't find titanium backup folder when i connect usb,even if a create a new backup folder from explorer in windows7.... :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The file directories for MTP aren't updated as dynamically as they should be. Try running an application like SDRescan or any of the solutions in the threads about missing files through MTP.

thank you all. Tonight i've uploaded to dropbox but i think it's a long way to get the result.
I'll try soon SDRescan.

If your on a custom ROM make sure to fix permissions.
I've had this happen on my GNex and my Xoom. Only real way I solved it was deleting all the files in my SD card with root explorer except for CWM folded and the rom I'm installing. Then reboot right after the delete FORMATTING system/data/cache and factory reset.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

I had this problem on my stock but rooted nexus. I could copy over files and folders just fine except the Titanium folder. I just restarted my phone and it worked.

[GUIDE] How-to copy files from/to your device

Problems
"The contents of the /sdcard partition is not properly displayed by Windows Explorer. I'm missing files/folders and/or I'm seeing files/folders that shouldn't be on my /sdcard. When I browse my /sdcard with a file manager app the contents are displayed OK."
"Whey copying files, the process hangs during transfer. Happens mostly when copying a large number of files."
"The /sdcard contents are listed, but it's not possible to copy anything from or to the /sdcard."
Cause
The Galaxy Nexus does not support the USB mass storage protocol, but relies on MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) when connected to a computer using a USB cable. The implementation of MTP is buggy at best. Transferring files is slower and less reliable when compared to USB mass storage. Windows Explorer is often unresponsive for shorter or longer periods when browsing the /sdcard with it and may not list the contents of the /sdcard properly. These problems are Windows version independent, despite the fact MTP is natively supported since Windows Vista. Problems are reported with XP, Vista and 7 on x86 and x64 architectures. Using alternative file managers instead of Windows Explorer also doesn't resolve the issue.
Solution
I've find it best to work around this issue by avoiding to use MTP by using the following methods:
Direct methods
1) Using ADB
Prerequisites
- ADB binaries
- USB debugging option enabled in developer options
- Galaxy Nexus connected to the computer with USB cable (rooted phones can also use ADB via a Wifi connection)
Steps
The Android Debug Bridge allows to copy files/folders from and to the /sdcard by using the adb pull and adb push commands on a Windows command line interface (DOS prompt). You'll need the ADB binaries on your computer to use this method. You can get them by either installing the Android SDK or by downloading this small package with all the binaries you need (recommended): http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1031911&d=1335747189
Extract the files to a folder of your liking. To use adb commands, you must open a command line and either navigate to the folder that contains the adb files (cd D:\MyAdbFilesAreHere) OR you can add the absolute folder location of that folder to the Windows PATH system variable so you can use adb commands regardless of the current directory you're in.
Syntax
adb push <local> <remote> - copy file/dir to device
adb pull <remote> [<local>] - copy file/dir from device
Examples
If you want to copy your entire /sdcard to D:\MyGalaxyNexus: adb pull /sdcard D:\MyGalaxyNexus
If you want to copy just the DCIM folder (camera images): adb pull /sdcard/DCIM D:\MyGalaxyNexus\CameraImages
If you want to copy a file from your computer to the /sdcard: adb push D:\MyGalaxyNexus\musictrack.mp3 /sdcard/music
Advantages of this method
- Good transfer speeds.
- Possible to automate backups by creating simple Windows batch files.
Disadvantages of this method
- Using a CLI is less intuitive than a GUI.
- File attributes are not preserved (created, modified, accessed attributes).
2) Accessing a shared folder on your computer with a file manager app on your device via Wifi
Prerequisites
- Wifi connection
- Computer and Galaxy Nexus connected to the same LAN
- A shared folder on your computer
- A file manager app that supports accessing LAN shares (for instance: ES File Explorer)
Steps
Create a folder anywhere on your computer and share it by giving the user "Everyone" read/write permissions on it (note: if you are on a network, this means every user on that network can access your folder AND write/delete files in it. For most home situations that's not an issue though): right click on the folder > Share With > Specific People > use the combox to select "Everyone" > click Add. Now change the permission level to Read/Write. You also need to turn off 'password protected sharing' for this to work via Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Advanced Sharing Settings > expand Home or Work > section Password protected sharing > turn off password protected sharing.
Finally, install ES File Explorer via the Play Store and launch it. Change the view to LAN. Tap New > tap Scan. Your computer's IP should be listed. Tap it. It will show an overview of shared folders. Ignore the admin shares Windows creates by default (all shares with a dollar sign suffix) and tap the folder you created earlier. Now you can copy any file from/to this folder using ES File Explorer.
Advantages of this method
- Decent transfer speeds.
- Copying files/folders with a GUI.
Disadvantages of this method
- All copy operations must be done on the phone.
- File attributes are not preserved (created, modified, accessed attributes).
3) Using an FTP server on your device
Prerequisites
- Wifi connection
- App that allows FTP access to your device (for instance: ES File Explorer)
- FTP client (for example: FileZilla)
Steps
This is pretty straightforward: open ES File Explorer, go to 'settings' > 'remote settings' and enable 'remote manage'. The app will provide you with an IP address & port which you have to enter in your FTP client. After you have connected, you can transfer files from/to the device.
Advantages of this method
- Decent transfer speeds.
- Copying files/folders using a Windows program.
Disadvantages of this method
- File attributes are not preserved (created, modified, accessed attributes).
Indirect methods
1) Using the cloud
Prerequisites
- An account with a cloud storage service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Box.com, etc.
- A Wifi connection (not an actual prerequisite, but using mobile data is a lot slower and will have a large impact on your data plan)
Steps
This is pretty straightforward to explain: upload the files you wish to backup to the cloud service of choice, and in turn download them to your computer.
Advantages of this method
- Decent transfer speeds.
- Copying files/folders with a GUI.
- Preserves file attributes.
Disadvantages of this method
- Not a direct method.
- Dependent of third-party services (service or internet connection might be down).
2) USB on the go
Prerequisites
- USB on the go cable
- USB thumb drive
- Root access
- App "Stick Mount" by ChainFire
Steps
With stick mount, a USB OTG cable and a USB thumb drive you can mount a USB thumb drive on your phone. This allows you to copy files and folders from the /sdcard to the mounted USB thumb drive using a file manager app. In turn, the files on the USB thumb drive can be copied to your computer.
Advantages of this method
- Good transfer speeds.
- Copying files/folders with a GUI.
- Preserves file attributes.
Disadvantages of this method
- Not a direct method.
- Needs a rooted device.
- Dependent of a third-party app (might be pulled from the play store or will not be updated).
GPsoft Directory Opus
Directory Opus is a file manager for windows, offering complete system integration thus a full replacement for Windows Explorer. Since version 10.5, Directory Opus has full MTP support built-in. Although certain operations cause long delays (copy-paste for example), the MTP support is robust enough for me to abandon ADB for file transfers.

This is great. Well done. I will certainly link to it in the 101 thread. If you want, I can also add the text to the actual thread (with credit of course) - your call.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Thanks efrant. I hope it proves helpful. Imho, it's probably best to copy the text to your 101 & FAQ post, so people can access all useful info in one place. But if you think the 101 & FAQ post will become too large, linking is also fine.

thanks for putting this together man.
Sent from my i9250

C:\Windows\System32>C:\Users\Angelo\Desktop\platform-tools-v19\adb.exe pull /sdcard D:\MyGalaxyNexus
remote object '/sdcard' not a file or directory
What's wrong?

DDeleted said:
C:\Windows\System32>C:\Users\Angelo\Desktop\platform-tools-v19\adb.exe pull /sdcard D:\MyGalaxyNexus
remote object '/sdcard' not a file or directory
What's wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use /sdcard/
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Petrovski80 said:
Solution
I've find it best to work around this issue by avoiding to use MTP by using the following methods:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AirDroid

For people who really want to use Windows Explorer effectively, there is a very good app called Samba Filesharing. It runs a samba server on your Android device, which you can then set up as a network drive in Windows. Unlike MTP, all Windows Explorer functions work, eg right-click context menu and filetype associations. It works via WiFi hotspot or normal WiFi connection.
The disadvantage is that transfer rate is limited to about 1.8 MB/s. But for simply browsing files, doing housecleaning, and less-than-huge file transfers, it provides all the familiarity of Explorer. I don't know if it works with wired USB tethering, but if it does, that would also give much faster transfer rate.

thanks for the comparisons in a simple list :good:
FYI, for linux users:
When using adb, no need to download any drivers, just use adb [to get adb, just download platform-tools-v19.zip or if there's a newer one when you read this...].
If you're using adb and try to move files remember to also put the / at the end of the filepath for your android device.
i.e.
./adb push nameofile.zip /sdcard/
Also, before attempting to manually mount your gnex, it already may be automatically connected.
After connecting the usb cable - verify by ./adb devices

Awesoomee guide! Should be stickied!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

Hi.
Thank you for this guide.
I'm getting crazy for a problem: I would like to restore the photos without change the creation date.
I tried everything to copy file, ftp server, shared folder, ADB but the date changes: I have to give up or is there a method to preserve it?
Thank you again.
Bye!
! !

lupoalberto12 said:
Hi.
Thank you for this guide.
I'm getting crazy for a problem: I would like to restore the photos without change the creation date.
I tried everything to copy file, ftp server, shared folder, ADB but the date changes: I have to give up or is there a method to preserve it?
Thank you again.
Bye!
! !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use quickpic gallery to restore date/time file attributes. Quickpic reads exif metadata and updates the file date accordingly.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I know but I would like to use the default gallery .
Thank you.
Bye!
! !

lupoalberto12 said:
I know but I would like to use the default gallery .
Thank you.
Bye!
! !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can. Fixing the date attributes is a one time action, afterwards you can remove quickpic if you like.
Note that I'm not talking albout sort views.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Petrovski80 said:
Note that I'm not talking albout sort views.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the problem .
Better than nothing .
Thank you.
Bye!
! !

WinSCP
Petrovski80 said:
3) Using an FTP server on your device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, some extra things to note. The ES Explorer FTP server (or perhaps any FTP server) on the Galaxy Nexus is prone to disconnection and may hang if you try to copy the whole folder with a client app like WinSCP.
For WinSCP I found that when doing transfers to enable "Transfer files individually" helps with the reliability.

Google Music and External SD Card

Is there any simple ways to have google play music store music on my sd card rather then internal storage? I searched around a bit and most the stuff I found doesn't seem to work with the S3, or is a bit too complicated.
I bought a class 10 32 gig card and am not using it at all pretty much and want to atleast keep music on it.
Any ideas on how to make google music store music on the sd card and no internally?

You can download the songs from your Google Music account onto your computer, then copy them to the SD card from there and they will play from the Google Play Music app when you put it in your phone. There is also an On Device Only setting so you can see only the music you have stored locally on your internal and external SD cards.

elementunkn said:
There is also an On Device Only setting so you can see only the music you have stored locally on your internal and external SD cards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"On device only" option gone in Music app v4.4.811H.526848
I guess Google wants us to keep all our music online!

mobilepgk said:
"On device only" option gone in Music app v4.4.811H.526848
I guess Google wants us to keep all our music online!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you have to go into settings now, and select or deselect play music on wifi.. it's still there just worded differently...

It's a cool feature but I don't like that their pushing it so hard on us. I like the convenience but it shouldn't make other stuff more complicated!
Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

I'll write you up a quick how to when I get home.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

Thanks I'd appreciate that.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

If you have Root Explorer this will be easy:
1. Open root explorer and browse to the directory you want to store your music, for example if you want it in a directory called music on your external Sdcard go to /storage/extSdCard/ and create the directory music.
2. Long press on your new folder and scroll down to "link to this folder" and select that. Two buttons should appear at the bottom of your screen, "create link" and "cancel". Ignore them for now, we will use one in a bit.
3. Press the back button until you get to the root directory then go to /data/data/com.google.android.music/files
4. Here you should see a directory named music, rename it to something else for now (long press and choose rename)
5. Now tap the "create link" button we initially ignored. It should create a new link with the same name as the folder you created earlier. Make sure it is named "music" without the quotes and all lower case.
6. If you had any music cached, it will be in the original music directory we renamed. Copy all that music (should be numbers with followed by mp3) to the new directory on your SD card.
If you don't have Root Explorer, let me know and I will type out the terminal commands for you.
Also, sorry I forgot to yesterday. Cheers.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

mobilepgk said:
"On device only" option gone in Music app v4.4.811H.526848
I guess Google wants us to keep all our music online!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I just figured out today that they just moved it to the upper left.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

My root explorer gives me an error that says:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

You did it backwards. The link goes in /data/data/com.google.android.music/files and points to where you want the music stored.
Read the directions and try again.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

Terminal!
d3athsd00r said:
If you have Root Explorer this will be easy:
1. Open root explorer and browse to the directory you want to store your music, for example if you want it in a directory called music on your external Sdcard go to /storage/extSdCard/ and create the directory music.
2. Long press on your new folder and scroll down to "link to this folder" and select that. Two buttons should appear at the bottom of your screen, "create link" and "cancel". Ignore them for now, we will use one in a bit.
3. Press the back button until you get to the root directory then go to /data/data/com.google.android.music/files
4. Here you should see a directory named music, rename it to something else for now (long press and choose rename)
5. Now tap the "create link" button we initially ignored. It should create a new link with the same name as the folder you created earlier. Make sure it is named "music" without the quotes and all lower case.
6. If you had any music cached, it will be in the original music directory we renamed. Copy all that music (should be numbers with followed by mp3) to the new directory on your SD card.
If you don't have Root Explorer, let me know and I will type out the terminal commands for you.
Also, sorry I forgot to yesterday. Cheers.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you post the terminal commands anyhow?

d3athsd00r said:
You did it backwards. The link goes in /data/data/com.google.android.music/files and points to where you want the music stored.
Read the directions and try again.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about the other member, but I am running into the same issue where Root Explorer (and root browser) is giving me the error when trying to create a link by long pressing the NEW folder, navigating to the Internal SD location, and hitting Create.
Any idea?

Worked perfect, thank you.
I tested it on the N7105 with a SanDisk SD Card.

Thanks d3athsd00r!
d3athsd00r said:
If you have Root Explorer this will be easy:
1. Open root explorer and browse to the directory you want to store your music, for example if you want it in a directory called music on your external Sdcard go to /storage/extSdCard/ and create the directory music.
2. Long press on your new folder and scroll down to "link to this folder" and select that. Two buttons should appear at the bottom of your screen, "create link" and "cancel". Ignore them for now, we will use one in a bit.
3. Press the back button until you get to the root directory then go to /data/data/com.google.android.music/files
4. Here you should see a directory named music, rename it to something else for now (long press and choose rename)
5. Now tap the "create link" button we initially ignored. It should create a new link with the same name as the folder you created earlier. Make sure it is named "music" without the quotes and all lower case.
6. If you had any music cached, it will be in the original music directory we renamed. Copy all that music (should be numbers with followed by mp3) to the new directory on your SD card.
If you don't have Root Explorer, let me know and I will type out the terminal commands for you.
Also, sorry I forgot to yesterday. Cheers.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This worked flawlessly on my SGH-i317 AT&T Note 2 with rooted stock ROM. I used ROM Toolbox Lite instead of Root Explorer, the directions are virtually the same. I only wish I hadn't deleted the cached music (as directed in another tutorial) before finding this method. No need to delete what you already have saved.
Thanks d3athsd00r!

Hemorrhodge said:
Could you post the terminal commands anyhow?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup.
Code:
0. su
1. mv /data/data/com.google.android.music/files/music
2. ln - s /data/data/com.google.android.music/files/music
That should be it.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

So sorry to ask but how do get the track names and album art to carry over with the tracks. The steps where relatively easy I figure I messed up along the way a little help would be greatly appreciated thank you
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium

BigTexastrev said:
So sorry to ask but how do get the track names and album art to carry over with the tracks. The steps where relatively easy I figure I messed up along the way a little help would be greatly appreciated thank you
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Play music names them 1.mp3, 2.mp3, etc.
So no.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

d3athsd00r said:
Yup.
Code:
0. su
1. mv /data/data/com.google.android.music/files/music
2. ln - s /data/data/com.google.android.music/files/music
That should be it.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My SD card is mounted in /storage/sdcard1. I created a directory called /storage/sdcard1/Play.
I used the following commands to move the already downloaded music to the new directory and create the symlink:
su (request superuser permission)
cd /data/data/com.google.android.music/files (change to the directory containing the folder "music" resides that contains all of the downloaded music)
mv music/* /storage/sdcard1/Play (move the downloaded music to the new folder I created on my SD card)
mv music musicbak (rename the original "music" folder to "musicbak"; this is because the symlink needs to have the name "music")
ln -s /storage/sdcard1/Play music (create the symlink called "music" which points to /storage/sdcard1/Play)
rm -rf musicbak (delete the original "music" folder from internal memory)
That's it and it worked for me.

BigTexastrev said:
So sorry to ask but how do get the track names and album art to carry over with the tracks. The steps where relatively easy I figure I messed up along the way a little help would be greatly appreciated thank you
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll have to get a third party app for that that scans your music such as Tune Up (an iTunes plugin). Other than that, I don't know if there is one on the Play Store that corrects the titles. I know there is an app that corrects the album art but that's it.

Copying files from pc to Amazon fire TV stick

Hi all
I want to copy my kodi addon and user data folders from my pc to Amazon fire stick.
What is the easiest the way to do this? I know there is a program called adb etc but I'm looking for a other alternative.
Has anyone used wondershare to do something like this?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Chris

ES File Explorer. If you have a shared folder on a PC, go to it through Cloud/LAN, long-press the first file or folder, then short press all of the others, go to the bottom of the screen and select Copy, then go to the folder you want to put them in and go to the bottom of the screen and select Paste.
Before you can get to the Kodi folders you will need to enable the See Hidden Folders option in ES, it's somewhere towards the bottom of the left bar.

I'm not sure what you mean? About shared folder etc? My 2 folders I want to copy I have saved in a file on my desktop
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I'm sorry I'm quite new to all this, I do have es file Explorer on my pc though. Like I say I have the 2 folders on my desktop so is there a step by step guide on how to get these on my stick.
I know the kodi folder is hidden and I know how to unhide it but beyond that I'm a little stuck
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

1. Download ADB Fire from here -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2786505
2. Download ES File Explorer
3. Open up the panel that said Network, then Remote manager on ES File Explorer
4. Turn it on & note down the ip address & port number
5. On ADB Fire add a new device & input the address & port from the last step
6. Press connect
7. Locate the file location you wish to replace
8. Drag the file on the left which is the files of your computer To the fight which is your device
9. Once completed close both application
Hope this helps If so press that thanks button

There is a few other ways..
Just use the the KODI back up program ..
Back up your setup to a shared directory on your home network computer..
Go into backup program on KODI on the firestick and set backup directory to your shared drive on the computer where the backup is.. I am assuming you have the firestick on the same WiFi as the computer is on.. As if you have shared the directory on the computer it should be broadcasting the computer out into your home network..
Then it's just a matter of restore all settings and bam...
Good way if you decide to setup other KODI setups within a home network..
We have it in all bedrooms on different Boxs.. So yes.. A quick way is a good way.. As I get to okay then update the other systems as needed..
Also..there is another good program which is a Chinese one.. That sets up a file explorer with pretty good capabilities..
It's called .. Wukung remote..
Find.it in the play store.. It will setup the server side to the firetv stick.. and then takes out so much mucking around out of setups for these things..
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wukongtv.wkremote.client.en&hl=en

Thanks both for your help much appreciated
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

chrisnewton said:
Thanks both for your help much appreciated
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All good..
I have put up the Wukong into the Apps section with some how to videos attached..
I am surprised no one has been using it before as I have had it for ages..