How do I use SD card with tablet

[frozentundra123456]

Hi all, I hate to ask such a basic question, but I would like to transfer some files from my internal storage to the SD card in my Acer A100 tablet. It is running Honeycomb 4.x Is there a way to do this? I have just spent the last 4 hours on the internet trying to figure our how to do this to free up space on my internal storage, and am getting more confused and frustrated the longer I try.

I actually think there may be a more serious problem, because the internal storage is showing as only half filled (5gb total), but whenever I try to update or install even a tiny app it wont do it and says the disk is full. I am about ready to reformat back to the original factory configuration, but I bought a navigation program and dont have the registration information, so I would not be able to reinstall.

So anyway, any help with this would be greatly appreciated. The tablet now is basically unusable except for web browsing and watching netflix.

 

[vshah]

go to settings>apps, sort by size. see if you can click the largest ones an get an option to "move to sd card"



edit:
sounds like your tablet might have 2 partitions on the internal storage - one for apps, another for mass storage. an unfortunate situation that existed on some older android tablets/phones...the app partition would get quickly filled even with tons of space left on the 2nd partition. the above steps are a semi-workaround (semi because not all apps will present you with the option to move to "sd")

 

[Chocu1a]

Can't move apps to SD on Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, or Jellybean. Not unless rooted & using a custom app to do it. Even then it is not guaranteed.
To move files, movies, or music, get a file explorer & long press the file you want to move & select new location.

 

[vshah]

this might be of interest to you, a guy on xda came up with a way to swap internal and external storage spaces.

http://www.xda-developers.com/android/swap-iconia-a100-internal-and-external-storage/

 

[frozentundra123456]

Can't move apps to SD on Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, or Jellybean. Not unless rooted & using a custom app to do it. Even then it is not guaranteed.
To move files, movies, or music, get a file explorer & long press the file you want to move & select new location.

Thanks for the prompt replies. I did try to install a file manager, Astro file manager, and it will not let me install it because it says there is not enough space. I have been trying to free up space by deleting pictures and movies, but maybe I will have to delete some apps. If the disk is partioned into apps and other uses, maybe my trying to free up space has been not helping.

I have to say I am really, really frustrated with this tablet right now. It must be a bad one, because if every tablet was as frustrating to use as this one, their popularity would have died out long ago. I cant even order a magazine subscription from Amazon, because it wont let me install the app. I get the same message every time, not enough space. Arrgh!!!

 

[frozentundra123456]

this might be of interest to you, a guy on xda came up with a way to swap internal and external storage spaces.

http://www.xda-developers.com/android/swap-iconia-a100-internal-and-external-storage/

Thanks for the link, I will look at it more closely tomorrow. Again though I am in the catch 22 that I can't move files without installing some sort of file manager, but I cant install any program, no matter how tiny, because it thinks the disk is full. Interestingly, the tablet pictured on that page is exactly the same one that I have. I guess I am just frustrated because you cannot move files around like in Windows. Seems like such a basic thing to do, I dont know why they locked it down in these later versions of Android.

 

[Chocu1a]

Make sure you are selecting the external sd card as your new location. By default, Android has a partition called sd card. It is not the same as your external sd card. I would delete some apps to free up some space if possible. Install ES FILE EXPLORER(I find it to be very easy to use & it is laid out pretty well). Once installed, open it up & click on favorites. You should see your extSDCard listed.
To use the sd swap mentioned above, you need to unlock & root your A100.
If you just want to move your music & movie files to the external sd card, you can always use your pc & a micro usb cable. Then you just copy & paste just like in windows. Mind you, it still won't work for moving apps.

Also, once you delete some apps, like games, there is still data left that can take up space. Usually located in Android/data/obb. Any GamesLoft or Madfinger games usually leave behind huge files. If you delete the games, then delete the data, or at least copy it over to your pc.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Make sure you are selecting the external sd card as your new location. By default, Android has a partition called sd card. It is not the same as your external sd card. I would delete some apps to free up some space if possible. Install ES FILE EXPLORER(I find it to be very easy to use & it is laid out pretty well). Once installed, open it up & click on favorites. You should see your extSDCard listed.
To use the sd swap mentioned above, you need to unlock & root your A100.
If you just want to move your music & movie files to the external sd card, you can always use your pc & a micro usb cable. Then you just copy & paste just like in windows. Mind you, it still won't work for moving apps.

Also, once you delete some apps, like games, there is still data left that can take up space. Usually located in Android/data/obb. Any GamesLoft or Madfinger games usually leave behind huge files. If you delete the games, then delete the data, or at least copy it over to your pc.

Not sure I understand what you are saying exactly. Android just seems so foreign to me because I keep wanting to do things like in Windows and you cant. I am not sure I understand your first sentence to select the SD card as the new location. I cant find anywhere how to use the SD card at all. I mean I cant find any commands top move apps or data to the SD card or to send new data to the SD card instead of internal storage. So I physically put in the SD card, but I cant seem to be able to send any data there. I must be missing something, otherwise what is the point of the SD card at all.

I tried deleting a few apps, but most of the apps wont let you delete them. The apps I did delete were small and only freed up a bit of space. I still get the error of not enough space when I try to install any app at all. I do have a huge GPS app that is maybe taking up all the space for apps, but dont want to delete that because I am not sure I can find the activation code if I want to reinstall it. TBH, I am almost ready to just reformat to the original factory specs.

Is it possible that the internal storage disk is physically damaged or defective?

 

[Chocu1a]

If you bought an app from the play market, it is tied to your account. You should just be able to re-download it again from the market. If you cannot find the activation code, you can most likely contact the developer from their play store page.
To see how much storage you have available, go to setting/storage. It should let you know how much space is there. If you can, take a screenshot & post it here.
It's volume Up + Power Button (in portrait mode) and volume Down + Power Button (in landscape mode). Hold it for about a second,and try to press them together also
If you factory restore, it will wipe the gps app anyways

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Here's another approach:

Connect your Android tablet to a Windows machine.
Windows will show you TWO storage devices - the internal memory of the device and the SD card.

Simply copy the files from the internal memory to the card. Then delete the originals. Problem solved.

This will NOT work with apps, but any media transfer will be smooth.

 

[Chocu1a]

The point of the sd card is pretty useless, mostly for storing media/movies/music/photos. Yes, it sucks you cannot by default install apps to the external sd card.

here I copied this from another forum. Seems like it could be the culprit since you said you have a huge GPS file
"If you are seeing the low space error, you are running out if internal storage space at least temporarily. Do you know what is using all of that space? A very common cause of the low space error is a problem in the ICS GPS driver/software that causes files to build up in /data/gps which is part of the internal storage. I see you have the tablet rooted, so you can delete the files if that is a problem on your tablet. The files are only leaked while the GPS is turned on.

The files to delete have the .txt extension, and can only be accessed by root."

 

[frozentundra123456]

If you bought an app from the play market, it is tied to your account. You should just be able to re-download it again from the market. If you cannot find the activation code, you can most likely contact the developer from their play store page.
To see how much storage you have available, go to setting/storage. It should let you know how much space is there. If you can, take a screenshot & post it here.
It's volume Up + Power Button (in portrait mode) and volume Down + Power Button (in landscape mode). Hold it for about a second,and try to press them together also
If you factory restore, it will wipe the gps app anyways

That is the strange part. If I go to the storage tab, it shows a bar at the top only about half full, and says total space 5.45GB. So at least 2GB should be free. But then at the bottom of the page it says Avaliable 232mb. Where is all the rest of the space. Even if I add up all the separate categories, (apps, pictures, misc, etc) it comes to less than 3 GB.

And even if only 232mb is actually free, should I not be able to install updates or an app like a file manager?

I do know that if I reformat to factory specs I will lose everything. I might try just deleting the GPS app first and see what happens. I dont really trust the maps that much anyway, but it is kind of a comfort in unfamiliar areas to at least have something to give directions. Worst come to worst, I could get a wi-fi hot spot device and use google maps.