Help Stop Android 9 from using USB stick for storage

[Rinden]

Hello,

Just got an Android 9 TV box (rooted) and attached a USB stick with video files I wanted to watch. Later was installing some apps and come to find out, it is using the stick for app storage, even though the box has 64GB internal storage & 56GB available.

I don't want it writing to my USB stick. What setting do I need to switch to tell it to use internal storage only, and USB is for read only?

TIA!

 

[mikedt]

That sounds like a rather unusual problem actually, and certainly the first I've heard of this. Because most enquiries on AF seem to be the opposite, in that users want apps to use external storage, like a micro-SD or USB, because their device's internal storage is full and/or limited, and apps by default tend to use internal storage.

Is there anything in the box's settings, or the whatever it is apps you're using about storage preferences? Some media apps do have a setting for storage location, internal or external for the music, movies, etc.

As I don't know what brand and model of TV box you've got, I probably can't be any more specific.

There are ways to make a USB drive read only: https://www.getusb.info/how-to-make-a-usb-read-only/

 

[Rinden]

That sounds like a rather unusual problem actually, and certainly the first I've heard of this. Because most enquiries on AF seem to be the opposite, in that users want apps to use external storage, like a micro-SD or USB, because their device's internal storage is full and/or limited, and apps by default tend to use internal storage.

Is there anything in the box's settings, or the whatever it is apps you're using about storage preferences? Some media apps do have a setting for storage location, internal or external for the music, movies, etc.

As I don't know what brand and model of TV box you've got, I probably can't be any more specific.

There are ways to make a USB drive read only: https://www.getusb.info/how-to-make-a-usb-read-only/

Thanks for the reply. I do know how to make a USB stick read only in Windows but I don't want to do that, because *I* need to write to the stick constantly to delete videos I've watched and add new ones. And don't want to have to constantly switch it back and forth from read/write to read only.

I can't believe Android automatically is using the stick to store apps when there is plenty of internal storage. I went through every setting and there is nothing I could find to tell Android to use internal storage.

This is the device, but the model wouldn't matter I'd think since it's Android 9 which I imagine works the same on any device?

 

[Dannydet]

Or just pull out the stick when you want to download something

 

[svim]

Just how are you determining that this set-top box is indeed automatically saving app data to that external USB stick?
That's typically a function that a user has to intentionally implement, and a lot of apps can't be shared across two different storage medias anyway.

Perhaps you're looking at a folder that's just more or less just a temp placeholder? There's a default 'Android' folder that gets created when a separate media, like a USB drive, gets mounted. As more apps get used that folder will contain numerous sub-folders roughly named to those apps, but they're just cached files (cache files are always non-vital) and other temporary config files. Those are not necessary for any app to function and don't mean an app is being shared across the internal storage <> external storage.

 

[Rinden]

Just how are you determining that this set-top box is indeed automatically saving app data to that external USB stick?
That's typically a function that a user has to intentionally implement, and a lot of apps can't be shared across two different storage medias anyway.

Perhaps you're looking at a folder that's just more or less just a temp placeholder? There's a default 'Android' folder that gets created when a separate media, like a USB drive, gets mounted. As more apps get used that folder will contain numerous sub-folders roughly named to those apps, but they're just cached files (cache files are always non-vital) and other temporary config files. Those are not necessary for any app to function and don't mean an app is being shared across the internal storage <> external storage.

Yes, I discovered this last night when I unmounted the stick, plugged it into my Windows machine, and saw it had numerous folders all with 0 bytes.

Regardless, I don't want it using the stick (my preference) and don't know why it doesn't use it's own memory for these temp folders. Is there a way to prevent this behavior or is this an Android convention? I did check app settings and they are set to use internal memory... and I enabled developer options but nothing there either that I could determine would prevent this.

I know most ppl probably wouldn't care. It's not about taking up space (byte-wise) it's just that I got a box with a ton of memory and want my stick to remain pristine for my own use without Android "dirtying it up" with folders. Call me OC.

 

[Rinden]

Or just pull out the stick when you want to download something

On that note... does Android still require going into settings to unmount USB? I forgot the first night, being used to Windows, and removed it without dismounting (of course nothing on the stick was open at the time). Didn't seem to be any ill effects. Last night I remembered to dismount first. Does it really matter as long as nothing on the stick is open or being accessed?

 

[Dannydet]

Nope

 

[svim]

Yes, I discovered this last night when I unmounted the stick, plugged it into my Windows machine, and saw it had numerous folders all with 0 bytes.

Regardless, I don't want it using the stick (my preference) and don't know why it doesn't use it's own memory for these temp folders. Is there a way to prevent this behavior or is this an Android convention? I did check app settings and they are set to use internal memory... and I enabled developer options but nothing there either that I could determine would prevent this.

I know most ppl probably wouldn't care. It's not about taking up space (byte-wise) it's just that I got a box with a ton of memory and want my stick to remain pristine for my own use without Android "dirtying it up" with folders. Call me OC.

Windows does the same thing, except that they're usually hidden directories/files (i.e .ini), MacOS/OS X does the same thing (i.e. .trash). If you just can't tolerate them, delete them but don't be surprised if an active app pops up some kind of error message. If this does happen, quit the app and start it back up, but keep in mind the contents of that 'Android' folder will just get rebuilt/restored. There's an equivalent residing in your device's internal storage (that should be left as is).
Think of it this way, the operating system and apps should be left to do what they need to do, once you start micromanaging things like basic system folder/file management, all you're doing is gaining a false sense of accomplishment that in reality is only making your device do things it doesn't need to be doing.

 

[Rinden]

Windows does the same thing, except that they're usually hidden directories/files (i.e .ini), MacOS/OS X does the same thing (i.e. .trash). If you just can't tolerate them, delete them but don't be surprised if an active app pops up some kind of error message. If this does happen, quit the app and start it back up, but keep in mind the contents of that 'Android' folder will just get rebuilt/restored. There's an equivalent residing in your device's internal storage (that should be left as is).
Think of it this way, the operating system and apps should be left to do what they need to do, once you start micromanaging things like basic system folder/file management, all you're doing is gaining a false sense of accomplishment that in reality is only making your device do things it doesn't need to be doing.

I understand but telling Android to use its internal memory instead would not screw anything up if there was a setting to do that, but apparently there's not.

So will go the route Danny suggested and just pull the stick before downloading/installing apps. Thanks all -