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Help Did latest update fix the app to sd card issue for anyone?

T

thefnshow66

Member
I was just wondering if this update fixed this issue for anyone. My apps either go to the internal app memory where the apps work properly but take up memory or get installed in the internal media memory where the apps don't work and disappear from my app drawer. I thought this update would fix this issue. Is there a fix out there that I can use or am I stuck waiting for another update?
 
I am not on the OTA. I am on the leaked 5.7.893 and the problem you are seeing still exists with one or 2 programs I have. Possible it could be the program? IDK. I can run the program but when I check my installed apps lists its not listed there. Instead it is in the Media Area. Unchecking it or trying to move it to the phone usually yields an error. This app I have always gives me problems when I install it fresh off the Market and always seem to move itself to the Media Area without my permission. I think this is the same problem you are describing. I cannot say if this is a problem with the app or with the OS.
 
basically you can't install apps to the SD card because when you try to install them into the SD card, it ends up installing into the media storage.
Once the app is installed into the media storage, the app either doesn't work or doesn't show up at all on your phone. I have to go into settings/applications/manage applications just to find it and move it back to the phone storage for it to show up and to get it to work again. I figured this massive update would have fixed this issue since you only have so much storage for apps. I download a lot of games, so it would be nice to be able to move games that take up a lot of storage to the SD card.
 
AFAIK, no this problem hasn't been resolved even on the 5.7.893 leak I am running. I too have games installed and 1-2 of those games get moved to the Media Area automatically and don't work. I dunno if this is something they are aware of. However we have 16 gb allocated to the internal memory. 8 gb is setup for the apps and 8 gb for internal memory. Moving apps to the SD card isn't really necessary since you have 8gb to use. Of those 8 gb I have 3.2 gb left.
 
I have the official OTA update and for me the issue is fixed. I can install apps to the Media Area now and they function correctly, without the icons disappearing. I have tested with multiple apps that were having issues previously.

Not being able to move apps to the external sd card is not a bug, it's by design (I know, bad design, but take it up with Moto I guess).
 
I tried moving some apps to the Media Area and the programs are still located in the Apps screen and function. From what I can tell is it moves the program from one partition of the 16gb internal memory to the other. The internal memory is partitioned into 2 8gb segments. The 1st segment is where all the apps and os go while the second 8gb segment is used for your pictures/music etc. From what I can see is that the Media area is your 2nd 8gb segment which is still not your SD card. Im reinstalling that one app I had issues with and going to see if it'll work for me or not.
 
Thom Little said:
What is it you are doing when you "try to install them into the SD card"?
... Thom
Click to expand...

I'm just trying to move games that take up a lot of space to the external SD Card since I've heard that games tend to bogg down the OS

Somniferum said:
I have the official OTA update and for me the issue is fixed. I can install apps to the Media Area now and they function correctly, without the icons disappearing. I have tested with multiple apps that were having issues previously.

Not being able to move apps to the external sd card is not a bug, it's by design (I know, bad design, but take it up with Moto I guess).
Click to expand...

Not moving apps to the exteral SD card isn't a bug? You're right, terrible design. What if you run out of room?

amageus said:
I tried moving some apps to the Media Area and the programs are still located in the Apps screen and function. From what I can tell is it moves the program from one partition of the 16gb internal memory to the other. The internal memory is partitioned into 2 8gb segments. The 1st segment is where all the apps and os go while the second 8gb segment is used for your pictures/music etc. From what I can see is that the Media area is your 2nd 8gb segment which is still not your SD card. Im reinstalling that one app I had issues with and going to see if it'll work for me or not.
Click to expand...

I must have a even more defective Bionic because I only have 4 gigs for app storage and 8 for media storage. Not 8 and 8 like you!
 
OK ... I think I see what you are asking now. For 5.5.893 ...

Settings | Applications | Manage applications
- Fixed SD card
-- Phone
-- Media Area
-- Other (not visible)
- Removable SD-Ext card (not visible)

Files app
- Fixed SD card
-- Phone (not visible)
-- Media Area (not visible)
-- Internal phone storage
- SD card - removable SD-Ext card

When you install an app it is installed into Phone
You can the go in Settings | Applications | Manage applications
and select Move to Media Area for some apps
It will be moved
(You can select Move to phone to move it back)
(It will be moved)
The icon will still be in the All Apps display
The entry will still be in the Manage applications list
It will in fact run from that location.

There is no way to move it to the SD-Ext card by design. I believe that was introduced by the design for ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich). A likely guess it was done that way to secure the device so you couldn't just insert a new SD-Ext card and execute a rogue app from it.

The dumb thing is that they had to introduce the term SD-Ext card and the existing term SD card got redefined.

Some apps cannot be moved to the media area. The Move to Media Area button is disabled.

I don't know what the apps are that you are dealing with. It is quite possible that their size is storage of data and not the app itself and the data is already on the SD-Ext card.

There is an enormous amount space on the internal SD card.

... Thom
 
A few more thoughts on this issue to help clarify:

The internal memory is actually divided into 3 partitions: 4gb app partition, 8gb Media Area, and 4gb OS/system partition that is not visible to the user. Total size is 16gb. With the OTA fixing the Media Area issues, total storage available for apps is now 12gb (which should be plenty if you use the external SD card for all other media files).

One thing I forgot to mention is that I was very careful prior to the OTA to never allow any apps to install to the Media Area due to the disappearing apps/icons issue. I always checked and if an app installed itself there, I moved it back. What I'm getting at, is that if you had apps already installed to the Media Area (either by moving them or by the app installing itself there automatically), it's possible that those will still misbehave even after the OTA. I would recommend moving everything back to the app storage partition first, then moving a few apps to the Media Area to test.

You can tell which apps can be moved because they are listed in the Media Area tab under Manage Apps. Only apps listed there can be moved, and only apps that have a checkmark next to them are actually installed on the Media Area currently. It took me awhile to figure this out -- it's a poorly designed interface IMO.
 
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