External vs Internal Storage

[cyco53]

I have an issue with SD/external storage and my phone's internal storage. And, as a heads up, I have already looked at other threads regarding this topic but none have addressed my issue.

In a nutshell, my phone (Atrix 2) seems to automatically install apps and their data on my SD card rather than its internal storage; for example, the Google Play store won't let me download apps if the memory space on my removable SD card is insufficient while I have plenty of space on my device itself.

Before I continue I'll give some specs: I have a 2 gb external SD (1.9 gb are used) and a 4.5 gb (1.2 gb are used) internal storage.

Whether or not the issue above is supposed to happen, this has become a problem because my SD card is basically completely full (with apps consuming 1.2 gb out of the 1.9). Every article on Google consists of people asking how to free up internal memory by moving apps and data to their SD card storage while my problem is the exact opposite.

The specific app that I'm currently trying to install is Blood and Glory: Legends. The Play store, at first, wouldn't let me install it at all because there wasn't enough room on my SD card for the 320 mb game. So, after trying to delete some pictures and other app data I managed to free 400 mb from the sd card and was able to download the app. However, this game needs to decompress more files before I can play and so far the app data is taking up 520 mb and counting.

Basically my question is: is it possible to use my internal storage at all (and furthermore, move this relatively gigantic app data from my SD card to the internal storage)?

 

[funkylogik]

What android version are u on? What happens if you unmount the external sd before installing an app?

 

[cyco53]

Icecream Sandwich/4.04. I uninstalled the app (freeing ~800mb on my SD card) and removed the SD card and tried to install the app again. I tried it 3 times and Google Play just crashed every time without even an error message regarding a missing SD card

 

[UncleMike]

Are you the original owner of the phone? The reason I ask is I'm wondering if mods might been done on the phone before you started using it. Are you using the stock ROM?

As you said, most reports of this type are from people with the opposite problem - internal memory is full while the external memory goes unused. In your case, I would recommend the simplest solution - buy a larger memory card and copy the contents of your existing memory card to the new one, and then put the new card in your phone.

If the Atrix 2 is like the Motorola devices I've had, you'll have to remove the battery to remove the memory card. At that point I would make the copy using a desktop and the replace the card. With the copy and card swap being done while the device is off, the change should be transparent except for the additional free space.