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Forcing Apps to install to the SD Card without root

For Samsung Galaxy Ace (Android 2.3.3)
Download Samsung KIES to sync phone
allow USB Debugging
allow Mock Location but do not connect to PC, just in charge mode

command line in CMD

cd c:\SDKtools
cd platform-tools
abd devices
adb shell
'$' appears, type pm setInstallLocation 2
exit

If lost or if the abd file is not present explore using 'dir' select by using 'cd'
 
Hi! Can anyone help me. I'm not sure I'm doing this right. I downloaded the sdk-tools zip folder then I went to the command prompt and i type in C:\Users\Bianca>Desktop\sdk-tools and it tells me "is not recognized as an internal or external command operable program or batch file.
What am I doing wrong? :'(
 
1. Connect the Phone to the PC in Charge Only mode
2. Open a command prompt (Start -> Run -> CMD, you'll need to run as Administrator)
3. Navigate to the folder you extracted ADB to. In my case, the command would be "cd\SDK-Tools" (minus the quotes).
4. Type adb devices and press enter. You should then see the serial number of your phone displayed on screen. If you don't check, that USB Debugging is enabled and you're connected in Charge Only Mode.
5. Type adb shell, press enter.
6. Type pm setInstallLocation 2 press enter (it's important you enter this exactly as written as it's case sensitive)
7. Type Exit, then disconnect your phone.
8. PROFIT! :)

i did all this but i want to donload a file thats 172mb but i would have to pay for it and im getting messages saying insuficiant storage space for 30mb files and i have 1.3 gb spare on my sd y doesnt it download streight to it i am on htc salsa??
 
biancabluey said:
Hi! Can anyone help me. I'm not sure I'm doing this right. I downloaded the sdk-tools zip folder then I went to the command prompt and i type in C:\Users\Bianca>Desktop\sdk-tools and it tells me "is not recognized as an internal or external command operable program or batch file.
What am I doing wrong? :'(
Click to expand...

try unziping it to just C:\SDK-Tools but you will have to move the files out of the folder thats created in this link so it is no longer a folder inside a folder that worked for me
 
casper18 said:
Still not working for me, reboot laptop or phone??
Where does HTC sync come into it all? I downloaded it but do I then need to do anything else, sorry very bad at all this.....
Click to expand...

I have the same doubt, where does this sync come into picture in the whole process. Am not able to figure out. Could you please tell if you got some clarity!:confused:
 
It's not working for me anymore. I've done it to a few different phones. and this one a couple times. but now I can't get it to at all. I don't know what's wrong?
See..
sdky.jpg
 
Thanks for the info, I completed the instructions and like others find all my apps have the Move to SD button greyed out.

Has this been answered? I cannot find it.
Thanks,
 
Hi, I followed instructions but right at the end upon 'Exit' - I get - permission denied.

Would you know how to get around this?

Move to SD Card button greyed out still on most.

Thank you
 
I will try this because i have the same problem with low memory (HTC explorer).

But i have questions:

1. How about the warrenty?
2. If i reset factory defaults, is that save?
3. After factory reset, have to do this again?
4. After installing this is it possible to disable usb debugging?

EDIT
5. (FIXED) I have installed this and this is very very very very very nice, mannnnnnny thanks!!!
But by default it installed new apps to the phone not to the SD.
I can move it to the SD but it will not automatic to the SD.
By example the app drag racing.
Find it by myself, some apps will automatic to SD and some apps not.
6. Is it save to delete HTC sync from my phone?
7. How to get it back to default? (maybe: Type pm setInstallLocation 1 press enter (it's important you enter this exactly as written as it's case sensitive))?

EDIT
Oops wrong forum, placed now in http://androidforums.com/htc-explorer/568292-forcing-apps-install-sd-card-without-root.html

Gr. Kees.
 
Thank you very much for the easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. I didn't think I would need much space free on my phone when I bought it about two months ago, but then I realized there's a bunch of neat stuff to download, and I found myself quickly running out of free space. I only had one issue during the process, at first when I would type "adb devices", it wouldn't recognize my device. Then I realized that my computer was still in the process of setting up device drivers. After it was done doing it's thing, everything went smoothly.

Again, thank you! Life saver. Or should I say, phone saver. ^_^

OH, and here's a tip.
In your instructions, at the end you say to type "Exit"... When you type exit capitalized, you get an error. Might want to fix that in your instructions, I only figured it out when I looked at the images. ;P
 
Thank you! I had to put my Wildfire S into HTC instead before it would recognise the device, but this seems to have worked beautifully. Kudos!
 
Confirmed working on 2.3.5 A510e (Orange)

Just follow the screenshots, works a treat. Gave me an extra 20mb. Can't move stock apps but it's definitely worth doing.

Thanks El Presidente
 
I followed all your instructions to force apps to install to sd card without root. It seemed to be successful on the screen. But now that I am finished, and unplugged my phone from my computer, none of my applications gives me the option of "move to SD card". This option is greyed out. Hmmm. How do I know if it was successful or not? Should I redo this process? :confused:
 
Is it just my phone that apps like Gmail, Drop box cannot be moved to sd card even if I installed them after doing this trick ?

I even had to move all the newely installed apps to sd card as they did not install on sd card.
 
khendeeh said:
how can I download HTC SYNC in to my wildfire s? It says the content is not supported on the phone. No application can be found to 9open this file.

What to do?

Thanks
Click to expand...
you dont install htc sync on the phone just install it from htc website on your pc. that way all the drivers of the phone are automatically installed on the pc.
 
El Presidente said:
One of the biggest complaints levelled at the HTC Wildfire S is the severe lack of internal memory. There are ways around this, one of which is forcing downloaded apps to install to the SD Card. There are a couple of pre-requisites, but the process itself is relatively straight forward. :)

You'll need HTC Sync installed (or at least the drivers that come with HTC Sync) and ADB (Android Debug Bridge) or the Android SDK. The SDK itself is a >100MB download and can be relatively difficult to install, however if you head here, look under the section entitled Mini SDK, click show, you can download a zip file called SDK-Tools.zip. Once downloaded, extract the contents of that folder to a folder of your choosing. I recommend somewhere easy, like C:\SDK-Tools as you'll need to navigate to it via a command prompt later.

You'll also need to enable USB Debugging on your phone, that's easily enough done by heading to Settings -> Applications -> Development -> USB Debugging. You'll get a warning message, but just ok that you'll be fine.

Once you've done all the above, the process is as follows:

1. Connect the Phone to the PC in Charge Only mode
2. Open a command prompt (Start -> Run -> CMD, you'll need to run as Administrator)
3. Navigate to the folder you extracted ADB to. In my case, the command would be "cd\SDK-Tools" (minus the quotes).
4. Type adb devices and press enter. You should then see the serial number of your phone displayed on screen. If you don't check, that USB Debugging is enabled and you're connected in Charge Only Mode.
5. Type adb shell, press enter.
6. Type pm setInstallLocation 2 press enter (it's important you enter this exactly as written as it's case sensitive)
7. Type Exit, then disconnect your phone.
8. PROFIT! :)

You can now move apps that are already on the handset to the SD Card. Head to Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications -> All -> Click an app -> Move to SD Card. All new apps will install to the SD Card.

It's worth mentioning that apps with active widgets cannot be moved and a certain portion app will remain on the phones data partition, but this goes a long way to assist with the lack of internal memory!

Pics for the ADB stuff below:

1.png

2.png

3.png

4.png

5.png
Click to expand...
i followed all the steps in your post, and i believe everything went well. at the last step when i typed exit the command promt closed( hope thats what it is supposed to do)....i just have one question. does this procedure force everything to the sd card, because some apps will not transfer and some apps only a portion of the app transfers to the sd card and the remainder stays on the phones internal memory.
 
jgwaps73 said:
i followed all the steps in your post, and i believe everything went well. at the last step when i typed exit the command promt closed( hope thats what it is supposed to do)....i just have one question. does this procedure force everything to the sd card, because some apps will not transfer and some apps only a portion of the app transfers to the sd card and the remainder stays on the phones internal memory.
Click to expand...

There will most likely always be a certain percentage retained on the internal memory. How much depends on the app, there's no standard unfortunately.
 
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