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Root No App to SD

First time Android tablet owner and first time rooting anything, though I have been a PDA/tablet/smartphone user since about 1990. Bought a Sero 7 Pro at Walmart for $130 three weeks ago. Build # P756.6.02.11.00.

Bought a Sandisk 64gb SDXC card, speed class '10', at the recent Amazon sale. Formatted it FAT32 using Windows 7. I anticipated problems using a larger-than-specified card size, as some have reported here, but it worked without problem when I reinserted it. Saved some photos and videos to the card.

Rooted using xboxexpert's batch files. Thank you xboxexpert. No problems, but I was nervous. My virus scanner pegged one of the files (XERecoveryUS) as malware. This cost me a couple of research hours to try and sort out, never found an answer. Does anyone know what this file does, and how is it related to the 'stock_recovery' and 'stock_boot' image files also included in his file set?

xboxexpert's ocumentation was adequate but seemed to assume a basic knowledge that I do not have.

Example: When exiting Clockworks Mod (CWM) by rebooting one must choose to whether or not to boot into 'stock recovery'. Apparently if one chooses 'Yes', one looses root ability. Is this correct? What is the purpose of this option? Is this a standard CWM feature? Would be helpful if xboxexpert could spell things like this out.

After rooting I decided to try the 'Folder Mount' (FM) application to move files from internal SD to external SD. Installed the app, the SuperuserSU superuser management app which was installed with the root process asked to grant FM superuser access. FM worked apparently as expected and I was able to move large video data for the app 'Jamie Oliver Twenty Minute Meals' to the external SD card. Though using the file explorer app 'OI' showed the data present on both cards, the internal memory showed more space available and the external memory less space after the move. I was somewhat disappointed in FM as it does not list apps to move, and one must sort through cryptic filenames in the android/data subfolder to find data to move. I do not know if it will also move game data from the android/obb subfolder as I do not have any data there.

I decided to try Link2SD to move programs from internal to external memory. Following several online guides, and the Link2SD author's instructions, I installed the free "Minitool Partition Wizard" on my PC in order to create the necessary partition on my external SD card. Unmounted the SD card, inserted it into my PC and, following the author's advice, created an additional 1gb primary partition using 'FAT32' file format. I admit, I do not really understand why some choose 'exFAT 2,3 or 4' file formats as those are not guaranteed to be supported by the Sero 7. Other than allowing files larger than 4gb, what is the purpose of this?

Started Link2Sd, gave superuser permission, specified the external SD card file format as FAT32 when asked. I was then able to 'link' some files. Apparently works as advertised. Graphic interface lists apps on the machine without searching and is easier to use than looking for filenames in Folder Mount. I am still learning the app. I understand 'linking' but what is the difference between 'moving' and linking' an app? Will an app still run if it is 'moved' from internal to external memory?

My research shows that while Link2SD will move apps, it does not move app data. Folder Mount will, however, do that and apparently the two can be used in tandem. Therefore it may be useful to have both. Can anyone confirm this?

I would appreciate knowing if I have any wrong understanding here. Also can someone provide an exact definition of what is 'obb' and what it stands for? Thanks.
 
See Mounts2SD in PlayStore or over on XDA-Developers for a more capable apps to SD app. It can move entire mount points to a secondary SD partition.
 
See Mounts2SD in PlayStore or over on XDA-Developers for a more capable apps to SD app. It can move entire mount points to a secondary SD partition.
Does it move all data (delvik, library and personal data) for all apps you have?
Any chance you have "Press Reader" or "Next Issue", 2 news and magazine large data apps? I use FolderMount for the former as Link2SD won't link the data. Neither works with "Next Issue".
 
First time Android tablet owner and first time rooting anything, though I have been a PDA/tablet/smartphone user since about 1990. Bought a Sero 7 Pro at Walmart for $130 three weeks ago. Build # P756.6.02.11.00.

Bought a Sandisk 64gb SDXC card, speed class '10', at the recent Amazon sale. Formatted it FAT32 using Windows 7. I anticipated problems using a larger-than-specified card size, as some have reported here, but it worked without problem when I reinserted it. Saved some photos and videos to the card.

Rooted using xboxexpert's batch files. Thank you xboxexpert. No problems, but I was nervous. My virus scanner pegged one of the files (XERecoveryUS) as malware. This cost me a couple of research hours to try and sort out, never found an answer. Does anyone know what this file does, and how is it related to the 'stock_recovery' and 'stock_boot' image files also included in his file set?

I believe it is the executable to go back to a "stock" tablet.



Example: When exiting Clockworks Mod (CWM) by rebooting one must choose to whether or not to boot into 'stock recovery'. Apparently if one chooses 'Yes', one looses root ability. Is this correct? What is the purpose of this option? Is this a standard CWM feature? Would be helpful if xboxexpert could spell things like this out.
I believe it is an alternate way to get back to "stock" and from what I've seen on Thriveforums.org, yes it is a standard CWM feature.

After rooting I decided to try the 'Folder Mount' (FM) application to move files from internal SD to external SD. Installed the app, the SuperuserSU superuser management app which was installed with the root process asked to grant FM superuser access. FM worked apparently as expected and I was able to move large video data for the app 'Jamie Oliver Twenty Minute Meals' to the external SD card. Though using the file explorer app 'OI' showed the data present on both cards, the internal memory showed more space available and the external memory less space after the move. I was somewhat disappointed in FM as it does not list apps to move, and one must sort through cryptic filenames in the android/data subfolder to find data to move. I do not know if it will also move game data from the android/obb subfolder as I do not have any data there.

I am using the "free" version of FolderMount as a test for my 3 largest data users that work with FolderMount. I probably will upgrade when I switch to a larger capacity card. In the version I use, if you "swipe" left to right after launching, you will see an option called "Apps Analyzer" to see apps and their movable data (not all apps will show data as those won't mount).

I decided to try Link2SD to move programs from internal to external memory. Following several online guides, and the Link2SD author's instructions, I installed the free "Minitool Partition Wizard" on my PC in order to create the necessary partition on my external SD card. Unmounted the SD card, inserted it into my PC and, following the author's advice, created an additional 1gb primary partition using 'FAT32' file format. I admit, I do not really understand why some choose 'exFAT 2,3 or 4' file formats as those are not guaranteed to be supported by the Sero 7. Other than allowing files larger than 4gb, what is the purpose of this?.

Dext2,3,4 are apparently more 'modern' formats and see XDA Forum for discussion of advantages/disadvantages. exFAT will allow >4Gb file sizes. I have not gotten these formats to work with my Sero and Link2SD but it could have been due bad 64 Gb cards. Currently, I am using 2-FAT 32 partitions on an 8 Gb card. I will try again when I get new higher capacity, branded cards.



Started Link2Sd, gave superuser permission, specified the external SD card file format as FAT32 when asked. I was then able to 'link' some files. Apparently works as advertised. Graphic interface lists apps on the machine without searching and is easier to use than looking for filenames in Folder Mount. I am still learning the app. I understand 'linking' but what is the difference between 'moving' and linking' an app? Will an app still run if it is 'moved' from internal to external memory?

Our Sero tablet will not support "moving" apps reportedly due to its use of "emulated" storage. Maybe someone will come up with an app that will allow it, but I doubt it. Moving has an advantage that generally all info goes to the microSD card. The disadvantage reported is that if the card fails- and flash memory card do fail-, you lose the apps and data. If they are mounted at boot time, as "linking" does, they say you don't lose things on a card failure. I don't know for sure as when I "pull" the card before powering up, the shortcut icons don't work so the apps are on the card.

The linked apps are indeed on the card (use a file editor tool app such as "ES File Explorer" etc) and look at contents of "sdext2" after you have booted such that Link2SD is operating. So, they will run.

My research shows that while Link2SD will move apps, it does not move app data. Folder Mount will, however, do that and apparently the two can be used in tandem. Therefore it may be useful to have both. Can anyone confirm this? .

It depends on the app and type of data it uses. On some of my apps, virtually all of the data is linked. On some, only FolderMount works on the data so I use both. On some, neither work on all of the data. See my reply to the "OP" (original poster) re: 'Mount2SD".

I would appreciate knowing if I have any wrong understanding here. Also can someone provide an exact definition of what is 'obb' and what it stands for? Thanks.[/QUOTE]

Search using Google. It likely is Minimum bounding box - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Some bad news, sorry. I received an e-mail that "Xboxexpert" is no longer going to be developing for the Sero Pro 7. He indicated that he will continue to answer questions on the XDA forums.
 
Does it move all data (delvik, library and personal data) for all apps you have?
Any chance you have "Press Reader" or "Next Issue", 2 news and magazine large data apps? I use FolderMount for the former as Link2SD won't link the data. Neither works with "Next Issue".

Actually, I believe Link2SD moves those data files only, NOT the APK. So, it's the reverse of what you've stated.

I was using L2SD for a fwe weeks, but after a random reboot it seemed to have stopped working for files moved up to that point. That is, it just up and "forgot" about all the links, so my tab thought that the files were missing. I had to revert to stock config and reload everything. Now, w/o using L2SD, my internal space is completely filled with apps, even though I'm actually pretty conservative with what I install.

I wish Hisense would simply enable App2SD functionality in JB like Samsung did. I am being very judicious with my internal storage, using it only for apps, and it's full already. Media files, etc., can be installed to external storage, but those are PRECISELY the files that are better suited to the cloud storage that Google wants us all to use. Having to uninstall one app to install and use another is absurd.
 
I can see what's on the 2nd partition on my microSD card right now using ES File Explorer. It includes a dalvik-cache folder, a data folder, and all of the APKs of apps that I've linked.
 
I can see what's on the 2nd partition on my microSD card right now using ES File Explorer. It includes a dalvik-cache folder, a data folder, and all of the APKs of apps that I've linked.

Wow, dunno how. When I used it, it would move only files, not apks. In fact, moving the apk should not work under JB. That's why App2SD won't work.
 
As per info on XDA forums, Link2SD doesn't 'move' the apps to the primary partition on the SD card that is normally used by Android. That's why you need 2 partitions. It creates scripts which mount the apps to the 'hidden' partition at boot-up. In fact, if you power down, the app has to re-create the mountvscripts and you have to do an extra boot to make the links work. Don't know all the tech details, though.
 
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