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sdcard and default folders? what next?

J

jumpinjackflash

Member
I just added a microsd card. A pop up stated it was ready, or something like that.

I see these folders:

Android, DCIM, Download and Lost Dir

Sorry i have no idea what these are for? But none the less my purpose for the card is to put all my photos that I take with the camera here as well any videos and im told somehow I can get my spotify downloads here as well?

Thanks
 
When you open your camera app it should say sd card detected do you want to save media to sd card, after pressing yes, you should also move pics vids taken before sd. Simply find them in file manager in internal memory and move them to dcim in sd memory
Saving downloads from Spotify or any app to sd should be a setting in that app
 
Also, certain apps (by no means all) will give you the option of storing their data on SD instead of internal storage. One example is Barcode Scanner. Use Settings -> Applications -> Application Manager -> (Barcode Scanner or other app) -> Storage. If the app allows, you will be presented with a button allowing you to change storage to SD from internal.
I've changed all apps that I could, to SD.
Hope this helps.
 
Just to add, that DCIM folder is what you should keep in mind for everything photo-related. The DCIM folder, or Digital Camera IMages, is the default storage folder for photos. We (as in we, the consumer) are really, really lucky that DCIM is pretty much the default place for not just different apps but different platforms. Even Apple, notorious for not following standards and norms, has opted to stick with DCIM folders as its default photo library folder. So do point your phone's camera to automatically store your photos into that DCIM folder on your microSD card, and use that same folder to save photos that get downloaded from apps like your browser, texting, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Having a central place for all your photos make it easier for you to manage your photo library.

Something you should seriously consider is to install an app like Google Photos:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.photos&hl=en
You can use it as a substitute for the Gallery app, the Android default photo manager, but what's much more important is the Google Photos app includes an automatic backup and sync function. Never rely on your smartphone as the sole location for your photo library, besides the fact it can get lost or stolen, no smartphone is 100% reliable or even close to that. The operating system can become messed up or the phone could get damaged by an accident, and to top it off, the file system that microSD cards use is proprietary, outdated, and only marginally stable (It's a variant of Microsoft's no longer supported FAT file system). So microSD cards themselves are physically stable but the file system that they use is easily corrupted and not very robust.
Anyway, all this boils down to is that back ups are really important. Google Photos will back up your entire photo library into your online Google account. With your photo library backed up online, whenever necessary you can access anything in your photo library either on your phone or remotely by logging into your Google account on a computer browser:
https://photos.google.com
 
Oh ok, thanks for the heads up. I guess it will just take time. I must admit I do like the file manager etc opposed to Apple system. It's nice being able to move and create folders etc. I've been an apple user for many years. Still have an iMac and iPad.

Back to topic though. I moved pictures from the internal card to my new Sd card. But I had to create a new folder which I named "photos"

Not sure I did this right? I want all my cameras photos stored in one spot.

Thank u
 
Just saw your post svim. A tad bit confusing. I currently use "gallery" for photos. I moved these to the SD card --->new folder "photos"

I do have google photos as well.

Thanks

Now hmm maybe I have this set up wrong or not the best way :(. I like the idea of all photos going to sd card.
 
By setting up your own default storage folder for your photos, just keep in mind that from this point forward everything you do photo related has to take this into account. I don't think it's a very good idea myself, again the DCIM folder is now an industry-wide standard. By intentionally not using it isn't recommended.
 
Oh hmm see I'm new and confused lol, yikes. What I want is all photos or as many as I can directed to my sdcard?

Are you saying I shouldn't have to add any folders to the sdcard?

These are the folders I have : android, dcim, download and LOST.DIR

I do have a sub folder "photos" inside of DCIM. these are the pictures I moved. Maybe I should dElete this " photos" folder?


So to get my apps to default to DCIM I need to direct them via each app ?

Thank u
 
Ahhh, you did make that 'photos' folder inside the DCIM folder so that will work out. Basically think of the DCIM folder as being the primary, central focal point for your photo library. Anything inside it should be detected and indexed by Google Photos, again an important aspect being the backup and sync functionality.
Regarding the Gallery app, I stopped using it a long time ago and have no clue as to how it handles nested folders and such. Others who do using it will hopefully chime in.
Regarding apps to use DCIM as their default maybe re-read what a I wrote out previously. It's not a matter of you re-directing anything, the DCIM already is the default, the established folder to store photos. When setting up your own 'photos' folder, you are setting up a different default photo storage folder, and in that case you do need to re-direct your apps to not use DCIM and instead use your 'photos' folder.
 
Re-reading this thread I probably just added in a lot more extraneous verbage than necessary, so ooops, my bad.
The short version would be to just focus on using that DCIM folder on your microSD card as the default for all your photos. That's what it is intended for.
 
Cool! Thats what I want. I guess I will see what happens. Basically any image I take e.g screenshot, other camera app etc should go to DCIM?

I guess I can find out as I go and see where they go lol :)
Thanks again
 
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