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What to do with 32 gb flash drive

Rgarner

Android Expert
Hi, I just got a 32 GB flash drive to work with the ZTE Z815 and the Dell Inspiron. I guess I should format it. There's a choice of NTFS, FAT32, which is the default, and exFAT. Also, there is a choice of allocation unit size: default, 8192 bytes, 16 kilobytes, 32, or 64. Which of these should I choose, and why? I should probably use Quick Format instead of MS-DOS startup disk.
 
No, I'm actually using it as a flash drive for the PC. I want to save whatever I can from the phone to the flash drive. I hope it can handle all those photos and videos.
 
Hi, I just got a 32 GB flash drive to work with the ZTE Z815 and the Dell Inspiron. I guess I should format it. There's a choice of NTFS, FAT32, which is the default, and exFAT. Also, there is a choice of allocation unit size: default, 8192 bytes, 16 kilobytes, 32, or 64. Which of these should I choose, and why? I should probably use Quick Format instead of MS-DOS startup disk.

Just use QuickFormat FAT32 all defaults, and it should work. This phone will NOT recognise NTFS, and a ZTE probably won't recognise exFAT either, because of Microsoft proprietary exFAT licensing and patent fees. Also Android will not do anything with an "MS-DOS start-up disk".
 
Thanks, I'll just use the defaults then. It's good to know. I'll tell you how things turn out with it
 
OK, it's formatted. Now how do I tell the PC to copy all the files from the phone to the flash drive? It still didn't find all of them, but most.
 
Now it's saying, again, that most of them could not be imported. Why can it do some but not others? How do I fix this?
 
I don't understand how you "tell the PC to copy all the files from the phone to the flash drive". You can copy directly to the flash drive from the phone using an OTG adapter, or you can connect the phone to the PC, but either uses the usb port and so precludes the other.

If you can explain exactly what you are doing, and what sort of files you can or cannot copy, it will be easier to suggest something.
 
I'm sorry for being unclear. The PC actually has 2 USB ports, which means I can plug in the phone and flash drive simultaneously. Last night when I plugged in the phone the PC automatically looked for files on the phone, by which it apparently means the SD card, and found more than it did previously, in a much shorter time. However, when I told it to import them, it once again copied only some and claimed it was unable to do the others. It gave no reason why or suggestions on how to fix the problem. What I want to do is copy them all from the phone to the PC and the flash drive. I believe they're all photos or videos.
 
So what we know is that you tried to copy files from the phone to the PC (I don't think it should matter that you want to copy directly to the flash drive), but that not all files copied. As you can see, that doesn't give us much to go on.

So, firstly what files (or at least types of files) and from where? You say "SD card", but part of the internal storage pretends to be an SD card ("/sdcard" is actually internal storage, and the real SD, if any, would have a different name). It might matter whether your data were on the real SD card or the emulation of one in internal storage.

Finally, what is your connection type? I assume MTP, but best to check. And are the files it can't copy the same types as those it can, or are they in particular directories? If we can spot a pattern we may be able to solve, or at least explain.
 
They're a combination of screenshots and DCIM, a mix of photos and videos. I'm pretty sure they're all on real SD. They'd better be, because that's the storage location I chose, rather than phone. It says 10.99 used of 29.71. Also, when I check ZTE's own backup and restore, it says phone space has 0 pictures. If I check gallery, it does show them in different groups, but would that have an effect on copying? What is MTP and how do I find out if this is using that?
 
MTP is Microsoft's Media Transfer Protocol, which is what Android uses these days for file transfers. But if all of the files are image/video it should handle that ok.

Are these "groups" related to the type of image, or are they the folders the images are in? And is it particular groups that it can't copy, or just random files? Still trying to see whether there is a pattern here.

If the pictures are on the real SD card another solution is just to buy a cheap usb card reader, stick the card in that and copy that way.
 
There are 5 screenshot groups, 2 camera, 1 video, and 1 restored, whatever that is. I have no idea why it has them arranged that way. In photos it's chronological except for albums that I set up, and there are 3 of those.
 
I'm not sure if this belongs in the same thread, but I have a couple of adapters for the SD card, and i'm hoping one of them would fit in the PC. I'm just not sure which slot, or if it even has one for this. It's probably a 2012 PC, or at least that's the oldest software I could find on it.
 
If this is an adapter that looks like a regular sdcard, and which you fit the microsd into, then you are looking for a slot about the same size as the adapter. If you have one it will be on the front panel somewhere.

PCs vary so much in what connections they have that just knowing the make and age isn't enough for anyone to tell you whether it will have one.
 
Thanks, you were right. It's on the front. I've got it plugged in now and it seems to be copying them, though rather slowly. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get them to the flash drive.
 
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