[TC 3.11 for Android] problems when copying files from internal memory to SD Card

[petermad]

Today I wanted to copy /data/data/com.ghisler.android.TotalCommander from the internal memory to the phones SD card.

First of all I could not copy the whole folder structure /data/data/com.ghisler.android.TotalCommander/*.* - I had to first copy data/, go down one dir on both sides, and then copy the second data/ and again go down one dir on both sides. Then I could copy com.ghisler.android.TotalCommander/ and its subdirs in one go.

Looking at the copied files in TC for android looked OK and I could open the files.

But when I later opened the folders on my PC via USB-cable, all the files had zero length, both in TC and in Windows Explorer.

Tested on HTC One (M8) with Android 6.0 and TC 9.51 x64 on Windows 7.

If I copy the same folder structure /data/data/com.ghisler.android.TotalCommander/* with the phones very simple file manager, then all the files reads fine on my PC via USB-cable.

I am sure that I have copied from internal memory to SD card with previous versions of TC for Android without problems.

[sqa_wizard]

Which way are you looking from your PC to the phone
- simple by "Computer" submenue
- by (virtuell) drive letter "u1" of drive bar
- by plugin MediaAudio2

[petermad]

Which way are you looking from your PC to the phone
- simple by "Computer" submenue
- by (virtuell) drive letter "u1" of drive bar
- by plugin MediaAudio2

All 3 ways - it makes no difference.
And also in Windows Explorer - the files have zero-length.

[petermad]

I have testet a little more - it is not just that the files shows up with zero-length on the PC, sometimes several folders does not even show up on the PC even though they are visible in TC on the Phone.

It is like TC on the phone copies the files and folders as symlinks, and that they can not be seen correctly from the PC

I have now also testet under Windows 10 and soon I should also be able to test with Android 10 on the phone side.

[ghisler(Author)]

PCs don't see the file system of your Android device, they see the so-called Media Database. PC does update that when copying files, but it doesn't seem to be up to date on your system. Sometimes it helps to restart the device to force a re-scan, but it will take a while.

[petermad]

2ghisler(Author)

Sometimes it helps to restart the device to force a re-scan, but it will take a while

Restarting neither the PC nor the Phone fixes the problem.

And what about the problem with not being able to copy /data/data/com.ghisler.android.TotalCommander/ in one go, but I have to copy the two data/ folders first?

[ghisler(Author)]

Restarting neither the PC nor the Phone fixes the problem.

You can try re-scanning the database via a button with internal command Nr. 130.

And what about the problem with not being able to copy /data/data/com.ghisler.android.TotalCommander/ in one go, but I have to copy the two data/ folders first?

The folders /data and /data/data are not accessible without root rights. When you go there and TC cannot read anything, TC shows subfolders "data" and "com.ghisler.android.TotalCommander" only because it knows that they are there.
This hack is not done when you just try to copy "data".

[petermad]

You can try re-scanning the database via a button with internal command Nr. 130.

That works - thanks! Any chance for an option to have that done automatically when copying internally on the Phone?

But I can only see the change on the PC by disconnecting and reconnecting the phone - it would be nice if Ctrl+R/F2 on the PC could update the folders after changes done on the phone.

[ghisler(Author)]

TC calls the same functions when copying.

[petermad]

TC calls the same functions when copying

Any idea why the database is not updated on my phone (Android 6), but I have to do it manually with command 130?

[ghisler(Author)]

Sorry, no idea.

[petermad]

I have now tried with my new Samsung Galaxy 20 G5 - and here there are no problems seeing files copied internally with TC 3.11 for Android when I later open the phone from TC 9.51 in Windows.

Actually on the HTC One (M8) phone (Android 6) it is not just copying from Internal storage to SD card that is not recognized on the PC until I disconnect and reconnect the phone - it is also when copying between directories within the Internal storage.

I tried with my wifes Huawei Honor 7 phone also with Android 6, and here there are no problems, so it seems to be a problem specific for the HTC phone.

[ghisler(Author)]

Well, TC does tell the system that the files were copied, so it can update its media database. I don't know why it works with some phones and not with others, sorry.