[Follow-up] Storage issue: gap between display (parameters/storage) and actual?

[chocobo]

Hello to All

In this topic I raised a misunderstanding: I thought to witness a gap between the storage displayed in /e/OS and the actual one.

Thanks to @aibd nice pieces of advices i came to understand there might be an issue with the SD card storage display.

As suggested by @aibd I removed the SD card. As a consequence I could not launch anymore - those that had been moved to the “SD card” storage months/years ago. That is logical. But: the SD card plugged in my PC looks empty (pic below).

What I struggle to understand so far: the SD card is physically necessary for many apps to launch (which are logically displayed as “stored” on the SD card) but it looks impossible to explore, by any mean on the phone (apps like Files, DiskUsage, IO…) or on my computer (pic above).

Thanks to all who will take time to read, and maybe share insights.

Cheers

[aibd]

I think this link makes good reading to the background to what may have happened or been the cause of some corruption, maybe https://forum.fairphone.com/t/a-little-guide-to-using-sd-cards/37297

[chocobo]

Very interesting page indeed thank you @aibd. Any idea how I may find whether my SD card is format as internal or external/portable? I cannot remember what I did in the first place. I believe this is “internal” as i moved different apps to the SD card (which actually do not launch when I remove it).

[aibd]

@chocobo

how I may find whether my SD card is format as internal or external/portable?

Will the card go back in the phone and work acceptably ?

This image from Files app shows my SD card, and an “eject” icon and the eject button reliably unmounts the card. These things identify it as “External” or portable.

Is there some data on the SD card which you might be able to copy in some way. Maybe you might buy or have an OTG USB drive.

[chocobo]

@aibd

Will the card go back in the phone and work acceptably ?

Yes it does.

@aibd

This image from Files app shows my SD card, and an “eject” icon and the eject button reliably unmounts the card. These things identify it as “External” or portable.

Then, I understand my SD card is format as “internal”: I cannot see mine as you do.

Neither the Files app, nor DiskUsage allows me to explore the card; it does indeed exist (my apps do not work without it), but I cannot see the detail of the partition.

In fact this would be important for me to assess if this is more suitable 1/ to continue storing apps on the SD card, or 2/ move them back on the phone, format the card as “external”, and only store data on the card.

[aibd]

If DiskUsage cannot count the combined volume correctly then it indicates (I think) that some corruption has occurred. I have a feeling that if you continue with the current arrangement some further corruption might occur.

[chocobo]

Thank you very much for your insights @aibd. You confirm my feeling that it is strange not to “see” the internal-SDcard volume on which my apps have been moved. I’ll try to change my setup, maybe with another SD card and see what happens. I’ll keep you posted here in case it helps somebody else in the future.