How to install ANY app on sd card?

[A2000]

Hi all,


I cannot install any app on my second sd card whether it is from Google Play or an apk. Even if it is installed in the rootfs and I try to move it to sd I get an error saying that installing to sd failed (used both inbuilt functionality and app named App 2 SD Free).


SD card is fat32 and is recognized by android and there are 3 GB free.


Does anyone had more success than me?


A2000

 

[TrashyMG]

I have maybe one or two apps that can't install on the SD card, but it's specific apps that have SD card install restrictions.. but for the most part I have no trouble at all with the majority of the other apps.

 

[Mr_Loon]

I have maybe one or two apps that can't install on the SD card, but it's specific apps that have SD card install restrictions.. but for the most part I have no trouble at all with the majority of the other apps.

Can you point out 1 app from the market that will install on the 'external' SD card, or will allow itself to be moved to the external SD card. I've tried many but never had any success with this.

 

[TrashyMG]

Almost all of my apps install on my SD card.. Netflix, Amazon Kindle reader.. etc. It's easier to just point out the apps that can't be installed for various reasons. Mass Effect: Infiltrator was one I couldn't.


Is it possible the card is being mounted as read only some how?

 

[Mr_Loon]

Is it possible the card is being mounted as read only some how?

The card is not read only, some apps write data to it, also there are no problems copying files to it from the 'internal' storage space within Android.


My SD set up is :


Left Slot : 2GB Fat32 containing a 1GB Android install (Internal)


RIght Slot : 16GB Fat 32 (External)


How do you get apps to install to the external SD? Do you have it setup as the default install location or do you move them after installing them internally?


I'll give Kindle a try tonight and report back.

 

[TrashyMG]

I didn't have to do anything, it just installs to the SD card as default.

 

[Mr_Loon]

I didn't have to do anything, it just installs to the SD card as default.

Just to check we're not talking at crossed purposes here :


When you say SD card in the quote above, are you referring to an 'external' card in slot 2 and not the 'internal' SD card in Slot 1 with Android installed on it?

 

[TrashyMG]

I didn't have to do anything, it just installs to the SD card as default.

Just to check we're not talking at crossed purposes here :


When you say SD card in the quote above, are you referring to an 'external' card in slot 2 and not the 'internal' SD card in Slot 1 with Android installed on it?

Correct the second SD card in slot 2.

 

[Mr_Loon]

Installed Kindle via the market to the internal card in slot 1, attempted to move it to SD2 via settings/applications/manage applications and selecting move to SD card.


The system appears to make an attempt to move it as the access light for SD2 lights up but the move to SD fails.


@ TrashyMG : could you have a look at Kindle via : via settings/applications/manage applications and check you have the option to 'move to phone'

 

[TrashyMG]

Odd mine doesn't say "move to phone", It says "move to sdcard" yet when I look in the sdcard/android directory of the second SD card all the data files show there..


Edit: yeah the apk files are still on the "Internal" SD Card.


Edit 2: confirmed even when setting it to allow to move applications to move to external SD card it doesn't do it..


Well all the application data ends up on the external card which takes up the bulk of the memory.. to me it doesn't seem that bad.

 

[A2000]

Thanks for the information. So I'm not the only one. Installing on sd card seems to be unsupported. Maybe if a new maintainer is found...


Regards, A2000

 

[Mr_Loon]

Edit: yeah the apk files are still on the "Internal" SD Card.

Not sure if I should be relieved or disappointed, relieved I guess.


Thanks for all the feedback though. For info, data from some apps is stored on SD2 for me as well, so I guess this is normal behaviour.

 

[CAZMIESTER]

Yeah this seams to happen alot mame4droid reloaded wont install because of sd access its a bummer

 

[TrashyMG]

Yeah this seams to happen alot mame4droid reloaded wont install because of sd access its a bummer

have you tried un-mounting the second SD card and then installing it? This worked for me and generally any other app that has this trouble.


settings->storage->un-mount SD card


then Install mame4droid


then go back and re-mount the SD card again.


then launch mame4droid.

 

[Phelsumania]

Only just started playing around with android on the Pandora, but has anyone tried directory bind yet. That's how I've moved/stored everything to my SD card on the galaxy note works better than the standard apps to sd.   basically allows you to manually select source data paths and manually create a mount target path.  E.g. source = /sdcard/internalstorage/android.        Target = /sdcard/externalsd/android

Now when you install apps they get stored on the external sd.  In our we set the target directory as the 2nd sd card. However if the 2nd sd card is not present whilst directory bind is running the phone/pandora in our case craps itself and don't know what's going on.  Remember to turn directory bind off if the 2nd SD card isn't present or before removing.

 

[superatarian]

I am trying to install this movie database app from Google. It downloads fine, but when it tries to install it, I get an error saying it could not put it on the SD card. I look at my storage settings and I have about 180mg internal and 16gb eternal on an SD card. Anyway to fix things so I can get this app?

 

[iprice]

Silly question for a Noob. I've just installed Android on my Pandora. I have never actually "used" any version of Android before (well, i set up my wife's and son's phones, but that's it).

I have an Android .APK that I want to test on the Pandora - what do I do with it? Do I have to place the .APK in the left SD in apps or appdata or in the root? Do I then have to install it on Android? How? Do I have to have an SD card in my right slot, as once I have a card in there, I can't get it out (it won't eject).

Cheers

 

[amyren]

Silly question for a Noob. I've just installed Android on my Pandora. I have never actually "used" any version of Android before (well, i set up my wife's and son's phones, but that's it).

I have an Android .APK that I want to test on the Pandora - what do I do with it? Do I have to place the .APK in the left SD in apps or appdata or in the root? Do I then have to install it on Android? How? Do I have to have an SD card in my right slot, as once I have a card in there, I can't get it out (it won't eject).

Cheers

You need to put the apk file somewhere on the second sd card (right slot), and use the filemanager in android to install the apk file.

Note that some applications will not install when the sdcard is inserted. Then you must use the file manager and copy the apk file to somewhere that is not on the sdcard. I did this recently by copying the file to the home/system folder. Then quit android, and remove the sdcard. Start android again and install the apk with the filemanager.

If it doesnt work now, it could be that the apk is not compatible.

 

[amyren]

I installed Minecraft PE, version 0.6.1 today, by using the remove sd card method.

However, I noticed some strange things with this game. 

After installing it, it does work well.

Then quitting android and reinserting the sdcard, and starting android again, minecraft failed to start.

Tried to restart android again without the sdcard, but it failed to start again. Then uninstalled and reinstalled minecraft and got it working.

But next time after restarting android the game fail to start, even if I left the sdcard out.

Reinstalled it again and got it working. Then made a backup of it with titaniumbackup.

Next time it failed to start, I launch titaniumbackup and restore the app (app only, not the data if you want to keep the saved games)

With that method it does work, even if the sdcard is mounted. But I have to restore it after every time android is restarted.

Also tried Survivalcraft briefly (the demo) This game installs and plays without any tricks. And it might even be a better game as well

 

[hedwards]

Try Link2SD, I've been using it on my phone for a while and it works just great. Basically you create a second partition on the SD card and the app moves the files to the new partition and creates the relevant links.