Help How do you switch SD cards in HTC Desire without losing anything? Back up program?

[danatoakhill]

Hi all,

Just got my HTC Desire and previously had a Nokia E71. I want to use the 16gb sd card from my E71 in my Desire but what do I have to do to keep from losing info, and app info that's already on my Desire sd card?

Is there a program that backs it up completely? I've heard that some people have switched just by copying onto pc and then back onto the new card, but have had problems with app data etc.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, any help appreciated.

Also, is the 16gb card going to run really slowly? Slowed down my E71 a bit but I'm assuming the Desire could cope much better!?

Thanks!

Dan

 

[hippy247]

I swapped my micro sd today. I purchased a memory card reader and copied the files to the reader then plugged it into my laptop. Then I put the new sd card into my desire and then plugged my desire into the laptop (Make sure you have got your desire set up as a disk drive). Then look in "computer" and find "devices with removable storage" then simply copy the files from the memory card reader into the desire. Works perfectly.

 

[raitoyagami]

I swapped my micro sd today. I purchased a memory card reader and copied the files to the reader then plugged it into my laptop. Then I put the new sd card into my desire and then plugged my desire into the laptop (Make sure you have got your desire set up as a disk drive). Then look in "computer" and find "devices with removable storage" then simply copy the files from the memory card reader into the desire. Works perfectly.

yeah..simply as that..i dont understand why some people complicate thing

 

[Missing_Link]

I swapped from a 4gb to 16gb today using the method described above... no problems whatsoever!. It's dead easy, really.

 

[zoidy84]

just in case anyone doesn't have a SD card reader, you can use the Desire itself but attaching the Desire to your computer as a Disk Drive, copying EVERYTHING off your old card onto your desktop ... then insert you new MicroSD card into the Desire, hook it up to your computer as a Disk Drive and copy everything onto it!!

Bingo!

 

[blaggard]

Make sure you copy all the hidden files too!

 

[SUroot]

I assume its more complicated if you use Apps2SD+

 

[danatoakhill]

Hi all,

Well, I've got the same question again a lot later! When I first got my Desire I copied the sd card contents from the bundled 4gb sd card to my 16gb card. A simple copy over, and it worked fine.

However, now I've upgraded to froyo (2.2), I've just got a 32gb (Kingston class 4) sd card and tried the same thing, but the apps don't show up (the ones that are on sd).

Is there a way I can transfer data from one sd to another (including app data) or do I have to uninstall all the sd apps and reinstall them on the new sd?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

Dan

 

[chrissie_nw]

Hi all,

Well, I've got the same question again a lot later! When I first got my Desire I copied the sd card contents from the bundled 4gb sd card to my 16gb card. A simple copy over, and it worked fine.

However, now I've upgraded to froyo (2.2), I've just got a 32gb (Kingston class 4) sd card and tried the same thing, but the apps don't show up (the ones that are on sd).

Is there a way I can transfer data from one sd to another (including app data) or do I have to uninstall all the sd apps and reinstall them on the new sd?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

Dan

have you give it time to read the card....it may take a few minutes to read it. All my apps from my SD card came back after a few minutes

 

[formicae]

I assume its more complicated if you use Apps2SD+

I would imagine so, and I'd like to know how to go about it in that situation. I've got an 8gb card at the moment but have been thinking of moving up to a 16gb card (or eventually 32gb, prices falling every day).

I assume I can just use an Ubuntu live CD and copy the files over, since it will be able to see both partitions. But if there's a way to do it within Windows, I'd love to know.

 

[GregF]

Copy apps to phone memory, exchange sd cards, copy back to sd card, when I did it the apps didn't work when coping sd to computer and back again.

Greg

 

[Bigleg]

^Me too, didn't move back to phone first, before putting in a new SD, (Had copied everything from old to new) but all the apps disappeared and had to reinstall, no biggy but annoying

 

[Kaspyrov]

just in case anyone doesn't have a SD card reader, you can use the Desire itself but attaching the Desire to your computer as a Disk Drive, copying EVERYTHING off your old card onto your desktop ... then insert you new MicroSD card into the Desire, hook it up to your computer as a Disk Drive and copy everything onto it!!

Bingo!

When you mount the desire as a disk the stuff is only the from the sd or there is data in there from the phone memory too?

 

[matttye]

I assume its more complicated if you use Apps2SD+

The same can be done with Apps2SD, just don't turn your phone on with the new SD card in it with none of your apps on; use a card reader instead.

 

[SUroot]

The same can be done with Apps2SD, just don't turn your phone on with the new SD card in it with none of your apps on; use a card reader instead.

HaHa, I posted that in July of last year. I am a bit more clued up now

Anyway, best process for this.

Nandroid Backup
Boot recovery and copy Contents to PC
Partition card (in recovery)
Restore contents to new card
Nandroid restore.

 

[matttye]

HaHa, I posted that in July of last year. I am a bit more clued up now

Anyway, best process for this.

Nandroid Backup
Boot recovery and copy Contents to PC
Partition card (in recovery)
Restore contents to new card
Nandroid restore.

Haha I so didn't notice that, I thought it was weird to see you not being all knowing

 

[SUroot]

 

[Member546843]

OK, so despite the good advice above, I struggled with this. I have a standard, unrooted HTC Desire from O2 and wanted to upgrade the standard 4GB card with a 16GB one. I have many apps on my SD card as well as photos and video. After following the instructions above, I could see the photos and video OK but had lost access to all the apps that were on the card.

I finally got everything migrated over by following the steps below. I think the steps I was missing was formatting the new card on the phone and then deleting the three folders that were created before copying my backed up data.

1. connect phone to PC as disk drive and backup everything to a folder including hidden files
2. disconnect phone from PC, turn off and swap to new card
3. boot up and format new card
4. connect phone to PC as disk drive and delete the three folders already on the card
5. copy everything in backup folder to new card

I realise to some people these steps may have been obvious but I hope this helps someone else get there quicker than I did!

Thanks,

Matt

 

[SUroot]

For info, sd card apps are in a folder called .android_secure

 

[welshsteve]

I am upgrading from the supplied 8GB card I got with my HTC Desire S as I'm running out of space. My wife has a Blackberry and will be getting this 8GB one when my 16GB arrives. Can I confirm that this method will work.

1. Attached my Desire to my PC as a USB drive.

2. Make sure hidden files are showing, and copy everything into a blank folder.

3. Remove 8GB card from the Desire and insert the 16GB.

4. Format the 16GB card (I assume you can do this on the phone?)

5. Attach the Desire to the PC again and copy everything from the folder on the PC onto the memory card.

6. Once I know everything is working ok, take the 16GB card out of the Desire and put the old 8GB one back in, attach to the PC and delete everything.

7. Switch the cards back around. The Desire is now set up with the new 16GB card.

8. Repeat a similar process with the Blackberry to get all the data off the current blackberry SD card onto the 8GB card (I assume again that you can format the card when it's in the blackberry).

 

[Usta]

@welshsteve,
Yes, that will work, although a shorter way to do it would be to use a cardreader (old card in, copy, new card in, copy, put new card in phone).

 

[gelu125]

OK, so despite the good advice above, I struggled with this. I have a standard, unrooted HTC Desire from O2 and wanted to upgrade the standard 4GB card with a 16GB one. I have many apps on my SD card as well as photos and video. After following the instructions above, I could see the photos and video OK but had lost access to all the apps that were on the card.

I finally got everything migrated over by following the steps below. I think the steps I was missing was formatting the new card on the phone and then deleting the three folders that were created before copying my backed up data.

1. connect phone to PC as disk drive and backup everything to a folder including hidden files
2. disconnect phone from PC, turn off and swap to new card
3. boot up and format new card
4. connect phone to PC as disk drive and delete the three folders already on the card
5. copy everything in backup folder to new card

I realise to some people these steps may have been obvious but I hope this helps someone else get there quicker than I did!

Thanks,

Matt

Hi All.
I faced unusual issue for me.
Desire HD.
Android 2.3.3
After card swap from 16 to 32GB I'm unable to keep copied data on a new card. Non of above advises work.

Here what I have done so far:
1. turned off the phone.
2. removed battery.
3. swapped card.
4. turned on.
5. formatted card in the phone.
6. connected to pc via usb (disk drive)
7. deleted everything from card
8. copied all backup from PC to new card in the phone.
9. disconnect from pc.

I have tried copy my back up using SD card slot in PC as well.
I do not have any installed apps on sd card however got installed app2SD.
Problem is when I browse card in the phone or PC after copying all new stuff is vanished. phone leaves only system folders. The Card itself is all right. Got the same problem with old 16GB card either.

Would be very appreciate for any help.
I need some mp3, wallpapers, etc on this card.

Regards.

 

[ianb11]

I'm struggling with this as well. I'm on Leedroid Data++ & have partitioned the new card with GParted with a 1GB Ext 3 if that makes any difference.

I've backed up the old card including hidden files to the PC. Put the new card in the reader & transferred files to that.

Then put the new card in the handset & it just hangs on the splash screen.

Put the old card back in & it's fine.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[ianb11]

Answering my own question!

What I did was do a Nandroid, then I transferred the contents of the old card to the PC, moved that to the new card (after it was partitioned) & then restore the Nandroid from the new card.

All working fine

 

[haglee]

just got to thank you for the simple advice,followed your instructions and it worked perfectly,cool