Increasing Internal Memory with Link2SD

[mayank29gupta]

Hi,

There are various articles online which suggests creating partition of the SD Card and create link to apps stored in the internal memory using Link2SD.

I want to know that how different it is from moving the apps to SD Card. This feature by default is available on my mobile. And I can also use Link2SD to force move the apps to SD Card.

What is the point of creating partition and then creating link to apps using Link2SD. Here is link to one such article http://www.xperiablog.net/2011/12/12/link2sd-guide-never-worry-about-internal-memory-limits-again/

 

[Hadron]

Firstly, most androids no longer have the feature to move apps to SD. So for those people something like this (which requires rooting the device) is the only way.

As for what's different, the "move to SD" feature that came with Android 2.2 and 2.3, and which some manufacturers have supported in more recent Android versions for some of their devices, moved a lot less of the app. With 2.2 it only moved the apk file, while in 2.3 it would also move the library element of the app (if there was one). Link2SD allows you to move the dalvik cache files (.dex) if you wish to, in addition to the elements the built-in move to SD allowed, so can save you more space than the built-in version can. I can't recall whether it allowed moving of app data or not - given that SD cards are slower and less reliable than internal memory I'd not have been tempted to do that myself.

It's been a couple of years since I used it, so cannot recall exactly all of the features, but those are the main differences: it lets you move more of the app, but requires root to use it.

 

[Fox Mulder]

The free version of Link2SD allows linking of apk, dalvik and library files. To also link the app data files the upgrade/paid version of Link2SD is required. Also linking app data requires that the second partition be in a non-FAT format.

 

[mayank29gupta]

Firstly, most androids no longer have the feature to move apps to SD. So for those people something like this (which requires rooting the device) is the only way.

As for what's different, the "move to SD" feature that came with Android 2.2 and 2.3, and which some manufacturers have supported in more recent Android versions for some of their devices, moved a lot less of the app. With 2.2 it only moved the apk file, while in 2.3 it would also move the library element of the app (if there was one). Link2SD allows you to move the dalvik cache files (.dex) if you wish to, in addition to the elements the built-in move to SD allowed, so can save you more space than the built-in version can. I can't recall whether it allowed moving of app data or not - given that SD cards are slower and less reliable than internal memory I'd not have been tempted to do that myself.

It's been a couple of years since I used it, so cannot recall exactly all of the features, but those are the main differences: it lets you move more of the app, but requires root to use it.

I need urgent help. I created partition of my SD Card using MiniTool Partition Wizard to use it as second partition for the Link2SD. After creating partition my Windows 7 Laptop is not recognizing the MicroSD Card. What should I do. I have already wiped all the data of SD Card and put in on the laptop before creating partition.

 

[lunatic59]

When you created the second partition did you use EXT4? Windows only recognized FAT32 and NTFS natively.

 

[mayank29gupta]

Thanks for the reply. I first created a partition of 6 GB using FAT32 then second partition using ext2. I set both as primary but then Windows could not recognize SD card. I tried restarting windows as well.

 

[Hadron]

Back in the Desire days, when everyone was partitioning cards, we saw a lot of problems with Minitool Partition Wizard. Frankly I just wouldn't use it.

Can the phone recognise the card? Or when you say the PC doesn't, do you mean it can't read it (e.g. suggests formatting it) or doesn't recognise it as existing?

My guess is that you'll need to reformat the card completely and redo the partitioning (I personally recommend GParted - a Linux based tool is a good solution for adding ext format partitions). But you need something to recognise the card as a formattable device, be that a phone or a computer.

 

[mayank29gupta]

Back in the Desire days, when everyone was partitioning cards, we saw a lot of problems with Minitool Partition Wizard. Frankly I just wouldn't use it.

Can the phone recognise the card? Or when you say the PC doesn't, do you mean it can't read it (e.g. suggests formatting it) or doesn't recognise it as existing?

My guess is that you'll need to reformat the card completely and redo the partitioning (I personally recommend GParted - a Linux based tool is a good solution for adding ext format partitions). But you need something to recognise the card as a formattable device, be that a phone or a computer.

Thanks for the reply. My laptop was simply didnt recognize it. In the device manager I got Error Code 10 on the SD card.

I don't have Linux based machine so can't try your solution. Is there any good tool for partition in Windows?

 

[Hadron]

You could install GParted Live on a USB key. Or try a live CD (preview) of most linux distros - they will include GParted in case you want to install permanently, and you should be able to use that to partition a card that's mounted as USB mass storage (e.g. via a card reader). Or a virtual machine can be used.

To be honest Windows is the OS I use least, so I'm not sure what a good Windows-based tool would be.

I've tried to find out what a code 10 error is, but it seems to be a very generic message.

Does the phone recognise the card, or let you format it? And if you are rooted (which you have to be for Link2SD to work) do you have a custom recovery? Some of those can format or partition cards as well (not all of them align partitions well, which can reduce write speeds, but if it lets you recover the card that's a big step).

 

[Fox Mulder]

I used EaseUS Partition Master to partition my SD card for use with Link2SD, and it worked flawlessly. This is one of the partition utilities recommended by the developer in the app store (although they also list Minitool and that apparently doesn't work so well).

 

[mayank29gupta]

You could install GParted Live on a USB key. Or try a live CD (preview) of most linux distros - they will include GParted in case you want to install permanently, and you should be able to use that to partition a card that's mounted as USB mass storage (e.g. via a card reader). Or a virtual machine can be used.

To be honest Windows is the OS I use least, so I'm not sure what a good Windows-based tool would be.

I've tried to find out what a code 10 error is, but it seems to be a very generic message.

Does the phone recognise the card, or let you format it? And if you are rooted (which you have to be for Link2SD to work) do you have a custom recovery? Some of those can format or partition cards as well (not all of them align partitions well, which can reduce write speeds, but if it lets you recover the card that's a big step).

Thanks mate. I finally managed to recover the SD card. I have copied the data back and inserted it in phone.

I have a question. Can I use phone memory as second partition for Link2sd? I have internal memory of 500 mb where all the apps go. Then there is 1.8 GB of phone memory which I can only use to store data. Lastly I have 8 GB microsd card where I can move apps via apps 2 SD feature in the phone.

Is it not possible to simply use phone memory as second partition?

 

[mayank29gupta]

I used EaseUS Partition Master to partition my SD card for use with Link2SD, and it worked flawlessly. This is one of the partition utilities recommended by the developer in the app store (although they also list Minitool and that apparently doesn't work so well).

I tried using EaseUS but it seems I made some mistake.

First I created FAT32 Primary Partition of 6.5 GB. Then I created Ext2 Primary Partition of the 1.2 GB space. After I applied the changes, Windows 7 is only recognizing the smaller ext-2 1.2 GB and asks me to format it.

On the contrary I think Windows should recognize the larger FAT32 partition which it is not doing so.

 

[Hadron]

You are right: Windows should be recognising the fat32 partition (though it not being able to read the ext2 and offering to format it sounds about right).

I don't think you can use the phone memory as a partition. What does your phone call that 1.8GB partition, and do you know what file format it uses? Just trying to understand the storage model on this phone (I'm guessing the phone was originally released with Gingerbread and that partition will be a fat32 formatted "internal sd card").

 

[mayank29gupta]

You are right: Windows should be recognising the fat32 partition (though it not being able to read the ext2 and offering to format it sounds about right).

In that case, should I simply plug the SD Card in phone after creating the partition and then try to connect it with laptop using USB transfer to see whether it detects the ext2 partition or the FAT32 partition?

I don't think you can use the phone memory as a partition. What does your phone call that 1.8GB partition, and do you know what file format it uses? Just trying to understand the storage model on this phone (I'm guessing the phone was originally released with Gingerbread and that partition will be a fat32 formatted "internal sd card").

You are right about the Gingerbread. Actually orignially my phone had two memory. First was internal memory of 500 MB and then there was Phone Memory of 1.83GB. I only had the option to move app from internal memory to Phone memory and not the SD Card.

But once I had to get my phone flashed by service center. After that I could move the apps from internal memory to SD Card and not the Phone memory.

The in built file manager shows is as Phone Memory. While Link2SD shows it as Ext. SD. I connected the phone to laptop to check the File System type. It is FAT32.