The Insufficient Storage Available Issue

[mavigozler]

I see a great many forum posts and blogs talking about the Insufficient Storage Available (ISA) problem when users have installed a new microSD card and they are bewildered why there can be such an error message with plenty of available space.

I just came into a new LG Opt F6. In asking me what I needed in a phone when I was buying it, I told the sales rep that I needed "long battery charge" and "room for apps and not so much media files." The sales rep laughed and said that the F6 was the last phone I wanted because it has no room for apps, and Android doesn't install apps on the external 32GB SD card I was buying. (He was trying to sell me his wife's year-old Galaxy S4 for $400 (!) as having room for apps; but he's a nice guy selling MetroPCS service.)

So to get back on topic, I set up the app install location using adb in the SDK toolkit just like everyone else reading the dozens of forum articles or blogs describing how to do it.

And naturally I ran into the ISA problem. I kept playing with it. And then I chanced to install the Adobe Reader app. Then the Walmart store app. I tried to install the Smartq (PDF) reader--what I really wanted to try as a PDF reader---and it kept giving the ISA problem.

I restored the set-install-location to "auto" (0) rather than external card (2).

The Smartq reader then installed. When I checked (System) Settings->Apps->Smartq Reader, I noticed that the Move to SD button was dimmed.

It suddenly becomes clear why the ISA message appears now when the system tries to forcibly install to the external SD card: it's because the app developer insists that the install location NOT be to anything but internal memory (location 1), and the ISA is apparently the means by which this exception is handled.

Now what I just posted above may not be news to anyone and what I described may be posted elsewhere, although I did not find it.

There should be an error message like "App cannot be installed to external storage. Reset install location to Auto" which removes a lot of confusion, and it informs the user that the developer insists (wrongly? accidentally?) on using phone storage.

I am going to write to the Smartq PDF app developer to ask why the app must be installed in internal phone storage (whereas the Adobe Reader does not insist). It could be just a case where it is useful/advisable to set an option in the app build not to insist on an install location.

 

[ZachTheRipper]

http://androidforums.com/showthread.php?t=819792
Check out this thread. If you have a memory card with a good read/write speed you can partition the card with a fat 32 partition and an ext4 partition and use this mod/hack to use the ext4 partition as internal storage. I have 25.99gb partitioned on a 64 gb card as my internal storage with no problems whatsoever. This is the only complete storage issue resolution that i know of. Anyone who has used it will definitely agree with me.

 

[ZachTheRipper]

Here's a screen shot showing my storage.

 

[chenqs99]

Hi, I'm new to all those root/mod/hack, Is there a step by step instructions for how to increase the internal memory with micro SD for LG F6?

Many Thanks1

 

[dirtycar74]

...If you have a memory card with a good read/write speed...

Please elaborate on this - meaning define good. and what class SD card is the minimum recommmended for this method you describe? I'm either gonna need a new phone or try this, I'm just about over it with the super low storage problems. I uninstalled EVERYTHING I possibly could do without and even then get the errors when updating basic stuff like maps, Google+, or the one piece of fun stuff I "have-to-have" - iHeartRadio. I end up clearing all app caches that are over 1Mb from the settings dialogues, and using the clear ram widget, and sometimes even cold booting the phone. That's a flipping TEDIOUS stack of actions to go through!

 

[ZachTheRipper]

Please elaborate on this - meaning define good. and what class SD card is the minimum recommmended for this method you describe? I'm either gonna need a new phone or try this, I'm just about over it with the super low storage problems. I uninstalled EVERYTHING I possibly could do without and even then get the errors when updating basic stuff like maps, Google+, or the one piece of fun stuff I "have-to-have" - iHeartRadio. I end up clearing all app caches that are over 1Mb from the settings dialogues, and using the clear ram widget, and sometimes even cold booting the phone. That's a flipping TEDIOUS stack of actions to go through!

At least class 10. I use a sandisk ultra u1 64gb card. I tried it on my girlfriends phone with a class six kingston and it didnt like it very much. It makes everything super slow

 

[coreyharris101]

at least class 10. I use a sandisk ultra u1 64gb card. I tried it on my girlfriends phone with a class six kingston and it didnt like it very much. It makes everything super slow

after formtaing the microsd to fat 32, then partition some space, lets say....8gb from a 32gb card into ext-4 for android, leaving you 24gb external storage, how do you get the apps on the ext? Im not experienced enough for the other forum you posted and the other methods always fail at some point. I've tried link2sd, the scripts, etc.

 

[ZachTheRipper]

With the thread i linked it doesnt just move apps to the ext partition. It moves all of /data. How experienced are you? Is your phone rooted? Do you know how to flash zips?

There's a couple different ways to implement this trick on the thread. Other people find the flashing of the zips to be easiest but i went the file swap route. Its still a work in progress and not ready for the average user but i dont consider myself very experienced and i did it. They might be able to help you more on the other thread.

 

[coreyharris101]

with the thread i linked it doesnt just move apps to the ext partition. It moves all of /data. How experienced are you? Is your phone rooted? Do you know how to flash zips?

There's a couple different ways to implement this trick on the thread. Other people find the flashing of the zips to be easiest but i went the file swap route. Its still a work in progress and not ready for the average user but i dont consider myself very experienced and i did it. They might be able to help you more on the other thread.

agreed, i've been hacking phones since the first window's phone but only gaining the knowledge to do what i wanted or needed my phone to do and not a overall coder, i'd call it tech savy. But yes, im up to par on root, cwm, the basic's, etc. As far as that thread, i need a helping hand on this one, havent been able to locate all the info on other forums

 

[ZachTheRipper]

Thats all i am is just tech savvy. Its not as scary as it looks. I recommend reading the whole thread just to understand better what the mod actually does to the phone. But its not necessary. I know its long but its interesting. Theres even some drama. The guy who started the thread just disappeared out of nowhere. Then somebody else was working on it until they disappeared. The guy thats working on itnow has it packaged into a couple of flashable zips for it to be "easier" to implement but ive never succesfully flashed a zip so i did it with the file swap/rename and permission change way and it was simple enough. If you want to skip straight to the business check post 251 and post 253. I used rom toolbox pro to change permissions and swap and rename the files

http://androidforums.com/showthread.php?p=6716839

Any more help you need beyond that is most likely out of my league.

 

[anthonypellerito]

So you need to use a computer for it. And if i could just manually move everything to my sd card from my phone that will be fine with me

 

[anthonypellerito]

So you need to use a computer for it. And if i could just manually move everything to my sd card from my phone that will be fine with me

My phone is rooted btw and i have su and root browser just need a little help thanksich appreciates