Help Help, full phone storage

[Marc Kozman]

Just got a pre-owned HTC Desire 500.
After resetting I connected it to my PC and found the phone storage almost full.
I deleted what I could but it is still full, I displayed the hidden files but but still its not them filling it.

Also in "settings> storage" its weird it says there's 4gb of storage and 2.94 is occupied by other files.

Please somebody help, I can't update built-in apps like facebook because there's insufficient space.

 

[Jfalls63]

Did you preform a factory reset or just a restart after you bought the phone?

 

[Marc Kozman]

Did you preform a factory reset or just a restart after you bought the phone?

It was a full factory reset, I selected all the files you see visible on my pc, checked in properties and they're 50mb all together.

 

[svim]

Just my opinion but since you just bought this phone see if you can return it and look for something with better specs. The Desire 500 only has 4 GB of internal storage, which once you account for the operating system partitions doesn't leave all that much for the general user partition, where all your installed apps and data are stored. You'll always be trying to get work past the low free space issue, simply because there just isn't that much to spare.

If your options are limited and you need to keep this phone, just be very judicious about what you do with it. Keep as much of your photos, music collection, and vids on your microSD card as you can. For apps like Facebook, use the browser to access your account -- https://m.facebook.com Also, think about using the installed apps for some things instead of installing the third-party apps that you might prefer. The Gmail app or WhatsApp app or VLC app add more features and allow for more customization but even a few extra MBs here and there add up.

 

[Marc Kozman]

Unfortunately I'm very limited now, I'll take your tips but I still need to know what's occupying 2.96gb

 

[Chezzik]

I have a Samsung phone, and have the exact same problem, except that the category is called "Miscellaneous" instead of "Other". You can see some files in it, but even if you delete them all, there's 3.3GB that can't be touched.

I figured it out finally. A few apps store mandatory files in that area. They can't be seen by the user, and they can't be moved to the SD card. So far, I've discovered that Hearthstone stores 900MB in there and Titan Quest stores 1.3GB in there.

I just deleted Hearthstone, and my "Miscellaneous" folder went down by 900MB.

 

[SavageRobot]

The system takes up this space, unfortunate problem with the budget handsets, don't leave you any space for apps and the like. As svim says you need to store pictures and music on SD and you won't have a lot of choice being able to install apps as they need to be stored on internal memory, unless rooted and using SD as internal storage or flashing a slimmer ROM, (but even then with only 4GB internal you will likely run into problems if you plan to download things and use the phone as no more than just a phone/texting device).

 

[svim]

Unfortunately I'm very limited now, I'll take your tips but I still need to know what's occupying 2.96gb

Try installing this 'DiskUsage' app. It will give you a graphical chart representing the contents of your phone's storage media. (and it's only a few hundred k in size so it won't take up too much of your valued free space).
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.diskusage

 

[Chezzik]

Try installing this 'DiskUsage' app. It will give you a graphical chart representing the contents of your phone's storage media. (and it's only a few hundred k in size so it won't take up too much of your valued free space).
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.diskusage

I just used ES File Explorer to do something similar. I found that all of my huge hidden miscellaneous files are in /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/.

The files in there that are larger than 100MB, and the games that own them on my phone are:
1.25GB: Titan Quest
220.79MB: Monument Valley
159.73: Kingdom Rush Frontiers
138.06: Trials Frontier
108.43: VOEZ (Rayark Valkyrie)
107.06: Star Realms

It looks like you can delete them without deleting the apps. I'm guessing that the app will re-download these files when it doesn't find them, but I haven't verified that yet.

For the original poster, if you haven't downloaded any apps yet, you should at least try to get to that directory and see what is in there.

 

[Marc Kozman]

Try installing this 'DiskUsage' app. It will give you a graphical chart representing the contents of your phone's storage media. (and it's only a few hundred k in size so it won't take up too much of your valued free space).
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.diskusage

What's that 1261 MiB

 

[Marc Kozman]

I have a Samsung phone, and have the exact same problem, except that the category is called "Miscellaneous" instead of "Other". You can see some files in it, but even if you delete them all, there's 3.3GB that can't be touched.

I figured it out finally. A few apps store mandatory files in that area. They can't be seen by the user, and they can't be moved to the SD card. So far, I've discovered that Hearthstone stores 900MB in there and Titan Quest stores 1.3GB in there.

I just deleted Hearthstone, and my "Miscellaneous" folder went down by 900MB.

Yes but the files I'm dealing with are from the apps the previous owner had, I just need some way to view them.

 

[Chezzik]

Well, if I bought a used phone, I would definitely do a factory reset first.

But, if nothing else, you could try going to the directory location I mentioned. It seems that .obb files are just large static data for apps, and the system does let me delete them. If the person before you had Hearthstone installed (for example), it may have left around a 900MB file in there. Just navigate to /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/ and see what you find there.

 

[svim]

It was a full factory reset...

OK so it think this needs to be clarified. Did you already do a Factory Reset or no?

 

[Marc Kozman]

Well, if I bought a used phone, I would definitely do a factory reset first.

But, if nothing else, you could try going to the directory location I mentioned. It seems that .obb files are just large static data for apps, and the system does let me delete them. If the person before you had Hearthstone installed (for example), it may have left around a 900MB file in there. Just navigate to /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/ and see what you find there.

I did a full factory reset but it didn't delete these files don't even ask me how. The obb file is empty -_- I'm getting pretty desperate.

 

[Marc Kozman]

OK so it think this needs to be clarified. Did you already do a Factory Reset or no?

Yes I did a full factory reset

 

[svim]

If the previous owner's files weren't wiped, something isn't matching up here. How did you do the Factory Reset? Did you restart your phone into Recovery Mode first to get to the Reset option?
During a Factory Reset the general user partition gets wiped, removing all the data stored in that partition. That includes saved files like audio and video files along with user installed apps and their related settings. Most carrier branded phones include apps the carrier adds that may or may not be of any use to the consumer. Those 'system' apps cannot be uninstalled, unless you've rooted your phone. So either there's a matter of needing to re-do the Factory Reset or maybe you're assuming some of those 'pre-installed' apps are from the previous owner but actually an HTC matter.

 

[Chezzik]

Yeah, I'm beginning to agree with svim's statement that you need to get a better phone.

Your first screenshot shows the drive as being 1.13GB. Of course the phone has 4GB, but after the system partition, it only leaves 1.13GB, so that's really all that you have.

But, then after the system "grants" you 1.13GB to use, it takes 91MB for "System Data", leaving 1.04GB. Then it installs Google App, Google Play, Google Maps, and Chrome, which cannot be removed, which combined take 433MB, taking you down to 571MB.

Your next largest app is Shelter SCG, which is a game. It could probably be removed. But, let's face it, you don't really have enough space to do anything effectively. Even running the Google Play store a few times will easily fill up your remaining 571MB with cached files, and Google Maps has no chance of working without a little more space!

If you can't return the phone or sell it again, then your only hope may be to root the phone and install an OS with a smaller footprint. I'm sure that Android system probably took less space when this phone was originally available in stores, because I just can't see a phone with that little space being usable at all with today's bloated Android.

Good luck!

 

[Marc Kozman]

If the previous owner's files weren't wiped, something isn't matching up here. How did you do the Factory Reset? Did you restart your phone into Recovery Mode first to get to the Reset option?
During a Factory Reset the general user partition gets wiped, removing all the data stored in that partition. That includes saved files like audio and video files along with user installed apps and their related settings. Most carrier branded phones include apps the carrier adds that may or may not be of any use to the consumer. Those 'system' apps cannot be uninstalled, unless you've rooted your phone. So either there's a matter of needing to re-do the Factory Reset or maybe you're assuming some of those 'pre-installed' apps are from the previous owner but actually an HTC matter.

I'll do another factory reset but got to backup some info first.

 

[Marc Kozman]

Yeah, I'm beginning to agree with svim's statement that you need to get a better phone.

Your first screenshot shows the drive as being 1.13GB. Of course the phone has 4GB, but after the system partition, it only leaves 1.13GB, so that's really all that you have.

But, then after the system "grants" you 1.13GB to use, it takes 91MB for "System Data", leaving 1.04GB. Then it installs Google App, Google Play, Google Maps, and Chrome, which cannot be removed, which combined take 433MB, taking you down to 571MB.

Your next largest app is Shelter SCG, which is a game. It could probably be removed. But, let's face it, you don't really have enough space to do anything effectively. Even running the Google Play store a few times will easily fill up your remaining 571MB with cached files, and Google Maps has no chance of working without a little more space!

If you can't return the phone or sell it again, then your only hope may be to root the phone and install an OS with a smaller footprint. I'm sure that Android system probably took less space when this phone was originally available in stores, because I just can't see a phone with that little space being usable at all with today's bloated Android.

Good luck!

Thanks, I'll try to find a smaller OS.

 

[Gabs1]

how can I root an htc that has the same problem, only 4 gb internal memory, and how that affects the functionality of the phone?

 

[Bg260]

Unfortunately I'm very limited now, I'll take your tips but I still need to know what's occupying 2.96gb

Your system.

There is a reason why these phones are cheap.

 

[Bg260]

how can I root an htc

Very carefully. What model, make, carrier, locale......

 

[Gabs1]

Very carefully. What model, make, carrier, locale......

HTC 512 from Cricket

 

[Dannydet]

It's a 4gb phone. Your limited on space, period.
My wife had a Moto E, 4gb and is no longer used because of this issue. You can't get blood from a rock.

 

[Bg260]

HTC 512 from Cricket

There are no viable root methods that I can find.