FJ Software

My Huawei P8 Lite 2017 running Android 7 Nougat (not rooted) has an option to define the external SD as the default storage for the apps and everything else (except of course for the system apps). I have enabled that option. I don't know exactly how it works, but it seems that the system function that returns the path of the internal storage has been modified to return the path to the external SD. Or maybe they use soft links, I don't know. Anyway, everything that was previously stored on the internal storage is now automatically stored on the external SD. It's the case, for example, of the Android/data, Android/obb, DCIM, Download and all other system directories and the directories created by the apps, that were previously on the internal SD. It's totally transparent to the apps, although it is still possible to specify to store data specific to an app on the internal SD if the app has an option to define the path. Note also that all file managers I've tested so far (such as Solid Explorer) know what are the internal and external storage partitions, so it seems that it is still possible to discover where are the real physical partitions.

MyPhoneExplorer works perfectly with that option enabled, except for one thing. When I use the PC program to transfer files to the Android, I can use the External SD, and of course I can see its content normally (including the newly created system directories). But since now the internal SD is not used by default any more, there is plenty of disc space available, and I would like to use it from the PC with MyPhoneExplorer. And here is the bug. When I select Files -> Internal Storage in the left pane of the PC program, it shows me the EXTERNAL SD. (The option to open the System Storage shows nothing, but I suppose it's normal since my phone is not rooted. The Files -> Applications option works as expected.)

Obviously, the client app doesn't "know" that the standard partition for the apps data has been changed, and it assumes wrongly that the internal storage is the partition where it should normally save its data and where it has write access by default. I guess that when it tries to open the internal SD, it is automatically redirected by the system to the external SD, or something similar.

It must be possible to fix that problem, since all file managers I've tested so far are able to show the real content of the internal and external storage. (This discussion, and especially its last post, may help.) Or, if it's not possible, can you add an option to let the user specify the full paths to the internal storage and to the external SD card ?

Thanks in advance.

Someone?

I don't presume to fully understand how Huawei Phones behave. All I can say is that my P10 lite behaves strange in respect of Internal / External Storage. This is extremely annoying whenever you want to sync files.
Still researching....
Regards, Gerald

Well, in my opinion, my P8 Lite 2017 handles the storage perfectly normally if you do not enable the option to store the data preferably on the external SD. But if you do it, then it seems that the internal and external SD are simply swapped, and some apps recognize the two storages normally (as internal and external) but others do not understand that they have been swapped and consider the internal storage as external! The real problem is that some apps, notably AirDroid and MPE, "merge" the two storages, and consider that the internal AND external storage are on the external SD. They are unable to access the internal storage any more.

Anyway, I am tired to wait for a solution. The Huawei hotline replies that it's a problem of the apps, and anyway, they cannot influence the decisions taken in China, and the authors of the apps do not want to modify their (probably buggy) code. Or, simply, they do not reply, like here. It's a pity, but I have to live with that problems. Anyway, I don't use MPE any more.