Don’t Use Windows 10 to Move Data on Your Android Phone

Megalith

Megalith

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Windows 10 reportedly has an MTP problem with Android devices: if you use the OS to move data on a USB-attached Android phone or tablet, you may lose your files. According to this author, users cannot move files between folders in Android memory, as it will cause data loss, and copied files do not arrive in the destination folder.

I ran a short test under Windows 7 SP1 with a Motorola Moto G5. The files could be copied or moved there without any problems. The test under Windows 10 version 1703 produced exactly the expected result – it doesn’t work. I couldn’t test whether earlier versions of Windows 10 or individual builds were affected. At heise. de there is a reference to reader comments that Linux systems (openSUSE, Ubuntu) are also affected.
 
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jmilcher said:
So it happened in one scenario, so it must be true for all cases.

More click bait.

I just transferred files from w10 to my s8+, no issues at all. Guess that means there is no problem.
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No offense but you didn't read the article before proclaiming it clickbait. They're talking about moving files between folders on the Android device using W10 file explorer while connected via USB/MTP. Not copying files to/from the W10 PC and Android.

They also didn't proclaim "true in all cases", only the cases they were able to test so far:
  • Android 8: Nexus 6P
  • Android 7: HTC U11, Nokia 6, OnePlus 3, 5, Xiaomi Mi 6, Mi Mix
  • Lineage OS 7.1.1: Samsung Galaxy S5
  • Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, Samsung Galaxy S2, S4 mini
  • Sony Xperia Z, Xperia Z5, HTC 10, Huawei Mate 9, Lenovo Motorola Moto G3, OnePlus 3T, Moto G5
 
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I noticed that issue when I was trying to move my Mame Roms from one folder to another on my Galaxy Tab. I ended up just copying them all again from my PC to the new folder.
 
Every since android changed the way the file system worked, transferring files between your phone and PC has always been a pain in the ass.
 
Not only does moving files around not work, but half the time files don't even show up in File Explorer. For instance, if I take a video and then plug my phone in to copy it off it's not visible in Windows, yet I can plainly see it on the device. It's very annoying.
 
MTP is so fucked up. I can't believe no one in google has fixed it already, after all these new versions of android.
 
4884 said:
MTP is so fucked up. I can't believe no one in google has fixed it already, after all these new versions of android.
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Google doesn't fix things. They make new things to replace old things and kill of things just because.
 
I've actually had this happen. I thought it was user error and I was glad I had a backup or had previously copied things by FTP. I was doing things with 1000s of files in a folder about a few gigs big,lets say around 11, when I moved stuff it was coming up around 6. It was also not faster to use the cable versus doing it over wifi. This was an s6 running CM to make it run Lolipop

Forgot to add that even after a reboot it wasn't recognizing all the files in the folder. On board file managers would and looking at the same directory for FTP was fine.
 
Mtp is very screwy. This needs to get fixed. I have a feeling it's a win 10 issue more then an android issue
 
I've moved them between WIn10 UC and my Samsung GS5 too, but it is hit and miss if it is gonna work.

Isn't this a USB driver issue rather than a Windows 10 1703 issue?

But honestly since the 1703 update my USB usability has been pretty flaky - and not just with the phone. Yesterday had a real shit time trying to copy some files to a ext4-formatted USB drive (use it with an android streaming box). the Paragon ext4 driver is pretty unreliable & slow for sure via USB3 and with Windows 10 CU.
 
M76 said:
I can attest to this. Windows 10 handles attached android devices very poorly. And not just the current version.
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Which might be the saving grace in this instance until it's patched.

Windows 10 likes to "lose" the phone if you traverse too quickly with my device (and two of my prior devices) so moving stuff around on the Android using Windows 10 File Explorer is just a slow nightmare. Hence why I never do it.

I'd have to hook up the phone for exact steps, but the disconnection of the devices file storage is repeatable. I think you have to use W10 File Explorer to initiate a drag and drop from the Android device and then while it's processing, try to browse to another folder on the Android device. The device storage will hang before disconnect. It's been so consistent across devices (PC/phones), I assumed it was some limitation of MTP.
 
MTP is the devil, no matter the platform. I've had no end of headaches with Linux and Windows hosts, primarily due to the lack of parallelism.
 
I just use an app called "Wi-Fi File transfer pro" to copy all my files to and from my phone. Much easier, faster, and don't need to fumble with a usb cord that may or may not let your phone be seen by the O/S.
 
I have accessed my Honor 6X on my little Athlon 5350 based Windows 10 Pro NAS build without issues. I have copied files too and from it without any corruption.
 
For me, nine times out of ten, problems with connectivity between Android phone and Windows can be fixed with a shorter, better USB cable.

MTP is still a bunch of donkey bollocks however.
 
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