# Android:  How do I copy files from SDCard\_0 to SDCard\_1?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-how-do-i-copy-files-from-sdcard_0-to-sdcard_1/849705>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 18, 2020, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-how-do-i-copy-files-from-sdcard_0-to-sdcard_1/849705 "2020-03-18T03:28:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-how-do-i-copy-files-from-sdcard_0-to-sdcard_1/849705/1 "2020-03-18T03:28:33Z")

</div>

The impossibility of doing it is recent or I wouldn’t have 40 gigglebytes\* of files on SDCard\_1, but using several file manager apps I get errors about how since Android 5 add-on drives are read only and to work around it I’m to follow a procedure that doesn’t work.

1. why would Android make the backup drive read only?
2. I tried finding help online but all i could find were programming phones.

- 
  - Idiot coworker kept calling gigabytes gigglebytes when we were supposed to sound authoritative.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![road\_lobo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d78d45/32.png) [@road\_lobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/road_lobo)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-how-do-i-copy-files-from-sdcard_0-to-sdcard_1/849705/2 "2020-03-18T06:50:34Z")

</div>

Are you trying to move an app from internal to external storage? That was deprecated, but external storage isn’t read only.

Use SD cards in your Android device

> **[Get help from your device manufacturer & mobile carrier - Android Help](https://support.google.com/android/answer/3094742?hl=en&visit_id=638126652142971877-3479875596&rd=1)**
>
> Your device manufacturer or mobile carrier is often the best place to get help for some phone issues.
> To get help with your phone or tablet, find your manufacturer or carrier below. This list

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![road\_lobo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d78d45/32.png) [@road\_lobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/road_lobo)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-how-do-i-copy-files-from-sdcard_0-to-sdcard_1/849705/3 "2020-03-18T07:03:01Z")

</div>

On further research, read only status might mean the file system is corrupted or the sd card is physically failing.

Google “sd card read only”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-how-do-i-copy-files-from-sdcard_0-to-sdcard_1/849705/4 "2020-03-18T23:58:29Z")

</div>

Just swapped out my 128gB for a 256gB SD card on this old Android 7 tablet.  
It is decidedly NOT read only.  
I have had SD cards go bad. You may be experiencing this  
Try [https://forums.androidcentral.com/](https://forums.androidcentral.com/)