Nexus 7 - Transferring Files...
Timmy O'Toole
Posts: 293 Forum Member
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Hi. I got a Nexus 7 a couple of days ago. I'll just point out that I'm new to Android and tablets generally. I'm trying to work out how to transfer files to it.
I've plugged in the Nexus to my XP laptop, and it found the device. I ignored the 'Synchronise' option, and chose 'Take no action' so I could transfer files manually. In 'My Computer' I've opened the 'Nexus' device and found 16 folders (Movies, Pictures, Ringtones, Alarms etc.). All these folders are empty.
As a test, I copied a JPEG file into Pictures, disconnected the cable, then looked in Gallery on the Nexus. The photo was there, so I thought this is looking straightforward. When I then reconnected to the laptop, the Pictures folder still looks empty even though the file's still on the Nexus. It as if the transfer procedure only works one way. eg. you can't delete files from the Nexus from the laptop. Is this how it works or am I missing something?
Secondly, I've taken one of my genuine DVDs and converted using Freemake Video Converter selecting MPEG4 in the Android presets. The output file (.mp4 extension) of 1.58GB plays fine in VLC. When I try and transfer to the Movies folder, I get an error saying that the file format is not supported. I thought that file format should be ok? Any ideas?
Thanks!
I've plugged in the Nexus to my XP laptop, and it found the device. I ignored the 'Synchronise' option, and chose 'Take no action' so I could transfer files manually. In 'My Computer' I've opened the 'Nexus' device and found 16 folders (Movies, Pictures, Ringtones, Alarms etc.). All these folders are empty.
As a test, I copied a JPEG file into Pictures, disconnected the cable, then looked in Gallery on the Nexus. The photo was there, so I thought this is looking straightforward. When I then reconnected to the laptop, the Pictures folder still looks empty even though the file's still on the Nexus. It as if the transfer procedure only works one way. eg. you can't delete files from the Nexus from the laptop. Is this how it works or am I missing something?
Secondly, I've taken one of my genuine DVDs and converted using Freemake Video Converter selecting MPEG4 in the Android presets. The output file (.mp4 extension) of 1.58GB plays fine in VLC. When I try and transfer to the Movies folder, I get an error saying that the file format is not supported. I thought that file format should be ok? Any ideas?
Thanks!
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Comments
i cant even remember what formats the stock player handles but try rockplayer from the google play store (its free). it plays pretty much anything .....
I have a nexus 7.
Oddly it does not show up as mass storage, instead it shows up as a music player and a camera.
In XP windows will try to synchronize to it, hence why you cant view whats in it.
in vista/7/8 you can browse the music player as if it were mass storage.
hope this helps
when you take a photo or download an image from t'internet the gallery refresh system function is called. but if you transfer files manually or even more so delete them manually. this doesn't happen.
there is an app called gallery refresh:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tristarapps.tools.galleryrefresh
that does this.
mx player is very good.
when you transfer to any media device windows will warn you that the file 'may not be compatible' - windows will issue this warning for any media file. mp3, mp4 whatever. just ignore it. windows has no idea what it can play.
but the stock android player is still not great. mx player is very good.
I've put a file manager app on the Nexus now. I can see the images and some music in the directories on the device. Windows Explorer just shows the directories as empty though. Something else that's confusing me is that I've installed the Kindle App, can see the Kindle directory on the Nexus, but the directory doesn't show on the laptop so I can't see how I can copy books to the Nexus ths way.
I'm thinking that using Google Drive, Dropbox or similar may be the way to go.
There should be an option to dismiss or ignore the warning or something like that. I don't have xp so I can't see it.
Note: Although I’ve had this issue arose a Nexus 7, I suspect similar issues (and solutions) apply to other Android devices.
Having researched this issue, I’ve come up with the following.
BACKGROUND
Note that this is a crude summary of a complex area just to give the flavour of the problem.
Now, as mentioned above the Nexus does not appear as Removable USB Storage (e.g. a disk or facsimile thereof) in Windows Explorer and is not serviced using the same protocols. Instead MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) is used. With USB disks and the like Windows takes control of the device (e.g. a USB Flash drive), but with MTP Windows does not take control of the device. This is for three good reasons. Firstly the Nexus is a live computer plugged in to a USB port and so Windows cannot take exclusive ownership. Secondly, the storage made available for access externally by the Nexus (via the USB port) is just a segment of its overall storage that the Nexus is exposing externally (i.e. it is not a discrete physical or logical disk inside the Nexus). Thirdly the Nexus storage structure is not native to Windows (i.e. not FAT16, FAT32 or NTFS).
So, to safely allow file copies and the like, MTP allows Windows (as the Initiator) to send requests and data (the files) to the Nexus (as the Responder) for the Nexus to do the necessary disk / file actions under its control.
The issue in transferring non-media files across is hinted at in the name of MTP itself (MEDIA Transfer Protocol). And it is Windows that is preventing the transfer (i.e. it believes that non-media files should not be allowed to go across), not the Nexus blocking the files.
SOLUTION(S)
As far as I know this issue is constrained to certain versions of Windows and Windows Media Player (there’s that word media again). In my case I am running Windows XP with WMP10. I am given to believe that upgrading to WMP11 should circumvent the issue. More information is available in the MTP Responder Development Guide http://www.microsoft.com/windowsembedded/en-us/develop/CE-MTP-Responder-Development-Guide.aspx in particular “File Transfer Messages” at the end of p28 and the table at the start of p29.
BUT there is an easier solution (as long as it is not too many files). Before copying simply rename the files to be transferred to an acceptable media type (e.g. rename manual.pdf to manual.mp3), then transfer the files across and then rename them back on the Nexus (e.g. manual.mp3 to manual.pdf). To make it easier to transfer a large number of files it is possible to zip them up and transfer the zip file (again using the rename method outlined) and unzip on the Nexus.
Note that to facilitate the renaming on the Nexus a suitable app (e.g. equivalent of Windows Explorer) needs to be installed to access the folders on the Nexus. I use ES File Explorer, but there are a number of similar apps available.
It should also be noted that only data files that are portable betweens system such as Windows and Linux should be transferred. In this context, the likes of PDF, MP3, DOC, PPT are portable, whereas the likes of EXE and DLL are not.
Two further alternatives to the above:
1. use a service such as DropBox to upload the files from a PC to the cloud and then download on to the Nexus (after first installing the DropBox app).
2. buy a USB OTG cable and download a UBS OTG app (e.g. Nexus Media Importer) to facilitate connecting a flash drive directly to the Nexus.