Upgrading SD Card - Keeping all content from original SD

[#1]

I recently purchased an xperia play, thank you sony ericsson, finally a semi dedicated gaming phone (More games and a better link to PSN would be great). I searched for a thread that had my specific question, but I was unable to find one, so here goes.

Issue

The 8gb sd card that came with it and my need to upgrade to a 32gb sd card.

Now, it is all well and good to have an expandable memory slot, but not being able to copy your content without it being corrupted or unusable is ludicrous and rather shameful of you sony ericsson.

Attempts to upgrade

Be mindful that I did copy all the apps to the phone, until it started saying “Failed to move application. There is not enough storage left.”

I have tried two different ways:

1. Copy content from sd in the phone to the new sd card (show hidden files was on) –via pc, which has windows 7 and using windows explorer only to move folders and files.

            - All the data (7.2 Gb) came across

            - Swapped cards

            - Turn on the phone

            - PSN App is on the first screen, no picture and something along the lines of “unable to find application” or something very similar, if you choose to use it – can’t repeat this one … more on that later.

            - Tried some of the games, all the EA Games … didn’t want to know about it, same message as above and crash bandicoot …. Yep you guessed it, same as the EA games.

            - Music – pretty simple, it’s in a folder and the program should pick it up (Winamp is ok – but that didn’t even work)… using the default music player, I started it up … nothing … except a little ring in the bottom left hand corner, it was surching for content  …. Fine you say, well not really. When I started it up, it picked up all my music, thumbs up … it also picked up all of the voice acting that was related to dead space and need for speed, the only two I could find before I realised - "whats the point?"

I just gave up and swapped the cards back – everything back to normal – still only have 200 mb left on the old card.

2. Copy the content from the phone to the PC using the PC Companion software and put content in new card (Deleted the other content)

          - Some of the data (2+ Gb)

          - Same apps (mind you there were less with icons this time) - No downloaded apps or games would work

          - Didn't even try the music - it didn't copy it.

Reality

I am a little disappointed, not on the phone (It is a fine piece of phone tech), it is only related to the file management program that you have available and a clear lack of direction for people that just want to upgrade their cards that are obviously too small to handle the data we throw at it.

I did call the sony ericsson help line, they told me that I had done everything I could and that I just need to delete the game folders and re-purchase the games that came with it (Including crash bandicoot – I have it on PS1 and PS3 –I think I have contributed to Sony’s and Naughty Dogs accounts enough on that game), now is the person telling me to get off the phone and that they have better things to do with their  time that they are being paid for or are they just telling me that you can’t upgrade your phone’s EXPANDABLE memory … which is it?

What I would like, is a link to a published document that should be available to everyone that upgrades their expandable (smaller version – two in caps would be overkill) memory on the xperia play and the phone works, the apps work and all the data is still available and no new sounds pop up on the default music player that shouldn't be there.

Some help would be great

[Markus1]

I've never tried doing this (copy all content from one SD card to another). Media files will of course be fine since it's just files (pics, videos, music etc.).

When it comes to apps however I'm not sure.

When you did all this, did you check if there was any hidden folders or files on the 8gb SD card? Make sure to display the hidden files and copy everything and it might work. I have no info saying it should though so I cannot promise it will.

A colleague of mine have sucessfully been able to copy all the save games from some games to a new SD card but he said it's probably down to the app if it's supported or not since it did not work for all his apps/games.

Regarding the answer you got from the SE help line, do you have a reference number of this so I can follow it up?

A purchased game should never have to be bought again. Once you've paid for it the game is yours and you should be able to download it again without any additional costs.

For the Android Market apps you just need to go to Market > Menu button > My apps and you'll find them here. The Gameloft games will be available at your account on Gameloft.

http://www.gameloft.com/my-account

Hope this was helpful. Let me know if I missed anything or if you need any further assistance.

[uliwooly-wooly · Accepted solution]

how about this

on your PC

1) open any folder -> click on tools -> properties -> view -> show hidden files

2) mount your phone with the NEW SD card and delete everything (save any file that you might want to keep)

3) swap SD cards, mount the old SD card, go to your SD card, press Ctrl + A then Ctrl C, on your desktop create a new folder, open it, then press CTRL + V

4) swap SD cards, mount the new SD card, open the folder you just created, press Ctrl + A then Ctrl C, open your SD card, Ctrl + V

[#4]

Firstly, thank you to both of you for attempting to assist.

Both of you mention showing hidden files, I have this on as default on my PC, it's easier to play. (I did mention this on my original post - first paragraph of point one.)

Anyway, I was hoping for an itunes kind of thing, which is the world I came from, where everything is copied across, even if it is a different device, I also have an iphone and my son has an ipod touch, I swap and upload games to either device, no worries.

Coming to android world, I was hoping it was a little easier than this to copy content, on the same phone.

I will try altering my method to cater to the above suggestions and get back to you guys. Fixing the car today and of to the beach tomorrow, so don't think it will be this weekend.

No offence, but there has to be a better way to manage content on the same phone, if apple can do it, I am sure sony and google can, even with DRM.

[#5]

Thank you

Your method worked.

Now Sony, can you make it easier for users that do not understand what was described in the answer to my problem.

A decent backup option would be good in PC Companion, possibly an SD swap option?

[uliwooly-wooly]

I'm glad I could help

it'll be great if they did but you can always rely on Google for your contacts

[Markus1]

Can't promise anything but I'll pass it on.

Good to hear it's working now.

[sean153]

This method also worked for me, but did you mention something(just one problem for me only),

the picture of the musics are gone

but when i put old sdcard (4GB) back to the phone, the picture appear...

at first i don't care, because this is just a small problem(i think can fix it easily), so i format the old sdcard and give my dad (cuz he need it)

and now i regret, i can see the picture just only if playing the music on my computer[windows7] using windows media player 12, but in my smartphone - Xperia ray, CANNOT, i try using iTag( cover art grabber), but still missing album cover........somebody, please help me.......