The Definitive SD Folder Structure

[Qasar324]

Add these folders below to your SD Card to help keep your card clean! My Ally responds perfectly to these folders and to sub-folders inside of these listed.



I found the below information VERY, VERY helpful! Ultimately, the Android Developers' Data Storage page gives this information, but props to User sinebubble quoted on Andriod Forum > Ally | Definitive File Structure with the Definitive File Structure for your SD Card.



sinebubble wrote:

Straight from the horse's mouth:



Data Storage | Android Developers

• Music/ - Media scanner classifies all media found here as user music.
• Podcasts/ - Media scanner classifies all media found here as a podcast.
• Ringtones/ - Media scanner classifies all media found here as a ringtone.
• Alarms/ - Media scanner classifies all media found here as an alarm sound.
• Notifications/ - Media scanner classifies all media found here as a notification sound.
• Pictures/ - All photos (excluding those taken with the camera).
• Movies/ - All movies (excluding those taken with the camcorder).
• Download/ - Miscellaneous downloads.

>>>



I created all these folders onto my SD Card using my computer. I moved all files to the appropriate folder...i.e. I cut and pasted the tracks from soundblaster programs that had saved ringtones in program-created folders and put them into the "Ringtones" folder; I moved folders of Music to "Music," I put pics into "Pictures" etc., and my phone reads them perfectly.



PICTURES (and DOWNLOAD)

When I downloaded from Gmail the jpeg file and pictures went to the "/Download" folder. It was auto-made. I also get things here from Dolphin HD.

I left the jpeg in "/Download" and moved the pictures to "/Pictures." I also added folders of pictures with the computer to see how it responded. The Gallery shortcut from the home screen offers me "/Download" and "/Pictures" AND the sub-folder in Pictures called "/TL pics" was offered on its own with 16 pics inside. So sorting albums will be a breeze! Even better- I kept messing with it and folders inside "/TL Pics" were also shown as solo menu items in the Gallery at least 5-deep. (WhooWho!)



MOVIES

I went to KeedVid.com and entered the URL for a YouTube Video, The Muppets' Bohemian Rhapsody. I downloaded the video as 3GP, FLV and MP4 onto my computer the moved them to "/Movies." FLV didn't work, but then my Computer doesn't even recognize FLV. 3GPP and MP4 worked. The MP4 480x360 video looks and sounds great!! .



The Gallery shortcut offers "Movies," "Pictures," "Download" and "Camera," plus sub-folders. The "Camera" menu is from the DCIM folder. Your Phone will send movies and pictures taken with the phone to "/DCIM" (Digital Camera Images) automatically, so just move them when ready.



MUSIC

I pushed 2 folders over from my computer and I added a lone track to this folder. The Music shortcut on the home screen offers the music I put in "/Music" and sub-folders. Under "Album" in the basic music program I have three options. Each of the two folders with the whole album title are here but they just show a DVD icon, and the lone track is the third. The lone track has album art.** When I hit the lone track it takes me to screen that only lists itself, then hit it again to play.

"Songs" lists them all just as they are titled. The tracks in the folders have "artist unknown" but the lone track states who it is.



I tried to add sub-folders "/Music/Pat Benatar/Album1" and ".../Album2" and each album was listed under Albums in the music player just like when they were a level up.



** An "/Albumthumbs" folder was added to my SD Card.





And finally My ALARMS, RINGTONES and NOTIFICATIONS all come up in the appropriate menus and play as I've assigned. I assume PODCASTS is the same but I have none to which I subscribe.



This Folder Structure info surely helped me! I hope it helps you too.



Q

[Android.net]

Android.net is the premier Android Forum on the internet.

[angelfire123]

Nice guide I know I'll be here to set up this on my micro sd card on Tuesday... does the phone have a built in file manager and explorer system or would I need to use estrongs or oi file manager?

[Qasar324]

You can use ThinkFree that comes with the phone or try apps like "Linda File Manager" or "Astro File Manager" from the Market. Yet, IMO your computer is the easiest way.

[Jump]

Quick note all,...the notification alerts will sound even if the phone is set to silent, or vibrate.

[sierratoucan]

quick question, i know deleting random files/folders can be bad, so how do I go about adding all these folders and dealing with the old ones? Can I delete any? The idea of having folders would be great, but setting it up scares me!

[Qasar324]

I have found folders that have been auto-generated by an App are mostly safe to delete, especially if they have become empty. I figure if the App created the folder in the first place it can do so again, if needed. In the worse case, all you would need to do is uninstall and reinstall the App to get back the file and folder structure the App created.



What a pain to have folders from programs I have long uninstalled, though. Luckily some are straight forwardly named. Unfortunately, some are harder to ID. I have been flipant and probably hasty in deleting folders but I have not had a problem. Some Apps have created folders I have had to Google Search. Some folders were named after the developer company that first wrote the code before the company had been sold 3 times - Seriously. I sometimes was stubborn with some folders and kept deleting them if I couldn't find more information. If they came back after three times I figure I need it- Teehee. I understand though, it was scary at first.



Quite a few folders store thumbnail information. These files are likely marked in your phone as .cache type files or in "Thumb" or "Cache" folders and should be kept unless you have uninstalled the App. But if you do delete these all that happens is the App will reinstall them the next time you use the App. If the App force closes as a direct result, just uninstall and reinstall the App. All those folders will be back.



File Types will be easier to identify depending on which File Manager you are using. I still like Linda File Manager best. I just confirmed it is in the Market again.

[Qasar324]

Addendum! I have found that one App made the folder "Media" on my SD Card and inside added "Media/Audio" and inside Audio was "Media/Audio/Notifications." So I started messing with folders and have found folders in "Media" work the same. Thus adding more clean-up to your SD Card.



Using my computer, I moved my folders called Movies, Music, and Pictures and created a folder named Audio inside the Media folder. I moved the folders Alarms, Notifications and Ringtones to Media/Audio. Everything still works great!



So now my card is even more organized. I now have folders "Download/" and "Media/" and everything else is auto-generated by Apps.

Inside "/Media" I have /Audio, /Music, /Movies, /Pictures.

Inside /Audio I have /Alarms, /Notifications, /Ringtones.

Inside /Music I have each album in it's own folder.

Inside /Pictures I have pictures in folders by event name.



Everything works and is easy to find. It was a breeze using the computer! Just move the folders.

[sierratoucan]

Is the phone a supergenius, and able to magically know which folder has what? How does that exactly work...forgive my ignorance, i hate technology to be honest

[allyAndroid]

Is the phone a supergenius, and able to magically know which folder has what? How does that exactly work...forgive my ignorance, i hate technology to be honest

Yes it is. It really doesn't matter where your images are, they will show up in your Gallery. I have folders where I downloaded my web pages to the SD Card. The images for my site show up in the Gallery. Example: I have some QR Codes in a folder called Web/allyandroid/barcodes that show up in my gallery. I really wish they wouldn't show up in my Gallery. Same is true for music or notifications.

[amazinz5]

does anyone know what diskcacheindex is? i have 3 files on my sd card that arent in folders and they're bugging me but i wanna make sure theyre not important before i get rid of them.