Update to Android 10 - No writing on external SD

[gemeenteraadslid]

Hi,

same problem as in the past. OS on my Huawei Mate 20 X got update to Android 10. Now TC cannot copy files to ext. SD, or create folders. How to re-gain access?

To be precise, it creates files and folders, but shows error messages. Files are 0 byte.

thx

[ghisler(Author)]

Try adding the SD card via "Add custom location" in the home folder, this should grant you the necessary rights.

[gemeenteraadslid]

Try adding the SD card via "Add custom location" in the home folder, this should grant you the necessary rights.

That's the way, it works, thanks!

[gemeenteraadslid]

Problem is back and I cannot solve it. Also after device restart. And it does not add the SD via "Benutzerdefinierter Ort" any more.

https://youtu.be/q40cSszyJPc

[gemeenteraadslid]

It still does allow to add subfolders of the external SD card via Benutzerdef. Ort.
But no writing there.

[gemeenteraadslid]

OK, I tested another file manager. I allowed access via Storage Access Framework just like in TC. And I used SAF - no more writing.
I love this kind of security made by Google since day one.

It's on Huawei Mate 20 X.

[gemeenteraadslid]

OMG this sounds disgusting.

https://www.xda-developers.com/android-q-storage-access-framework-scoped-storage/amp/

[ghisler(Author)]

This is outdated information. Google postponed access only via SAF to Android R. Android 10/Q still allows access via file system. But write access to SD cards has been SAF only for a few years already, since Android 5.

Re-adding the root of the SD card via "Add custom location" should grant you write access even if it was already added. You can try to remove the card via long tap first if it doesn't work.

[gemeenteraadslid]

Thank you. No, it's not enough to re-add root via SAF. Still no write access, sometimes it works, sometimes not. Same report from someone else in a Huawei facebook group. Will show more in detail this weekend.
Maybe Huawei specific.

[gemeenteraadslid]

Not 100% straightforward, but from my video you can see, write access was impossible for me. Most relevant is 2:01 onwards.
Don't know why video is low res.

https://youtu.be/ImpiDq7UDXE

[gemeenteraadslid]

Still working sporadically. Mostly not. Today I copied big files, halway through the process stopped with a writing error. Now with all subsequent copies the same happens as mentioned before. Write error, but it creates a 0 byte file on sd.

[gemeenteraadslid]

If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

https://youtu.be/GUD-4H2aSU4

[ghisler(Author)]

According to the video, the creation of the file DOES work, so you have granted Total Commander the necessary rights. However, writing to the file then fails with a write error. I cannot say why this happens. The card doesn't seem to be full. It could be an error in the file system.

[gemeenteraadslid]

Thanks, must be something different, for several reasons.

- I extracted the Huawei Nano Sim and did a file system check on Windows. No errors found
- Re-Inserted it, started device, same problem
- Someone else in the Huawei Facebook group mentioned the exact same problem, also that sometimes it does work (and we still do not know, why and when)
- Another 3rd party file manager which I used for testing the issue - has the same issue (Ghost Commander)
- Huawei File manager always works, I had to use this one

Don't know yet what it is, but maybe time will tell.

[gemeenteraadslid]

@C. Ghisler, Du sprichst Deutsch, oder? Here's exactly what some more people are suffering from. Just FYI. The report exactly the same "sometimes it works, sometimes not" behaviour. Some file managers are affected, TC always is, some are not. Really weird.

https://www.android-hilfe.de/forum/huawei-allgemein.467/schreibrechte-auf-nm-speicherkarte-unter-emui-10.934501.html