Where Are My Documents?

[Joshua Jackson]

So, I connected my new HTC 8X to my computer and started transferring files over.
I sent PDFs and EPUBs to \Documents, MP3s to \Music, pictures to \Pictures, and ringtones to \Ringtones.
That all seems pretty logical.
Then I installed Microsoft PDF Reader and couldn't find my PDFs, anywhere.
Then I installed Freda and couldn't find my EPUBs.
I transferred them to SkyDrive and deleted the files from \Documents.
Now I can see them with PDF Reader and Freda.
Of course, opening a 20+MB PDFs and EPUBs over cellular service takes a while, so I opted to download them from SkyDrive to the phone.
So, I can now access the files on the phone, but they aren't visible on the computer (in \Documents, as I would have expected).
I can see my pictures and MP3s on the phone and on the computer, so what's up with PDFs and EPUBs?
JJ

 

[Abhik Chatterjee]

HI, you can see all your documents from the Office hub on your phone. Just tap "Office" and navigate to the documents section.

 

[Joshua Jackson]

Hmmm...
I don't see them, there.
To check, I even went to SkyDrive, again, and downloaded the PDF (I can only download the PDF from SkyDrive, not the EPUB).
Also, I opened Freda and made sure that I downloaded the EPUB.
Office tile - Places - Phone...
All I see are the sample documents.
When I view \Documents on my computer, there are 0 files.
JJ

 

[Abhik Chatterjee]

Here is what I did:
-> Connected by Lumia 920 to the PC
-> Copied a pdf from desktop to the \Documents folder (of my phone) which showed up on windows explorer.
-> Ejected the phone(just to ensure it had transferred)
->Opened Office (from my phone)
->Upon opening 4 lists come up: phone,email,SkyDrive and Office 365. (Just below where phone is displayed, you can see "documents on your phone" describing the contents inside phone)
->Click(or touch if you prefer) phone
->I saw the pdf I had transferred, a sample word document, a sample presentation and a sample spreadsheet.

Let me know if this doesn't work for you.

 

[Joshua Jackson]

Here is what I did:
-> Connected by Lumia 920 to the PC
-> Copied a pdf from desktop to the \Documents folder (of my phone) which showed up on windows explorer.
-> Ejected the phone(just to ensure it had transferred)
->Opened Office (from my phone)
->Upon opening 4 lists come up: phone,email,SkyDrive and Office 365. (Just below where phone is displayed, you can see "documents on your phone" describing the contents inside phone)
->Click(or touch if you prefer) phone
->I saw the pdf I had transferred, a sample word document, a sample presentation and a sample spreadsheet.

Let me know if this doesn't work for you.

But can you see that PDF within Microsoft PDF Reader?
Those are the steps that I did, at the beginning, but PDF Reader couldn't see it.
I can't do that, currently, as I'm as work.
I did not look in Office, at that point, but my PDF is not currently visible within Office (even though I downloaded it from SkyDrive within Office).
JJ

 

[Abhik Chatterjee]

Yes, I can't see it by opening Microsoft PDF Reader either. But from inside Office hub, when I try to open it, it opens in the pdf reader. ( I haven't tried uploading an downloading anything using SkyDrive till now).

 

[Joshua Jackson]

Yes, I can't see it by opening Microsoft PDF Reader either.

"Eh-heh" (with Jewish inflection).
Hehehe...
Coming To America, anyone?
And I'm guessing that, if you put an EPUB in \Documents, you wouldn't be able to see it with Freda, either.
JJ

 

[Abhik Chatterjee]

I am not quite sure what you mean....

 

[Joshua Jackson]

I am not quite sure what you mean....

It was a quote from Coming To America.
I thought it was worth including.
I just put three files (.pdf, .epub. and .mobi) in \Documents from my computer.
I can see the .pdf (at least I'm assuming it's the .pdf - I can't see an extension) within Office and it opens with Microsoft PDF Reader.
I can't see the .epub or .mobi in Office.
I can't open the .pdf within PDF Reader.
I can't open the .epub within Freda.

So, it goes back to my initial question...
Why can't programs access \Documents.
And, when I download the files, where do they go?
I'm not so much asking "How do I open the files I downloaded", but "Where in the phone's file system are they".
I should be able to manage documents the same way I can manager music and pictures.
JJ

 

[Abhik Chatterjee]

Oh, no idea about that!! Guess, we have to dig our way further....

 

[Joshua Jackson]

One more point...
I put a .avi and a .mp4 in \Videos and it showed right up within XBOX Music+Videos.
I don't get the \Documents issue.
And I still can't find the actual files that I downloaded from SkyDrive or Freda.
JJ

 

[PG2G]

Regarding Freda, is it a Windows Phone 8 app? In WP7 we didn't have access to the file system to add and remove files. In addition, apps could only store files within their app specific folders (which is likely where your epub download went). I'm guessing Freda is going to need to be updated to know to actually look for epub files in the Documents folder. I'm not sure whether SkyDrive has been updated for Windows Phone 8 or not.

 

[Joshua Jackson]

Regarding Freda, is it a Windows Phone 8 app? In WP7 we didn't have access to the file system to add and remove files. In addition, apps could only store files within their app specific folders (which is likely where your epub download went). I'm guessing Freda is going to need to be updated to know to actually look for epub files in the Documents folder. I'm not sure whether SkyDrive has been updated for Windows Phone 8 or not.

Oh, I guess I'm not sure.
I read about multiple apps missing from Store for Windows Phone 8 devices and that they were being recompiled, or whatever, for the new phones.
I guess I just assumed that, if it was there, it was a Windows Phone 8 app.
Maybe that's not the case.
You may have hit the nail right on the head.
JJ

 

[PG2G]

Yeah, even if it has been recompiled to run on Windows Phone 8, it needs an actual software update to take advantage of any of the new Windows Phone 8 features. Hopefully it'll get an update soon. Microsoft was pretty stingy with the Windows Phone 8 SDK (releasing it to the public in late October) so I'm sure stuff is in works.

 

[Joshua Jackson]

I tried almost every (if not every) free epub reader in Store and not a single one read \Documents.
Not a single one saved the downloaded file to \Documents.
I'm guessing it's a hold-over from the Windows Phone 7 system.
JJ

 

[khampton]

I have heard that Freda recognition of local Windows Phone 8 storage is planned. I am just happy to know it works on WP8 at all.

 

[Joshua Jackson]

BTW...
I've been using Legimi, for the past few days, and I might like it more than Freda.
I used Freda on my Windows Mobile phone, but it's a little blas? for my new Windows Phone 8 phone (I hate saying that).
JJ

 

[Jim Chapman]

I have heard that Freda recognition of local Windows Phone 8 storage is planned. I am just happy to know it works on WP8 at all.

Planned, but it will probably take another month or two to arrive.

 

[Joshua Jackson]

Hmmm...
I just transferred some mp3 files from my old phone to my new one over Bluetooth.
I can't find them, now.
Sent from my Verizon HTC 8X using Board Express

 

[bhargavakartheek]

Hey Abhishek,
I have copied pdf files and have went through same process but I'm unable to find the files in that window.