Storage details - other category

[Dragule]

What about the "Other" storage section ?

Hello

First of all, sorry if I make some mistakes, I'm french so I don't speak english as well as a native ^^

Let's get started:
Got my Lumia 820 as a Christmas present, and I'm really satisfied of it. Cool phone etc.

BUT something still bothers me.
You may have already noticed the presence of an "Other" section in the storage parameters.


("autres" is the french for "other")

Mine currently weighs "only" 650MB cause I did reset my phone a few hours ago.

This section grows when you install apps, or use them.
It contains cache files, and other things. Actually, it contains everything that is not either music, videos, pictures, or apps root files.
Following the Microsoft Support, it also contains some app datas.

The matter about this section, is that it grows, but doesn't decrease.
For example:
You install a 150MB app. Other will grow by 50MB (it is an example, I don't know about that)
When you delete the app, Other won't return to 0MB, it will actually weighs around 40MB (I did test with Galaga Legions DX, and other apps)
But, if you install the same app again, Other will just go from 40MB to 50MB.

It seems like some files stay on the phone, and can be used again if you install the app a second time.

What bothers me is that we have no way to clean it. So it doesn't stop growing.
Apparently, the only way to delete these files is to reset the phone.

And this is what we can find on the web:

(from this thread).

A 10GB Other section, in a nearly empty phone.


So we were speaking about this issue on the Microsoft Community forums, and someone suggested to post a thread here, and that's why I did so ^^

What's your point of view about that issue ?
I really feel concerned about this, and I hope it will be either fixed or explained in the next days.

I did contact Microsoft Support by Twitter, but they don't seem to know anything about this.
Anyway, they will ask the dev team for more information

We will talk with our team to see if we can get any info regarding this. ^EB

I will keep you informed

Thanks for reading, and now, discuss !


tl;dr >>> The Other storage section doesn't stop growing, and never decrease. We can't delete what is in, except by resetting the phone. Made this thread to explain what we know, what we don't know, and discuss about it

 

[zakkforchilli]

(edit) correcting myself, my other section has 5GB. Deleted all map files, IE10 temp, and it only killed half a gig. As of yesterday I think I've randomly gained 5-7 GB... Out of the blue this is ridic.

 

[Dragule]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

I was actually hoping to have more than one response

Does anybody got an idea of what we can do ?
Does someone contacted MS Support, or Nokia/HTC ?
Do you want to add anything to what I said in the original post ?

 

[ImAdrian23]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

I was actually hoping to have more than one reply

Does anybody got an idea of what we can do ?
Does someone contacted MS Support, or Nokia/HTC ?
Do you want to add anything to what I said in the original post ?

We can wait for Microsoft's response.
I didn't and it would be in vain as I live in Romania where WP barely has any marketshare (although I've seen tons of Lumia 800 in mall).
Sometimes my other grows sometimes it decreases. ATM is 1.83GB which is a lot though... But I don't bother myself, YET, as I still have 7,24GB left and I'm sure Microsoft will enlighten us.

 

[tcedwards]

Yea its a problem, but all we can do is let our voices be heard and wait for a fix

 

[narv]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

took me a minute to even find this on my phone (lumia 920). I got my phone about 4 weeks ago and my other is at 2GB. I do have a ton of apps and games though... hmm.. I have 23 GB free right now so I don't mind too much but I could see how it could get annoying to see a lot of space used up and you're not sure why..

for anyone looking that didn't find it at first like me, it's settings -> phone storage -> phone not to be confused with settings -> phone

 

[Florin Nitulescu]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

I'm pretty sure everybody has this problem.
I am a proudly owner of a new HTC 8S and I'm afraid I will not be able to use the device much longer due to the "other" storage wich keeps getting bigger.
At 2Gb of internal storage, my "other" folder now weights 1.3Gb, leaving me with 400Mb of free memory.
That is insane and stupid! :eck: :angry:

Even with an 8Gb SD card, it doesn't make any difference because other than photos, music and videos, nothing else is stored on the SD.

I REALLY HOPE MICROSOFT READS THIS THREAD & don't let us abandon the WP platform, because I really want to "stay".

 

[Dragule]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

I will stay too, cause I can't change my phone every month ^^

But yes, everybody has this issue. It's due to WP8.
I'd like MS to read and answer our questions too, but I guess we have to show them it is a real issue, and it's important to fix it asap !

I did link this thread to the Windows Phone support on Twitter, but they just said

Regarding the orignal post, it most likely be the preloaded apps data.

I guess MS is already aware of this issue, because more and more people are discovering it, but I think that they have to react quickly, before every single user see their phone totally filled with invisible datas.

That's my thought about it

 

[Quinn Damerell]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

Developer of Baconit here:

As far as I understand from being a developer, the “other” section is used for apps and the app storage as you guys have suggested. However, when you delete an app the entire app and its files are deleted from the phone including all cache and settings files. What you are seeing is that even though the system removes all of the data, it can’t reclaim all of the previously allocated room from the app as free space. I believe that the next time you install an app it will install into the space that was left from the old app and not add to “other” space unless the new app is larger than the old app.

That said, I think they only way to completely clear the “other” section is to factory reset your phone.

Again, this is just my understanding from what I have seen being a dev.

 

[Dragule]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

I believe that the next time you install an app it will install into the space that was left from the old app and not add to “other” space unless the new app is larger than the old app.

I did not think about it, I will give it a try


EDIT: That's wrong
Here is what I did:
I initialy got a 792.25MB Other folder.
I installed the game Gun Bros (187MB). Other went to 988.92MB.
When I uninstalled the game, Other decreased to 981.93MB.
Then, I installed the game Sudoku (15MB). Check Other: 1002.11MB :'(
I uninstalled Sudoku, and my Other is now weighing 998.22MB.

So nope, Other storage section is still a complete mystery ^^'

 

[spaulagain]

^it may not install over that space until space is limited and needs to use that space because no "free" space is available.

File systems work in weird ways like that.

 

[blegate]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

Interesting to see this issue as it reminds me of the android launch 4 years ago. At that time the t-mobile g1 had a similar issue and it was addressed in an update. My nokia 810 'other' folder is currently at 2.17gb. Last night it was at 2.33. After reading this post and researching, I changed the sync option on my Email accounts from 7 days to 3. In addition, I cleared out the cache in IE. I think everyone if right about what the folder contents are within but the mystery of why it doesn't reclaim space once apps, etc. are uninstalled should be answered. Or at least an explanation of how it works.

My wife just activated her 810 yesterday and as of last night the 'other' folder is 1.1gb. This is after several apps were downloaded/updated, two maps installed and customization, etc. etc. I'm monitoring what is installed on the phone. Lets keep this post alive until some reasonable response is given from MS. Someone out there knows....


Also everyone rate this thread 'Excellent'

 

[Dragule]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

it may not install over that space until space is limited and needs to use that space because no "free" space is available..

It could have been right indeed, but actually, some people have their phone filled with the Other folder, and can't install any app anymore, because of the lack of free space.
I can't attest to this, but it is what I read on the internet

 

[klkriz]

Hopefully that's the case, that it will start using the space as needed. I have 6.85 GB of "Other" ...and 1.3 GB free space. So I should find out soon...
(16gb HTC 8x)

 

[blegate]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

Been watching and experimenting with my phone. Shot a movie ~ about 3 min and noticed the "other" folder went from 2.18 to 2.56gb. Thought this was odd considering I have an SD card installed with the phone configured to save to SD...read on.... Went to show someone the video and noticed uploads were pending since I had batter saver on (expected). Once 'battery saver' was turned off the upload to skydrive started. After the transfer my "other" dropped to 2.16gb. So files pending upload to skydrive are temporary stored in "other" until the transfer is complete. Tested this out twice.

That's one thing "other" does..... I suppose if you don't have skydrive enabled would this pose issues?

Update - The pending was not the video but rather photos in the queue to be uploaded to skydrive.


Update. attempted to "tap and send" a video to my wifes Nokia 810 but it didn't work. Looked like it was going to but then reverted back to the video. Attempted this twice. Now my "other" went from 2.16 to 3.30GB. I'm unable to clear it.

 

[Doug Miller1]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

my phone is showing 6gb of OTHER....lol. I have no videos or pictures on the phone. Just a few apps??? WTF???

 

[blegate]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

So after a "Reset" and restore my "Other" is at 1.25GB and it appears all apps are installed.

So it appears the "Other" is a mystery of sorts. My test with the "Tap and Send" of a large video >1GB failed to transmit (as expected) which resulted in the "other" folder increasing from 2.16 to 3.30GB- which I was unable to clear. I have to believe the OS is preparing the transfer the file for "tap and send" transmission (or via Bluetooth); however, it could not transfer (due to the size of the file) which resulted in this large file sitting in a temp transfer directory with no place to go. Reboots, cache wipes, etc. didn't clear it.

I'll keep playing around with this.

 

[klkriz]

Earlier today I tried loading my phone up to see what would happen when I used up "available" space. I had 1.3 GB "free space" and 6.85 GB of "other". So I loaded random apps and took a few videos till I had just a couple hundred MB left in "free space". My phone slowed down, had a couple of freezy pauses, but didn't fully crash, it recovered. When I checked again, it had taken at least 2 GB from "other" and put it into "free space".

 

[Dragule]

Re: What about the "Other" storage section ?

So, is the mystery finally solved ?

According to blegate, Other is where files are prepared to be sent, either to SkyDrive or other ways.
When they are sent, space is freed in Other.

According to klkriz, when the phone need more space, it automatically delete those files to free some space.

So now, let's enable SkyDrive save. I'll see what will it do ^^


EDIT: Well, nope, it didn't do anything to my Other, even after pressing the Save now button (talking about the apps settings save).
I don't get any photos to sync, just some pictures that I transfered from my PC. My Other folder currently weighs around 1GB.


EDIT2: A large part of Other is actually reserved to apps. When we install or use apps, it fills Other. Is there anything to sync with those apps ? It is maybe a way to clean it, by saving all the thing that are in. But except the settings that we can save into the cloud (it made my Other drops from 1014MB to 1013MB), is it anything else ?

 

[Urobe73]

I found another piece for the never ending puzzle of the "Other" storage issue:

I own a Nokia 820 (i like it!) with 8GB of internal memory, 2GB of this used by the OS.

I bought a 32GB microSD and copied 13GB of photos in 480 folders on the card (maybe insane but otherwise why is there the possibility of having 32GB SD card?) ... done with normal Windows explorer copy, not with W8 app.

After entering the card to the phone the Photo Hub comes up with a small update message on top, this tooks 2-3 hours and during this process the "Other" slowly fills up. I started after a factory reset (to be sure) with 400MB in "Other". After the updating process it uses nearly 4GB. So only having that much photos on an SD card cost you more than 3GB of internal memory!!

I think it's for caching the preview images in the Photo Hub, but why do we have the SD card. It should be clear that users fill them up with pictures, videos and music.

In my case together with some Nokia offline maps, a big Exchange mail account and some apps my memory reaches the 8GB ... and that's it! Not even possible to take phone calls anymore!!

Can anyone confirm?