Tutorial: Moving Stuff Between Android and PC

[TenCent]

I haven't been around these forums long, but it seems the Top Questions always include:

How do I move music|data|files between my Android and my computer?

Oddly enough, there doesn't seem to be a "definitive" thread on it, so I'm going to share MY methodology, add a couple alternatives and hope that this helps out all the Android newbies that have recently joined The Green Robot Army.

FAQ:

Q. I'm coming from iPhone. What's the difference?

A. iPhone needs iTunes (with some exceptions). Android is a drag and drop device - like a flash drive. You can plug it in, and just copy files over. No "sync software" is usually required. The cage door is open

Q. What if I want iTunes for my Android?

A. Check out Double Twist. It's about as close as you get.

Q. My Nexus Galaxy is an MTP device. What's the difference between this and a most other Android devices?

A. MTP mounts the device on your computer as a "media device". Many OSes will need drivers and when the device shows up, it isn't EXACTLY the same as a regular flash/usb drive. There will be more limitations as to file names, possibly folders, etc. you are allowed to use. If you want the techie details, check here.

Q. Do I have to use a cable to move files to my Android?

A. No. There are dozens of ways to do it. We will look at several.

Second, how *I* personally handle file transfers between my Android and PC.

What You Need:
- File Expert (Free; Market Link)
- Local Network (Android on WiFi on the same network as your PC)
- OPTIONAL: Good file manager (I use Directory Opus - Opus Home)
- OPTIONAL: PC FTP software (Directory Opus has this built in)
- OPTIONAL: HTML5 Web Browser (I use Chrome v17)

Method(s) Used:
- FTP
- HTTP

Skill Level:
Easy

Setting Up
1. Ensure your Android Device is on your local network via WiFi.
2. Open your FTP or HTML5 compatible Web browser on the PC.
3. Download and install File Expert on your Android Device.

We will do FTP method first, then offer the alternative HTTP experience.

Getting Started (FTP)
1. Run File Expert on your Android Device.
2. Select SHARE MY CONTENTS



3. Select START SHARE VIA FTP



4. Take note of the address presented in the pop up window. It will appear something like: ftp://192.168.1.191:2211



5. On your PC, go to your FTP program or open Windows Explorer.

6. Configure your FTP program using the above credentials or enter the address into Windows Explorer's Address Bar.



7. You will be prompted for credentials. Enter:

Username: fe
Password: filexpert

8. Your Android will appear as if it were a folder on your computer!

9. Use this as you would any other folder to drag and drop files to and from your Android.

Note: You can also bookmark/favorite:
ftp://fe:[email protected]:2211

.. that passes your credentials in with the address. Try it.

Getting Started (HTTP)
1. Run File Expert on your Android Device.
2. Select SHARE MY CONTENTS



3. Select START SHARE via Web



4. Take note of the address presented in the pop up window. It will appear something like: http://192.168.1.191:8080



5. On your PC, go to your HTML5 compatible web browser and enter the address from above.



6. Once logged in, you will get a full desktop like environment in your web browser! Open up File Expert to access files, open up Gallery to see your pictures etc.

(linked because it's a big image)
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5...interfacem.png

Note: This web desktop tool uses the context menu a lot (right click your mouse).



ADDENDUM Updated 2/26/2012

1. Change the default folder on your phone

You may not like the "default" sharing location on your device - which is usually to the standard SDCARD mapping on the phone (/mnt/sdcard).

Many devices, while having an SD card slot, don't map the default SDCARD location to the card - they point it to another partition on internal memory (that way, it still works - even if you don't have a real SD card in).

On the Asus Transformer tablet, for example. There are three storage locations:
- Phone Internal Storage
- /mnt/SDCard (which is still just another location of internal memory)
- /Removable/MicroSD (which is the REAL SD card)

File Expert will default to /mnt/SDCard - wherever that might point to. On the ORIGINAL Droid phone, that path actually points to the real SD card; not to some 'fake' internal memory called SDCard.

Fortunately, it's pretty easy to change this.

a. Use File Expert to navigate to whatever folder you want to be the "default sharing folder" (this can be ANY folder on your device - not just an SDCard (real or fake)).

b. LONG PRESS the folder you want to make default.

c. From the popup menu, hit MORE.

d. On the second popup menu, select SET AS DEFAULT SHARING DIR.

At the time of writing, there is a bug in File Expert that will not "recognize" this change immediately. You can see the details of this bug (I submitted it to the FE team) here:

http://www.xageek.com/en/bbs/viewthr...extra=page%3D1

It will also show you a work around. Sorry - this is a pretty new bug and I don't think they even knew it was there. I know that *****. I'm sure they will fix it soon. Hey, maybe you'll like the cool web version better than using FTP.