Solved! 20 Gigs of Data in my internal memory?

[lucianolupini.lupini]

I have 32 Gigs of internal storage, it says that 29 Gigs are used.

All of my apps, photos and videos are stored in my external Sd 16 gb card. I have 173 apps installed, all of which I downloaded to my external Sd card, which has 3.10 gb used of 15.93 gb.

My default write disk, is my Sd card.

The app DiskInfo says that I have, in my internal drive, 19.7 GB of Data in my internal storage. In the /data mount.

I have tried clearing all my caches via the settings option, and checked the folder DiskInfo says it's full of cache data, and there's none. Nothing in those folders. I have tried all the other solutions in other posts but none have worked.

How can I erase that data, and keep that from happening again?

 

[webworkings]

There is always things on a device that we don't have access to or notice. Plus devices tend to mess with the numbers. Like listing a GB as 1000 MB when it is actually 1024. Don't get me started.

The only way to fully remove anything that is removable would be to "Hard Reset" the device, but that would mean saving all your personal stuff (photos, contacts, music, etc.) to another location (cloud account, google account, computer, etc.) and then wiping the phone and letting it start over fresh. NOTE: It would also mean losing all apps as those can't be backed up or saved. Were you to leave the ones that are on the SD card as they are, then you would not have access to them anyway after and would have to wipe the card.

NOTE: Doing this will clear 'all' the data on your phone, so it is suggested you not choose this option unless you have to, or aren't worried about losing anything on the device.

Be sure you back up any data you want to keep, to a computer or cloud account, before doing the reset.


To "Hard Reset" the phone...

1. Make sure that the phone is actually powered off.

2. Remove your SD card, if there is one in the device.

3. Press the "Power" and the "Volume Up" buttons, together, until you see the start-up logo on the screen.

4. Once you can see the logo, release the buttons and allow the device to enter the "System Recovery Mode".

5. Next use "Volume Down" button to get to the "wipe data/factory reset" option.

6. When in recovery mode the "Volume Up" and "Volume Down" buttons are how to can navigate and highlight what option you need.

7. Once you have selected the "wipe data/factory reset", press the "Power" button to select that option.

8. On the following screen, repeatedly press the "Volume Down" button until the "Yes - delete all user data" option is what is selected.

9. Then press the "Power" button to hard reset the phone.

10. If you took your SD card out in step 2, when the device is up and running again, reinsert the SD card.

 

[webworkings]

There is always things on a device that we don't have access to or notice. Plus devices tend to mess with the numbers. Like listing a GB as 1000 MB when it is actually 1024. Don't get me started.

The only way to fully remove anything that is removable would be to "Hard Reset" the device, but that would mean saving all your personal stuff (photos, contacts, music, etc.) to another location (cloud account, google account, computer, etc.) and then wiping the phone and letting it start over fresh. NOTE: It would also mean losing all apps as those can't be backed up or saved. Were you to leave the ones that are on the SD card as they are, then you would not have access to them anyway after and would have to wipe the card.

NOTE: Doing this will clear 'all' the data on your phone, so it is suggested you not choose this option unless you have to, or aren't worried about losing anything on the device.

Be sure you back up any data you want to keep, to a computer or cloud account, before doing the reset.


To "Hard Reset" the phone...

1. Make sure that the phone is actually powered off.

2. Remove your SD card, if there is one in the device.

3. Press the "Power" and the "Volume Up" buttons, together, until you see the start-up logo on the screen.

4. Once you can see the logo, release the buttons and allow the device to enter the "System Recovery Mode".

5. Next use "Volume Down" button to get to the "wipe data/factory reset" option.

6. When in recovery mode the "Volume Up" and "Volume Down" buttons are how to can navigate and highlight what option you need.

7. Once you have selected the "wipe data/factory reset", press the "Power" button to select that option.

8. On the following screen, repeatedly press the "Volume Down" button until the "Yes - delete all user data" option is what is selected.

9. Then press the "Power" button to hard reset the phone.

10. If you took your SD card out in step 2, when the device is up and running again, reinsert the SD card.

 

[lucianolupini.lupini]

Thanks for the response webworkings.

When I try to enter the recovery mode menu, it vibrates 3 times, and stops, and then vibrates 3 times and so on. It doesn't turn on until I stop pressing the power button. I have tried other button combinations but they don't work.

I tried to enter recovery mode and to try the option "Erase Cache" but I can't access that menu. I'm using an Xperia G3121. I have once before Hard Reset this phone from the Options App.

 

[webworkings]

There may well be the option to do a full "Hard Reset" in the "Settings" of the phone. Some have it, some don't. Where as most have the option to do the kind of reset that leaves personal data, which really is not so great of an option.

Have you tried connecting the device to a computer and checking the data on it from there? You may get better information on it through there.

 

[lucianolupini.lupini]

There may well be the option to do a full "Hard Reset" in the "Settings" of the phone. Some have it, some don't. Where as most have the option to do the kind of reset that leaves personal data, which really is not so great of an option.

Have you tried connecting the device to a computer and checking the data on it from there? You may get better information on it through there.

Yep. I checked it with the Xperia Companion, the software from Sony. I'm trying to get to the Recovery Menu because from what I have read, It might be Data that was left from the last time I did an update. I have the link somewhere.

The option is called some like "Erase Data Cache". But I have tried every button combination and have read dozens of tutorials but can't get to that menu.

I think if I do a reset from the App settings it won't be as effective

I mean, I literally have less than 1 Gb in my internal memory phone (a couple of Pics and a Vid) and it's taking 19 Gigs. It's very frustrating.

 

[webworkings]

I didn't actually mean their software. I just meant connecting it to a computer and using the computer (no phone related software) to check it for viruses, malware, spyware, files, etc. The things you can do on a computer, and the programs you can run, will usually check more than the phone versions.

Yeah that is rather odd, the missing space. Not like it is a small amount either.

 

[lucianolupini.lupini]

That's sounds like a good course of action. Will try it and post the results.