[SM-T825/T820] Re-Activate adoptable storage

[Ch3ck3rM0n]

Hello together,

due to the fact that samsung is ennoying us with low memory on their galaxy devices and the new political decision to remove the adoptable storage function from android, I wanted to fix this.

I have tried different ways like using XPOSED FRAMEWORK including the OBB2SD or the XINTERNAL SD modul. All this ways work, but all of that need many manually doings (copy files ...) at the end of installations.

Because I am a lazy person, I searched for a configuration that makes it easy and more automatical and I found it:

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-s/general/patch-adoptable-storage-enabler-t3460478

How to / my installation process:
- Install TWRP like refered in a other thread
- Root your device if wanted with SuperSU 2.82 (stable) ---> Directdownload
- Install adoptable_storage_enabler_ashyx
- Install no-verity-no-encrypt_ashyx (think not needed, but I try to stay save)
- Reboot device and have a look at the notification bar, a popup "new sd card detected"

- Follow the introductions after clicking on the notification and format your "new" sd card as internal storage.

- After formating you are done and your sd card will be used as internal storage --> application will be installed automatically on the sd card decided by the system algorithm

- Optional: Move/Migrate existing data via "Settings ---> Device maintenance ---> Storage ---> Storage Settings (three dots) ---> SD card ---> Migrate Data (three dots)"

Greetz,
CM

 

[Borsheck]

I have several quick questions:
1. Do you have a rooted SM-T820?
2. Did you format a your SD Card as portable, then removed it from your SM-T820 prior to installing the patch?
3. Have you noticed any performance, reliability, or lock ups?
4. Did you install TWRP from the Play store?

Thanks in advance!

Borsheck

 

[Ch3ck3rM0n]

I have several quick questions:
1. Do you have a rooted SM-T820?
2. Did you format a your SD Card as portable, then removed it from your SM-T820 prior to installing the patch?
3. Have you noticed any performance, reliability, or lock ups?
4. Did you install TWRP from the Play store?

Thanks in advance!

Borsheck

1. No, SM-T825 but the binaries are quite the same and different user in web say it is working on SM-T820.
2. I applied patch (think you mean the samsung -ota- update) before I formated SD Card as internal. Portable is the card at factory "design" and with portable you do not really share the space with the tablet storage and you are not able to install on SD card at adaptoble storage way.
3. The performance in games and apps is the same like from the internal tablet storage loading. Import thing is you will use fast cards (class10, u1, u3, a1). No reliability or lock up issues (from KNOX, ...)
4. I did not install TWRP from Playstore, I used TWRP from asyhx.

 

[Borsheck]

Well, my SM-T820 is now stuck at the flashing white Samsung logo. I've tried flashing TWRP using Odin again, then installing the adoptable_storage_enabler_ashyx, but no go. My SM-T820 is bricked now.

Do you have any ideas on resurrecting it?

Thanks,

Borsheck

 

[Ch3ck3rM0n]

Sounds not like a "softbrick" coming from adoptable storage script. Sounds like the brick I got with flashing magisk for root and xposed for magisk.

Did you root your device and with which root kit?
Did you installed the no-verity-no-encrypt_ashyx script?

Just to say, on me it works only SuperSU 2.82 (stable) ---> Directdownload

How did you flash with ODIN? Only AP or all files (exclude HOME_CSC)?

If nothing works, you can unbrick your tablet with Samsung "Smart Switch" or "KIES". Both worked on my device.

 

[jd1639]

Get the stock firmware and flash it with odin.

Sent from my SM-T820 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

 

[DroidIt!]

Thanks a ton for this. It worked great! Only thing I noticed is that after flashing the mod and then DMverity, I didn't get a prompt about a new SD. So just went to Settings --> Storage and formatted and then it asked me if I wanted to format as Internal and it worked perfect. Just for a heads up if any don't get the prompt.

 

[pfroo40]

Thanks, worked great for me. The reported storage is off, though, is that normal?

 

[ManseEverard]

Will this storage become unusable when the device software is updated?

 

[ashyx]

Will this storage become unusable when the device software is updated?

No.

 

[ManseEverard]

So the adoptable storage won't be made inaccessible by a software update from Samsung?

If a system update turns off adoptable storage will the data be accessible in other ways?

 

[ashyx]

So the adoptable storage won't be made inaccessible by a software update from Samsung?

If a system update turns off adoptable storage will the data be accessible in other ways?

Once your data partition and sdcard are formatted as adoptable it stays that way until you reformat the sdcard.

 

[ManseEverard]

Wonderful. Thank you for your help and all the work you did finding and developing the workaround.

So I installed TWRP and followed the instructions in this thread which let me make the sd card adoptable storage. I then checked to see if normal software updates would be allowed "OTA". It refused to check for software updates and prompted me to reinstall the operating system with Smart Switch. I refreshed the device with smart switch and the previously working adoptable storage sd card became unavailable without a format as portable storage. So the format of the SD card did stay the same but the device refuses to read it on stock software.

 

[DroidIt!]

Wonderful. Thank you for your help and all the work you did finding and developing the workaround.

So I installed TWRP and followed the instructions in this thread which let me make the sd card adoptable storage. I then checked to see if normal software updates would be allowed "OTA". It refused to check for software updates and prompted me to reinstall the operating system with Smart Switch. I refreshed the device with smart switch and the previously working adoptable storage sd card became unavailable without a format as portable storage. So the format of the SD card did stay the same but the device refuses to read it on stock software.

Probably something to do with switching back to stock recovery. Afaik, you need stock system+recovery and I think one other to do OTA on any Android version or device. So when you tried to OTA and it didn't work it's because you had a modified recovery. SD being treated as internal and switching from stock recovery to custom probably broke something the system needed.

 

[ashyx]

Probably something to do with switching back to stock recovery. Afaik, you need stock system+recovery and I think one other to do OTA on any Android version or device. So when you tried to OTA and it didn't work it's because you had a modified recovery. SD being treated as internal and switching from stock recovery to custom probably broke something the system needed.

Did it wipe your data partition (internal storage)?
You should have simply updated with ODIN. That should maintain the adoptable storage.
The adoptable storage patch modifies system files which means OTA's won't work.

 

[king3opobn]

It didn't work for me after flashing, but the adb method used for s7 edge worked perfect

Sent from my SM-G935F using XDA Labs

 

[36dbldz]

I got to twrp hit keep and adjust files at first boot up prior to install, installed adoptable storage and got some red errors. Do I need to click the 2 boxes about signature and reboot prior to install? After that got the softbrick. Then I tried to add the dm verity....no change, then restored in Odin. Then did same thing but did dm verity first......softbrick. I did not root it. Can adoptable file be corrupt?

 

[ashyx]

I got to twrp hit keep and adjust files at first boot up prior to install, installed adoptable storage and got some red errors. Do I need to click the 2 boxes about signature and reboot prior to install? After that got the softbrick. Then I tried to add the dm verity....no change, then restored in Odin. Then did same thing but did dm verity first......softbrick. I did not root it. Can adoptable file be corrupt?

No, pilot error.
After flashing the dmverity patch FORMAT, I'll say that again just for clarity, FORMAT the data partition.

And just one more time in case it isn't clear enough for anyone else....FORMAT the DATA partition.

 

[36dbldz]

Format, OK so where in steps does this take place. As after I installed it was the bootloop. 1st time twrp user

 

[bratac91]

Hello,
I have tried to use this method on my Galaxy Tab S3 (SM-T820) using the latest Update (Security Patch 01/01/18) and it dosen't work. Maybe I did something wrong.
I tried with and without rooting using SuperSU as well as using TWRP with Read Only and Read rights. I only managed to wreck my Tablet three times in a row

If anyone can help me I would be glad.