Any kindle fire (maybe android) experts out there?

**Danno** · 12-04-2017, 03:23 PM

Tech talk jong! (it's not clear where to post technical non-gear questions, some say tech talk, some say here, so Imma post it here)

Kiddo has a kindle fire (kid's edition), and it was running out of space, even though it is 16G and has a 32G microSD in it. When I look at the internal storage, there was a GIANT "other" file that I cannot even select, let alone view/manipulate. Googling confirms that others have this problem, but I cannot find how to fix it, other than a hard reset. I tried deleting some other files to free up at least some space, but this "other" file gets even bigger, as if it's a recycle bin that I can't empty.

So I reset the fire, figuring I'd start from scratch. After resetting, the SD card still had some 28G on it, so I tried to erase that. This all worked on the fire, I now have lots of internal storage, but it didn't work on the SD card; there's now a 28G "Other" file (before, the "Other" file was on the internal storage and the SD card was just all apps and stuff). So I go in from my computer, it looks like files/folders and I erase every goddam file on it, momentarily looks good but the next time I go check it, there's a 28G "other file" right back there. So, is there a way to truly reformat an SD card? Other fix? Or should I just kick down $13 and get a new one (and assume that it won't happen to that card too)?

Ultimately, considering the time I've spent on this, $13 would be money well spent, if it fixes this problem. But I don't want to throw good money after bad.

**MakersTeleMark** · 12-04-2017, 03:29 PM

Can't you just throw the sd card into your laptop and reformat it?

**Danno** · 12-04-2017, 03:57 PM

don't have an sd card reader in my laptop. but that is an option I'm going to look into. when I google "reformat sd card" all I get is "erase sd card", which ain't working.

**MakersTeleMark** · 12-04-2017, 04:01 PM

Is it microSD? If so, throw it in your phone and reformat it.

**Danno** · 12-04-2017, 04:03 PM

it is microsd, but my phone doesn't take them I don't think (Pixel). But I do have an old phone still, may try that, thanks.

**iceman** · 12-04-2017, 04:11 PM

Socks, home stero, kindle fire sd cards...wtf is happening here?

Never mind, I don't care. I do have a question but don't want to start a thread: Has anyone tried Youtube TV? I'm thinking about doing YTV in a guest house scenario, how would you set that up so it was simple for a guest to figure out? Maybe Roku? Answer me here or I swear I'll start another damn thread.

**MakersTeleMark** · 12-04-2017, 04:15 PM

My house doesn't have a YoutubeTV.

**Danno** · 12-04-2017, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by iceman

Socks, home stero, kindle fire sd cards...wtf is happening here?
.

What should we be talking about?

**iceman** · 12-04-2017, 04:26 PM

Youtube TV, duh. Preferably in conjunction with Roku or some other slick alternative.

Was I not clear?

**El Chupacabra** · 12-04-2017, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by Danno

What should we be talking about?

Crawlspaces and that time digitaldeath stuck his head in a fence.

**iceman** · 12-04-2017, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

My house doesn't have a YoutubeTV.

I think it might. Or at least could, for short money.

edit: chromecast is like $30.00, YTV will work with that. You can ditch your cable, use your internet connection and an interface (a kinda fancy one like Roku, or just a simple one, like Chromecast) and say goodbye to cable. and take it with you as you travel. You get 6 accounts for one fee, you can give one each to to your 2.4 kids and still have 3.6 accounts left! For not much money at all, compared to cable. Theoretically.

**skaredshtles** · 12-04-2017, 04:30 PM

Throw it away. Buy new Kindle. Or something else.

**MakersTeleMark** · 12-04-2017, 04:32 PM

Danno:

If you have a digital camera, that might work too to wipe the card.

**Danno** · 12-04-2017, 04:34 PM

Good idea

**El Chupacabra** · 12-04-2017, 04:34 PM

Can you plug the Kindle into your PC with a USB cable, and then format the SD card while it is installed in the Kindle?

**Danno** · 12-04-2017, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by El Chupacabra

Can you plug the Kindle into your PC with a USB cable, and then format the SD card while it is installed in the Kindle?

I tried that, it's how I "deleted" the files (or tried in any event) in the first place, but couldn't see a format option.

**iceman** · 12-04-2017, 04:39 PM

I see this effort is failing.

**Danno** · 12-04-2017, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by Danno

it is microsd, but my phone doesn't take them I don't think (Pixel). But I do have an old phone still, may try that, thanks.

and, this didn't work. Put it in the phone, chose format, and the files were still there. Went into the file manager, deleted the files, looked good, chose format again, and voila, there's about 4G free on a 32G sd card.

**Harry** · 12-04-2017, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

Can't you just throw the sd card into your laptop and reformat it?

Originally Posted by Danno

don't have an sd card reader in my laptop.

I bought one of these for under 10$ at Best Buy. Plugs into USB port on my laptop and accepts several sizes of SD cards. Easy peezy.

**MakersTeleMark** · 12-04-2017, 08:20 PM

Shoot the hostage.

**digitaldeath** · 12-04-2017, 08:24 PM

Gotta have nice kindling to start a fire. Look for small twigs and dry bark. Try that

**Danno** · 12-04-2017, 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

Shoot the hostage.

I'm about to, and nuke from orbit just to be sure.

**Danno** · 12-05-2017, 08:33 PM

so, had a card reader on my laptop, tried to format it. No go, said it couldn't complete the format. Grrrr. So I am just gonna buy a $13 card, hope it works.

**zartagen** · 12-05-2017, 09:55 PM

Sounds like the SD card was just DOA. I had one that also wouldn't format. Nothing I could do as it was out of warranty. Hope a new card works for you.