I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the
phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

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On Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:44:08 +0100, Scott wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the
phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

No real advice, but just be very very careful you have everything.

I made the mistake of using Google to backup my phone. Went to the
backups section, created a fresh one. Checked it was there. Did it again (because I have experience) and there were 2 created that day.

Wiped the phone, logged into my Google account .... no backups shown.

And that, as they say, was that. Cue nearly a week of reinstalling and
(more ball achingly) reactivating all the various apps.

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On 02/07/2025 10:44, Scott wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the
phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

A copy is not a backup. Files are open and being written. Some files are
only accessible to the OS.

Dave

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On Wed, 2 Jul 2025 12:08:23 +0100, David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>
wrote:

On 02/07/2025 10:44, Scott wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the
phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

A copy is not a backup. Files are open and being written. Some files are
only accessible to the OS.

Is this why File Explorer won't let me copy some the content of the
phone? I was using the term 'backup' loosely. I thought if I could
save photos and other data I would be able to retrieve them later if
required. At least I have found the photos but I would be happier to
have an independent [of Google] copy of the address book as well.

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On 02/07/2025 14:01, Scott wrote:

On Wed, 2 Jul 2025 12:08:23 +0100, David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>
wrote:

On 02/07/2025 10:44, Scott wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the
phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

A copy is not a backup. Files are open and being written. Some files are
only accessible to the OS.

Is this why File Explorer won't let me copy some the content of the
phone? I was using the term 'backup' loosely. I thought if I could
save photos and other data I would be able to retrieve them later if required. At least I have found the photos but I would be happier to
have an independent [of Google] copy of the address book as well.

If they are already backed up to you google account, if you go to:-

https://contacts.google.com/

and log in, you see three icons at the top right of the list, a printer,
a down arrow pointing to what I assume is a filing tray, and three
vertical dots.

Click on the middle one and you can download them....

.. if they are only on your phone then go into the "contacts" app, the
three dots, settings, export contacts which gives you a file you can
save on your PC via your USB connection...

Dave

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On Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:24:27 +0100, David Wade wrote:

On 02/07/2025 14:01, Scott wrote:

On Wed, 2 Jul 2025 12:08:23 +0100, David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>
wrote:

On 02/07/2025 10:44, Scott wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the
phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction,
or an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying
a whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

A copy is not a backup. Files are open and being written. Some files
are only accessible to the OS.

Is this why File Explorer won't let me copy some the content of the
phone? I was using the term 'backup' loosely. I thought if I could save
photos and other data I would be able to retrieve them later if
required. At least I have found the photos but I would be happier to
have an independent [of Google] copy of the address book as well.

If they are already backed up to you google account, if you go to:-

https://contacts.google.com/

and log in, you see three icons at the top right of the list, a printer,
a down arrow pointing to what I assume is a filing tray, and three
vertical dots.

Click on the middle one and you can download them....

.. if they are only on your phone then go into the "contacts" app, the
three dots, settings, export contacts which gives you a file you can
save on your PC via your USB connection...

As I said, I tried this, and the backup didn't show when I logged back
into it using exactly the same phone that had been factory reset. Despite
it showing in my Google account on my PC.

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Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the
phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

Unless your phone is rooted, you don't have access to much of apps private
data for security reasons (if you could access it, malware could too). It's down to each app allowing exporting the data somewhere (files or cloud)
which you have to do by hand. Google cloud syncs some data (contacts, calendar, ...) but not all.

'adb backup' is a way to do a partial backup of a phone over USB, but it
only half works and less so on more recent versions: https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/250944/how-to-make-a-full-local-backup-of-my-phone
There are various adb backup frontends too.

It appears you can do an explicit Google (cloud) backup, which may get more than a normal sync:
https://support.google.com/android/answer/2819582?hl=en-GB

Theo

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On 02/07/2025 14:50, Jethro_uk wrote:

On Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:24:27 +0100, David Wade wrote:

On 02/07/2025 14:01, Scott wrote:

On Wed, 2 Jul 2025 12:08:23 +0100, David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>
wrote:

On 02/07/2025 10:44, Scott wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it >>>>> would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the >>>>> phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me >>>>> just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction,
or an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying >>>>> a whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

A copy is not a backup. Files are open and being written. Some files
are only accessible to the OS.

Is this why File Explorer won't let me copy some the content of the
phone? I was using the term 'backup' loosely. I thought if I could save
photos and other data I would be able to retrieve them later if
required. At least I have found the photos but I would be happier to
have an independent [of Google] copy of the address book as well.

If they are already backed up to you google account, if you go to:-

https://contacts.google.com/

and log in, you see three icons at the top right of the list, a printer,
a down arrow pointing to what I assume is a filing tray, and three
vertical dots.

Click on the middle one and you can download them....

.. if they are only on your phone then go into the "contacts" app, the
three dots, settings, export contacts which gives you a file you can
save on your PC via your USB connection...

As I said, I tried this, and the backup didn't show when I logged back
into it using exactly the same phone that had been factory reset. Despite
it showing in my Google account on my PC.

Sorry, I meant "synced" to your google account, rather than backed up.

If you don't want to sync them to google, you can go into the contacts
app on the phone and export as above. This gets the contacts into a VCF
file on your phone which you can copy via USB and re-import to new
phone....

Dave
Dave

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On 02 Jul 2025 16:11:43 +0100 (BST), Theo
<theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the
phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

Unless your phone is rooted, you don't have access to much of apps private >data for security reasons (if you could access it, malware could too). It's >down to each app allowing exporting the data somewhere (files or cloud)
which you have to do by hand. Google cloud syncs some data (contacts, >calendar, ...) but not all.

'adb backup' is a way to do a partial backup of a phone over USB, but it
only half works and less so on more recent versions: >https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/250944/how-to-make-a-full-local-backup-of-my-phone
There are various adb backup frontends too.

It appears you can do an explicit Google (cloud) backup, which may get more >than a normal sync: >https://support.google.com/android/answer/2819582?hl=en-GB

Thanks. This makes sense now that I think about it. I think the
combination of my Google account and the data in my iPad Mini should
probably cover my requirements. My brother observes that what I am
doing is nothing more than what hundreds of thousands of others have
already done.

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On 02/07/2025 10:44, Scott wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the
phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

On my Samsung I cannot see the optional sd card when ftp to the phone

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

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On 02/07/2025 18:34, alan_m wrote:

On 02/07/2025 10:44, Scott wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the
phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

On my Samsung I cannot see the optional sd card when ftp to the phone

use mtp instead.

--
It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. Mark Twain

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On Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:44:08 +0100, Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the
phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

I use "My Phone Explorer" to manage contacts, files, photos, text messages and the/a calendar.

It's not a backup tool, as in "restore a phone to synced state". It has a small app on the phone, and a PC desktop program, and allows copying, syncing etc. of many (but not all) files and program settings.

It's free.


Thomas Prufer

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On Thu, 03 Jul 2025 07:44:31 +0200, Thomas Prufer wrote:

On Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:44:08 +0100, Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it
would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I
changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the >>phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

I use "My Phone Explorer" to manage contacts, files, photos, text messages and
the/a calendar.

It's not a backup tool, as in "restore a phone to synced state". It has a small
app on the phone, and a PC desktop program, and allows copying, syncing etc. of
many (but not all) files and program settings.

It's free.

Thomas Prufer

I've tried that and never suceeded. It always says that there's no 'phone connected. Might be due to using W7.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

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On Thu, 3 Jul 2025 17:55:52 +0100, PeterC <giraffenos.pam@homecall.co.uk> wrote:

On Thu, 03 Jul 2025 07:44:31 +0200, Thomas Prufer wrote:

On Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:44:08 +0100, Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it >>>would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I >>>changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the >>>phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me
just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or
an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a
whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

I use "My Phone Explorer" to manage contacts, files, photos, text messages and
the/a calendar.

It's not a backup tool, as in "restore a phone to synced state". It has a small
app on the phone, and a PC desktop program, and allows copying, syncing etc. of
many (but not all) files and program settings.

It's free.

Thomas Prufer

I've tried that and never suceeded. It always says that there's no 'phone >connected. Might be due to using W7.

I use the WiFi connection. USB cable, bluetooth, or fixed IP also work...

It needs a small app on the phone, and enabling some debugging mode.


Thomas Prufer

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On Fri, 04 Jul 2025 08:29:15 +0200, Thomas Prufer <prufer.public@mnet-online.de.invalid> wrote:

On Thu, 3 Jul 2025 17:55:52 +0100, PeterC <giraffenos.pam@homecall.co.uk> wrote:

On Thu, 03 Jul 2025 07:44:31 +0200, Thomas Prufer wrote:

On Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:44:08 +0100, Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it >>>>would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I >>>>changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the >>>>phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me >>>>just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or >>>>an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a >>>>whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

I use "My Phone Explorer" to manage contacts, files, photos, text messages and
the/a calendar.

It's not a backup tool, as in "restore a phone to synced state". It has a small
app on the phone, and a PC desktop program, and allows copying, syncing etc. of
many (but not all) files and program settings.

It's free.

Thomas Prufer

I've tried that and never suceeded. It always says that there's no 'phone >>connected. Might be due to using W7.

I use the WiFi connection. USB cable, bluetooth, or fixed IP also work...

It needs a small app on the phone, and enabling some debugging mode.

... which amusingly I think is called a debugger.

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On Fri, 04 Jul 2025 08:29:15 +0200, Thomas Prufer wrote:

On Thu, 3 Jul 2025 17:55:52 +0100, PeterC <giraffenos.pam@homecall.co.uk> wrote:

On Thu, 03 Jul 2025 07:44:31 +0200, Thomas Prufer wrote:

On Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:44:08 +0100, Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

I have now acquired a new phone and I thought - as a precaution - it >>>>would be a good idea to back up my entire Pixel 5 Android phone. I >>>>changed the USB preference to 'File transfer / Android Auto' and the >>>>phone's contents appeared in File Explorer. However, it won't let me >>>>just copy all of 'Internal shared storage'. Is there a restriction, or >>>>an upper limit for copying? Am I not doing it right or is copying a >>>>whole phone not the proper way to proceed?

I use "My Phone Explorer" to manage contacts, files, photos, text messages and
the/a calendar.

It's not a backup tool, as in "restore a phone to synced state". It has a small
app on the phone, and a PC desktop program, and allows copying, syncing etc. of
many (but not all) files and program settings.

It's free.

Thomas Prufer

I've tried that and never suceeded. It always says that there's no 'phone >>connected. Might be due to using W7.

I use the WiFi connection. USB cable, bluetooth, or fixed IP also work...

It needs a small app on the phone, and enabling some debugging mode.

Thomas Prufer

It's USB debugging. I had that on but it didn't seem to do anything.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

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PeterC wrote:

It's USB debugging. I had that on but it didn't seem to do anything.

It gives that specific PC considerable control over your phone.

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On Fri, 4 Jul 2025 19:42:29 +0100, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

PeterC wrote:

It's USB debugging. I had that on but it didn't seem to do anything.

It gives that specific PC considerable control over your phone.

... which a program to read and write files on your phone reasonably needs. Some
system files/directories are still not accessible (as is probably wise).

It (MPE, My Phone Explorer) does an excellent job of copying things like photos,
calendar files, and in my case, databases for a geocaching app from the PC to the phone, with options like sync directories, PC->phone, phone->PC. Some of them can trash your data, as in overwrite your calendar on the PC with an empty calendar form the phone -- but only if you ask it to.

There is an English forum that the developer of the software maintains on his site...


Thomas Prufer

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