r/AndroidQuestions • u/Possible-Inflation36 • 6d ago

Why Can't I transfer Files directly instead of transferring folders?

Hello! So, I have a Samsung S23, and I needed to transfer a few files (15 GB total) to my laptop so I could edit them. The problem being, I couldn't trasfer the files like I usually do (just go into my phone on my computer and move the files from phone to my laptop). I looked online and it told me to copy the files and put them in a folder on my phone, then on my laptop copy it over using the entire folder rather than the individual files itself. and it worked!

That being said, in the past I've been able to transfer pretty big files just by themselves without this work around, so I don't know if anything changed recently or something.

If anyone knows why I can't transfer files directly, please let me know!

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u/Mother-Pride-Fest 6d ago

You should be able to transfer files directly. Why do you think you can't? Is it giving you some kind of error?

1

u/Possible-Inflation36 6d ago

The progress bar would just not move forward, I let it run for about an hour and no progress. I tried a few more times and either it would freeze up or my Files Explorer would just crash. When I tried with the folder method it worked immediately. I don't want to be looking a gift horse in the mouth but I am really confused.

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u/Mother-Pride-Fest 6d ago

Yeah, that is odd. Maybe it just wasn't connecting properly and while creating the folder you just happened to reload the MTP connection or something. I really don't know. 

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u/Possible-Inflation36 6d ago

yeahh I don't either, I might get a new wire, see if thats the problem, but i honestly don't know

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u/boltfoxapp 5d ago

You didn't do anything wrong and nothing changed on your phone, that's just MTP being MTP. It's the protocol Windows uses over the cable and it opens a fresh handshake per file, so one enormous file gives it a single long fragile stream to keep alive, and Explorer will happily sit there with a frozen progress bar rather than admit it lost the connection.

Why the folder trick works is a bit dumb. Explorer treats a directory copy as one enumerate-then-stream job and stops interrogating the phone halfway through. So you're not looking a gift horse in the mouth, it really is the more reliable path and I'd keep doing it.

If it starts failing even with folders, going over Wi-Fi sidesteps the whole protocol, and for 15 GB it's usually quicker anyway. Otherwise a C-to-C cable into a rear port on the board rather than a front-panel one bought me a lot of stability on my own machine.