The lack of free space in the system memory of Android devices worries many owners of smartphones and tablets running on this OS. Naturally, they have a desire to free up internal memory and transfer (or install in the future) applications or games to a removable memory card (all the more so because there’s a lot more). Link2SD utility is perfect for solving this problem. How to use this application, we will now try to figure it out.
What is Link2SD
The Link2SD program, or, as it is often called, Link2SD w3bsit3-dns.com (by the name of the forum and unofficial client of the site or simply in the interpretation that it is a program for mobile devices), is a fairly powerful tool designed to enable the user of a mobile gadget to transfer applications or install them directly onto removable SD cards.
Such cards have long gained great popularity around the world. Their use is due to the fact that they have a much larger volume than the internal memory of the gadget itself.
But it’s not always possible to transfer or install the right application to the memory card for subsequent storage and launch using standard methods, even when using a direct connection to a computer with the appropriate software for controlling the gadget.
For such purposes, the Link2SD utility was developed . Not everyone knows how to use all its capabilities to the maximum extent. This is due to the fact that the application itself and the work with it are quite specific.
The main features of the program
So, consider the Link2SD utility. How to use the program? First of all, it is worth stopping at some of the main features of the application. As you probably already understand, Link2SD utility (w3bsit3-dns.com) was originally developed precisely so that the user could get full access to a removable SD memory card in terms of installing new ones and transferring old programs to removable media. It is clear that in this way you can free up the system memory of the device itself. Moreover, inexpensive Android gadgets with their own memory, frankly, do not shine.
There is also another feature of the Link2SD program. How to use it in terms of process automation? Easy peasy. For example, to transfer programs to another place, you just need to select the necessary applications and confirm the start of the process. This will be discussed in more detail later.
But here the preliminary procedures that will ensure the correct operation of the application itself, as well as the correct transfer or installation of programs to the SD card, are quite complicated. It will take at least a little patience.
Preliminary actions with information on the SD card
The first thing to do without fail is to create a so-called backup (data backup) or simply copy all the information from the memory card to another place, say, on the hard drive of a computer or laptop.
This is done very simply. It is enough to use the usual connection via the USB interface or insert the card into the card reader. In this case, it will be defined as a regular flash drive. If the gadget management program is installed on the computer, you can use it without any problems.
Partitioning with standard Android tools
Now about the indispensable requirements in terms of splitting the card into sections installed by Link2SD. How to use Android’s standard partitioning capabilities on a tablet or smartphone? There is nothing complicated about it.
To begin with, it is recommended to reset to factory settings (although sometimes you can do without it). The simplest way is to use the settings menu with the “Backup and Restore” widget selected and then go to the “General reset” command. Note, firstly, menus and commands may differ in name depending on the version of the OS, its firmware, or the gadget itself. Secondly, when resetting, all user files and applications will be deleted. So be careful.
In principle, you can do without it. Just resetting the settings is considered to be the “cleanest” option for preparing the device for using the partitioning of the card and installing Link2SD. How to use standard splitting on a phone or tablet?
Turn off the gadget, when turned on again, hold down the volume down button, wait for the menu to appear. Now select the Advanced item and go to the Partition SD Card command, after which we indicate the necessary volume of the partition for future applications in megabytes, confirm the action and reboot. Do not get carried away: it is advisable to reserve at least 512 MB for the second partition, which remains after the partition. See for yourself how much is available.
EaseUS Partition Master Home Edition
In principle, in order not to reset the settings with deleting data, you can use some simple utilities. One of these is the EaseUS Partition Master Home Edition program.
The Resize / Partition button is selected in the main window, indicating the size of the partition and the type of file system. It is better if it is FAT32 (some install ext3 / 4 as well). Next, select the Create Partition command, enter the desired partition name and, without fail (!) Set the Primary parameter. Then it remains to click the Apply button and wait for the end of the process. After that, it will be possible to launch the Link2SD program already under “Android” and confirm the creation of the script.
MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition
Equally effective is the MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition utility. It creates two partitions with the FAT321 and ext2 / 3 file systems . The principle is the same. Only here is the Create As command selected, again the Primary parameter, the section name, section size, cluster size, etc. are indicated.
When creating the second ext2 partition, the actions are almost the same, only the file system selection from the drop-down menu is changed (of course, the Primary parameter is used again). The size of this section will be set automatically, based on the remaining after creating the first. After that, you just need to click the Apply button. Actually, the map is prepared.
Download and install Link2SD
You can download the Link2SD application from anywhere. In principle, it is even on the Play Market. It is clear that before the program starts, it will be installed in the memory of the internal drive. Nothing wrong with that. In general, such an installation is even very desirable, but when using the application the next time, transferring it to an SD card is not recommended. In extreme cases, you will have to install some additional utilities.
Transfer data to a memory card
And now we come to the question of how to use the Link2SD program, as they say, closely. In principle, there is nothing particularly complicated in this process. After starting and scanning, Link2SD utility will list the applications installed in the device’s memory, but only those that can be easily transferred to the memory card.
Most system programs are not transferable. In the list of programs you can select the application you want to transfer, but in order not to waste time, it is much easier to use the special Multilink command, which allows you to select several components. Now you just need to confirm your actions, and at the end of the transfer, try to start any transferred application already from the card. If for some reason it does not work or does not start, it is recommended that you return it to its original location using the Remove Link command.
Please note: after the procedures, when connecting to a PC via the USB interface, the computer will not see the ext2 partition. Do not be alarmed. This is normal.
Link2SD: installing applications on an SD card
Unfortunately, few gadgets even with Link2SD utility support the direct installation of applications on a memory card. For example, the Play Market system is designed in such a way that the download is made to the system’s temporary folder (it is deleted after installation), and the default installation is to the internal memory.
You can, of course, experiment with the Android OS firmware, but here the initial installation on the internal drive and the subsequent transfer of the programs to the SD card looks easier in this regard. And it practically does not take time.
Finally, it remains to add that for some devices, the transfer of programs to another location may be blocked by the manufacturer. In such cases, you may need root privileges provided by some specialized utilities, as well as an additional extended access mode to the settings and parameters of the Super User system.
Conclusion
So, actually, we sorted out the questions about how to use Link2SD, create a second partition, transfer applications to an SD card, etc. As can be seen from the above, the main difficulty can arise only when creating partitions. By the way, there is another problem for owners of the Link2SD program.
How to use on EXPLAY N1? Since this device is quite specific, you need to pay attention either to the version of the Android firmware, or to the presence of root rights. Otherwise, the actions are similar. For some firmware Link2SD program works even without the so-called rooting.
As for the main problem of creating partitions, here you need to follow only the above tips and correctly use the capabilities of additional programs. By the way, they look more preferable than standard means of the Android OS, since they are installed on a computer and have a visual display of the actions performed.