# Apps grayed out



## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

All of a sudden two of my apps are grayed out. When tapped I get the message "Application not installed". Maybe my SD card was corrupted? What's the best course of action?


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

Yes, you're on the right track.

If these were apps you moved to your SD Card, and now for some reason the link between the App shortcut and the SD Card are lost, then the App link would be gray.

Check the SD card for corruption, or clean the contacts of the SD Card and reinsert again and check.

Worst case the app can be reinstalled from PLaystore and it will apply a band aid to the App, however the larger problem of the SD card issue may not get fixed.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

tristar said:


> Yes, you're on the right track.
> 
> If these were apps you moved to your SD Card, and now for some reason the link between the App shortcut and the SD Card are lost, then the App link would be gray.
> 
> ...


Thanks. How do I check the SD card for corruption?


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

To start with, with the phone turned off, remove the SD card, clean the contacts and then reinsert it and turn your phone on.

If this does not work, you might need to take the SD card, connect it with an adapter to your PC, boot through Linux and then run a check on it..

If the SD card is formatted as Fat/exFat you should be able to access it from a Windows PC.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

So I'm looking at My Files on my phone, and there's no SD card listed, only Device Storage. Is it not registering? Is it a bad sd card?


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

I actually noticed most of my pictures disappeared as well. Now I'm thinking my SD card must have gone bad. What do I do? I took it out and wiped it down and reinserted it. Nothing.


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

You might want to connect the SD card to a PC and use a file recovery software to find the files... @spunk.funk should be able to suggest some for you...


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

tristar said:


> You might want to connect the SD card to a PC and use a file recovery software to find the files... @spunk.funk should be able to suggest some for you...


I don't have an SD card reader. Maybe I should just take it to a Cricket store?


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

Apparently this is common. Will the photos I had on the card be able to be retrieved?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

https://www.easeus.com/data-recover...re/android-sd-card-data-recovery-freeware.htm If that fails,
And the SD Card has not failed, you could take it to a Cricket store and see if their technician can recover the files. Don't let the Front end sales person do it, try to get their repair technician.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

spunk.funk said:


> https://www.easeus.com/data-recover...re/android-sd-card-data-recovery-freeware.htm If that fails,
> And the SD Card has not failed, you could take it to a Cricket store and see if their technician can recover the files. Don't let the Front end sales person do it, try to get their repair technician.


Thanks. Went through the process, but the rooting thing scared me. Is that high risk?


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

Yes.. Please avoid the rooting part, instead remove the SD Card and connect it to a SD Card reader and then perform the recovery.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

tristar said:


> Yes.. Please avoid the rooting part, instead remove the SD Card and connect it to a SD Card reader and then perform the recovery.


First problem: no SD card reader.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

> no SD card reader


 you can purchase one, or take it to a Cell phone specialist or your Cricket store and have them use theirs.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

So I took it to Cricket and this is what I found out:
The card is bad. The guy put it in a store phone and it couldn't be read.
They couldn't use a card reader because the store policy doesn't allow it.
Apparently there are sd card readers that you slip the sd card into and then insert into a computer that can read what's on the card, but it's unlikely I can recover photos.

Does this all sound right?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

I wouldn't trust the flunky at the Phone store. If you didn't backup your photos to the Cloud (ie) Google Drive, Samsung Cloud or whatever, then buy yourself an SD card reader. There still is a 50/50% chance you can recover your photos, if they are important to you.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

The other thing he told me was this:
My phone has 8gb internal memory. I had gotten the sd card to add another 8. I was moving whatever apps could be moved over to the sd card. He said they don't sell sd cards with only 8gb anymore. He also confirmed my idea that as updates create bigger apps, eventually 8gb won't be able to hold many apps at all. This seems to be a built-in obsolescence with phones, where I will eventually be forced to buy a new one to accommodate these large apps, even if there's nothing wrong with my phone. Pretty stupid deal. I've had my phone for three years now and I like it. He also told me when I move apps to an sd card not all parts of the app move over. Is this true?


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

Yes, it's true, the data part moves over, but some files continue to stay in the phone memory and create "links" to the data part.

8GB is not sufficient today, unless you know how to clean and use a custom build, in which case you can reduce the actual storage space..

In your case though, it's a no go.. Please get a SD card reader and let us know if you're able to recover data, else this Thread does not seem to be going anywhere..


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

Should I get a 16gb sd card this time (as opposed to 8?). Again, I only store photos temporarily. I am just wondering if I can use it as back up space for more apps, thus allowing me to extend the life of my 8gb internal memory phone.

Also, do sd card adapters (readers?) read all memory size cards? That is, are all sd cards, regardless of memory capacity, the same size? And will any adapter fit into the slot of any laptop?

Thanks!


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Get the largest SD card your phone and your budget will support to extend the life of the phone. If you get a new phone, you can always put the old SD card in the new phone. 
Any Card Reader should be able to read any capacity SD Card, if there is a limitation, it will tell you on the package


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

So I got an SD adapter. There's no slot for it on my laptop. Do I need an adapter for THAT? So I put it in my camera. I put in a new micro-sd into that adapter and it holds pictures, but when I put the corrupted micro-sd card in the adapter and then in my camera, I get a message on my camera that says "memory card error" and "memory card locked". What's going on?


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

Can someone help?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

You should have got a USB to micro SD adapter, then you could have used it on your computer. There are several data recovery programs for PC that might be able to restore your files
But it sounds like this SD card is corrupted and failed.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

spunk.funk said:


> You should have got a USB to micro SD adapter, then you could have used it on your computer. There are several data recovery programs for PC that might be able to restore your files
> But it sounds like this SD card is corrupted and failed.


So whats the purpose of the thing I bought?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

I don't know what you bought, but it's not what you need.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

It looks like the sd card one puts in a camera, but with a tiny slot to put in the micro-sd. I guess it allows a micro-sd to be read by a camera. I assumed computers have slots for sd cards. Is that not true? Mine obviously doesn't.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Not every computer has a SD Card Reader. Many laptops and some desktops have standard size SD Card readers on the side or the front, many Printers do also. You still need an adapter to put the Micro SD Card in to these readers though. Or you can buy a USB Micros SD card reader https://www.amazon.com/Digital-star...59&sr=8-7&keywords=mini+SD+card+reader+to+USB


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

Spunk looks like the OP purchased the SD Card adapter from Micro to Full SD Card..
@usingpc as Spunk recommends, you need a USB card reader which can read either the full size SD or micro SD card.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

@tristar The OP should probably clear this up, but it looks like the adapter they bought does not have a standard USB end on it so it can't be plugged into his computer, which is what they need, to try to recover data off of the micro SD card.


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

Agree spunk, thanks for the follow up


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