I'm having an issue with moving a folder of files from a USB drive to my phone

Question

I've been having some trouble with transferring some files from an external USB drive using my computer to my android phone.

I have been trying to transfer 3 folders of files that are stored on a USB drive from my Lenovo laptop computer to my Samsung Galaxy-A51 Android phone. The first 2 folders have successfully been transferred to my phone, however the 3rd folder is where the issue is.

I have tried moving the folder from the USB drive to my computer itself, but that doesn't work. I've also checked if copying the folder to my phone works, and surprisingly, it does.

I can't get my head round why copying the folder works, but moving them doesn't. Can someone help me with this please?

Answer 1

Hi Brian Taylor,

For your information, in Windows, Copy and Move work differently when files are on a USB drive.

• Copy only reads the files, so it usually works without issues.
• Move first copies the files and then tries to delete them from the USB. If Windows can’t delete the originals (for example, if a file is in use or temporarily locked), the move won’t complete.

Here are some recommended solutions that you can try:

Option 1: Copy, then delete

• Copy the folder from the USB drive to your computer or phone.
• Confirm all files are transferred successfully.
• Manually delete the original folder from the USB drive.

Option 2: Release file locks and try again

• Close all File Explorer windows showing the USB drive.
• Turn off the Preview pane in File Explorer (View > Preview pane).
• Safely remove the USB drive, reconnect it, and retry the move.

Option 3: Reduce background usage

• Avoid opening files from the USB while transferring.
• Temporarily pause antivirus scans if applicable.

Please note that it’s common for only one specific folder to be affected, especially if it contains media files, long file names, or files that Windows checks in the background.

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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Answer 2

Moving and copying behave differently at the file‑system level, which explains what is happening.

On Windows, a move operation is usually:

• A simple rename when it is within the same drive/volume (very fast, just updates directory entries).
• Internally treated as copy + delete when it is between different drives/volumes (e.g., USB → internal disk, or PC → phone).

If copying from the USB to the phone works but moving does not, typical causes are:

1. Delete step is failing on the source (USB) drive
   After the copy succeeds, Windows tries to delete the original folder from the USB. If the USB is write‑protected, corrupted, or the file system has errors, the delete part can fail, so the overall “move” operation reports a problem even though the copy part worked.
2. Permissions or read‑only attributes on files/folders
   Some files in the third folder may be marked read‑only, in use, or otherwise protected, preventing deletion from the USB even though they can be read and copied.
3. File system or hardware issues on the USB drive
   Bad sectors or file system inconsistencies can affect operations that modify the drive (move/delete) more than read‑only operations (copy).
4. Path length or special characters
   If the third folder contains files with very long paths or unusual characters, Windows may fail the move/delete step while still being able to read and copy them.

Because copying works, the safest practical workaround is:

1. Copy the folder from the USB to the phone (as already confirmed works).
2. After verifying everything is on the phone and opens correctly, manually delete the folder from the USB drive using File Explorer.
3. If deletion fails, run Error checking on the USB drive (right‑click the drive → Properties → Tools → Check) and try again, or reformat the USB drive after backing up anything important.

This approach avoids relying on the automatic delete step that is causing the move to fail.

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References:

• How do I transfer information from my old PC to a new without using the cloud? - Microsoft Q&A