PSA: New Nook Color partitioning only leaves 1GB for music, other sideloaded content

[nomadjim]

Is this something new or has this always been the way the Nook was setup?

PSA: New Nook Color partitioning only leaves 1GB for music, other sideloaded content -- Engadget

 

[rico2001]

I find this hard to believe, although when I was running software 1.2, I didn't check.

Before and I'm currently sticking with Nook Color has an 8GB internal storage and it is partitioned this way:
-5GB partition used about for active android OS, installed apps, and your stuff (1GB is dedicated for installed app space)
-3GB hidden partition for stock recovery utility and stock restore images

And if true that the now partitioned size that can be mount is only 1GB, most NC owners have an installed microSD card for additional storage. For me personally, since I wipe my NC quite frequently, I only storage on my SD card.

 

[Stumblethru]

Apparently it's true.
xda-developers - View Single Post - i thought the nook color had 8gb internal memory

 

[nomadjim]

One of the reasons I was asking was that if this is true, wouldn't it that make it harder to do a dual boot situation. I'm waiting to see what the announcement tomorrow is from B&N and then I'm going to get a Nook Color. I was thinking about running the stock rooted and then do the dual boot with maybe CM7, if I could figure out how to do it.

Jim

 

[J515OP]

One of the reasons I was asking was that if this is true, wouldn't it that make it harder to do a dual boot situation. I'm waiting to see what the announcement tomorrow is from B&N and then I'm going to get a Nook Color. I was thinking about running the stock rooted and then do the dual boot with maybe CM7, if I could figure out how to do it.

Jim

Unless you have a specific purpose for a stock nook (e.g. app development or children's books) there is really no reason to keep stock around. You will qickly find it lacking in comparison to a rooted nook let alone a custom ROM. You can test drive CM7 from an SD card by following these instructions http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/nook-color-technical/13156-how-cm7-bootable-sd.html. If you think you still need dual boot over SD card you can do it at that point or you more than likely will just decide to put CM7 internal and not look back.

JP

 

[Sooner7]

Yep, it's true. Any Nook Color that shipped with the newest software update pre-installed also came with a pre-partitioned hard drive (part 1= 4GB, part 2=1 GB). The other approx 3 GB of the drive has always been for the OS, etc - that hasn't changed. Thus a approx total of 8 GB on a Nook Color.

The below information ONLY applies to Nook Colors that were recently purchased that have the software update (1.2.0) pre-installed:

Partition 1 (aka part 1) - 4 GB: Is a controlled (or secured) partition of 4 GB and is only used when you downloaded content directly from the B&N Store or the B&N App Store. You will NOT have any direct access to this 4 GB of storage. If you don't D/L from B&N, then the partition sits empty. The ONLY way to delete content from part 1 is to log onto your B&N account and delete it there, then synch your Nook Color and the content you delete form your B&N will be deleted from the Nook Color.


Partition 2 (akak part 2) - 1 GB: This partition is used for side-loading content. "Side-loading" means anything you transfer to your Nook Color from your computer. In other words, any file, book, document, photo, image, video, music etc etc that you have and DID NOT purchase/down-load from B&N.

OS partition (OSpart0) - approx 3 GB reserved for any OS related content, software updates etc - this has not changed - any Nook Color has also has the 3GB OSpart reserved.

Now to the "WHY" of this situation: (Disclaimer: this is B&N's position and not what I 100% believe)

B&N's position is this: after the software update to the Nook Color, they started getting reports, feedback and actual Nook Colors back that had frozen, died, bricked itself etc. B&N says the software update caused all sorts of problems in relation to downloaded content verses side-loaded content. They contend that the new software was not correctly storing these two types of content and even more trouble accessing the content - because 1.2.0 was always designed to separately stored and read downloaded and side-loaded content separately.

So originally purchased Nook Colors do not have a partitioned drive (i.e. they have 5 GB of usable storage for both types of content) and that's why users are having problems with their Nooks. The fix from their tech dept. was to pre-partition the drive for all newly manufactured Nook Colors. Leaving any new user with only 1 GB of drive space for side-loaded (or personal use) content.

(BTW my wife is a Vice-Pres in the Nook Color marketing division, so my info is very solid)

My personal take:

Some of the tech info is true, but B&N really did this to keep users (like me) form predominately using their Nook Color for side-loaded epubs by limiting how much they can actually side-load without purchasing a separate (and possible expensive) SD Card.

Most users are not going to want to pay $249 for thier device, then go out and pay up to $59 or more for a SD Card. They will go for the easier B&N Store and dl content that way.

Also, prepare yourselves for this: let's say your just downloaded (from the B&N Store) the newest book from Author X. Without being asked, you may also received (as separate content) a sample chapter or chapters etc of a another book. This is going to start happening VERY, VERY soon. Currently, this "extra content" will not be removable from your Nook Color. Just think of that "sample book" of recipes that came with the software update - this is what is going to start happening.

I think that is about it ... sorry for the long post - it being my first at the forum.

 

[Sooner7]

THIS POST REFERS TO A NOOK COLOR THAT WAS PURCHASED BEFORE THE SOFTWARE UPDATE (1.2.0):

Any Nook Color that was purchased before the software update of 1.2.0 has a 3GB reserved partition for the OS and left the user with approx 5 GB of storage space. This 5 GB of space is used for everything loaded onto the Nook Color - whether it is D/L'd from B&N or other places or is side-loaded from a computer.

If you updated your Nook Color with the recent 1.2.0 software, you should NOT have seen any change in the above storage parameters. I.E. 3GB for the OS; 5 GB for everything else Including apps, stored email, any web surfing related things etc)



According to B&N's tech dept, trouble arises after updating to Version 1.2.0 when one of a multiple conditions are met on an updated Nook Color. They say that the Nook Color will randomly freeze, that content will be "lost" (i.e. you can see it in the My Files section, but cannot access it), that the OS will go into a "Busy" loop trying to figure out what the content is (book or an app or a image etc) and either slow the device to a crawl or freeze it for "an extended period of time approaching a null state", the touch screen will fail to respond and or the device cannot be turned-off/re-booted - these are just a few of the things they say will happen.

Here are a few of the conditions they say can initiate/cause the above: This is a one, any, or list - meaning any one of or combination of can cause the above):

the amount of overall used space of the 5 GB approaches approx 67.4% or greater

the epub count (regardless of D/L or side-load) reaches a peak count of 1620 or more

overall total number of apps exceeds 15

the number of Enhanced epubs (i.e. has embeded web links, video, animation etc) exceeds 10 AND the number of standard epubs exceeds 1,000

there is one that has to with web surfing but I haven't quite been able to figure out what they mean, so I can't distill it down for you.

and something about the number of files located in the nested LOST dir - not sure about this one either.

I have both a user update Nook Color (i.e. my wife got it for me in January) and a pre-installed 1.2.0 Nook Color (i.e. my wife got it for me three days ago).

My user-updated Nook Color has 1900 side-loaded epubs on it, 12 B&N Store D/L's epubs, about 1 GB of mp3 and about 20 hi-res Nook Color sized wallpapers (outside of the standard ones that it came with). I use a 16GB SD card that has 11 GB of video on it. I have had ZERO trouble with it.

One of my friends is one his third Nook Color (all exchanged for free) - his original purchase was Dec 26 - he has had one completely freeze at the "Home Screen", one that would ramdomly nt access content/freeze/uncommanded shut off. Both of these were post software user-updated versions. Hmmmmm .....

 

[J515OP]

Sooner7, thanks for the posts and the analysis. There is some good informtion in there, especially reading between the lines. Ironic that in trying to lock down users to B&N content, uh I mean help users out by making sure their Nook doesn't freeze by limiting other content, they are making a better case for going to a custom ROM.

 

[Sooner7]

Ironic that in trying to lock down users to B&N content, uh I mean help users out by making sure their Nook doesn't freeze by limiting other content, they are making a better case for going to a custom ROM.

You couldn't have said it any better! ;-)

I never really cared too much to root either of our Nook Colors, UNTIL I discovered this situation on new Nook Colors. I am definitely going to root both of them now! (Ironic side note: my wife is as frustrated and upset about this as us regular people - she thinks this is going to hurt B&N in the long run... and she has to figure out some way to "spin" this for B&N ... UGH.).

Any suggestions/tips on the root process? Can I assume by rooting, I will have access to all the drive afterward?

Thanks!

 

[J515OP]

Start here http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/nook-color-technical/13156-how-cm7-bootable-sd.html. This will allow you to run CM7 from an SD card while leaving your stock Nook intact.

Then look into this if you decide you want to repartition your internall memory and go from there [HOW-TO] Repartitioning the NC back to 1GB/data, 5GB/media - xda-developers.

 

[Sooner7]

Perfect! Thanks.

 

[Spider]

So, Blue Dot = Pre-Installed 1.2 and New Partitioning. That explains how my Nook updated itself in the time it took to register it. It was updated before I ever got it home.

 

[Spider]

Correct me if I'm wrong/confused here. It seems, for me, this partitioning is a non-issue.

1. I have no side loaded apps. (Between the Market, Amazon, Appbrain etc. I haven't needed any so far.)
2. All my goodies (Videos, pictures, docs, non B&N books, CWR and Titanium backups etc.) are on a 1/2 full 8GB SD card (< $15).
3. My Nook recognizes everything and everything works. The books even appear on my bookshelves in the Nook.

 

[darmeen]

Now we just have to verify that the repartition that was linked above will access the whole 5gb.

I imagine that B&N can't keep the dev community away from that.