Data transfer

[Roobarb]

I have a large file on my tablet that I want to transfer to an external hard drive, I would do this via my laptop. I don't have any cloud storage that I could use and the file is too big to send to myself via email.

Can I plug my tablet into my laptop using the charging cable and transfer the file that way? I don't want to do anything that would pose a risk to either device!

[F1fan]

Hi Roobarb,

If it is a USB cable for charging it might be that is all it will do and charge it may not be capable of data transfer.

What is our tablet and does it have a USB port that you are able to plug a USB Stick or external drive into then you could copy the footage across from the tablet, unplug the device, plug it into your laptop and then copy it across from the device to your laptop ?

[ShaunJ]

I'd be inclined to try it and see if it works. You may be presented with an option to choose between charging or file transfer.

[Roobarb]

My tablet is a Samsung galaxy TabA,  unfortunately it doesn't have a USB port. It has an SD card that my files are stored on and I could put that into my laptop but unfortunately at the moment I can't get it out of the tablet! The opening seems to be stuck. 

I'm currently trying also to transfer some photos from an old camera to my laptop, I've done it before and that works via the charging cable, which is what prompted me to think of the file transfer from my tablet.  At the moment the laptop is just chugging along, it seems to be stuck in the files I don't want. Everything is working against me today!

[F1fan]

If you have used the cable before o transfer photos then you should be able to do that with the file :-)

Sounds like you are having one of my days 

[Roobarb]

Not just me then 

I'll give it a try, thanks.

Edit: It's a different device and cable though

[Roobarb]

It worked!  I've also spent some time transferring lots of family history files to the laptop, I can almost hear my tablet breathing a sigh of relief.

The file transfer from my camera wasn't so successful, despite hunting everywhere the photos I wanted to transfer didn't appear in the list. I haven't used the camera in a long time, there are stacks of old photos on there. In the process I realised that it was easier to take out the SD card to transfer files,  rather than using the cable. However,  the photos weren't on there and neither did they show up on the camera while the card was out.

I had used the camera on this occasion as I thought it was better than my phone camera but now I've checked I see that the camera has 10.1mp whereas my phone camera has 16mp. Technology moves on so fast!

[Ray T]

SD card stuck? You do realise that SD cards don’t usually just pull out, you have to push them in.

[Roobarb]

Yes I did know that Ray, it's not the card itself that's stuck, I did say that it's the opening that seems to be stuck. I.e. the little strip that covers the opening.