remove failed: EACCES (Permission denied) - Deleting a file from External SD Card

Question

I am trying to delete file from my External/Removable SD Card. But I got following error:

remove failed: EACCES (Permission denied) : /storage/987F-099F/SDNumber/Voc_112_1.png

I basically need to move file from my removable SD card to my device storage. But I am not able to do that also.

I can fetch all the files from my removable SD card. Here is code for how I am fetching files from removable SD card:

final String[] columns = {MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA, MediaStore.Images.Media._ID, MediaStore.Images.Media.DISPLAY_NAME};
        final String orderBy = MediaStore.Images.Media.DISPLAY_NAME;

        Cursor cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(
                MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI, columns, null,
                null, orderBy);

From this when I try to move file from SD card to device external storage it gives me error like this:

rename failed: EXDEV (Cross-device link) : /storage/987F-099F/SDNumber/Voc_112_1.png

Then, I move ahead and trying to copy that file. Copy file works great. But, then after I need to delete that file but it also doesn't work and gives error like this:

remove failed: EACCES (Permission denied) : /storage/987F-099F/SDNumber/Voc_112_1.png

Basically my whole code is like this:

public static void moveFile(Context context, File srcFile, File destFile) {
        boolean rename = srcFile.renameTo(destFile);
        if (!rename) {
            copyFile(srcFile.getAbsolutePath(), destFile.getAbsolutePath());
            boolean deleted = deleteFile(srcFile.getAbsolutePath());
            if (!deleted) {
                deleted = delete(context, srcFile);
                Log.e("moveFile", "deleted : " + deleted);
            }
        }
    }


public static boolean copyFile(String sourceFilePath, String destFilePath) {
        InputStream inputStream = null;
        try {
            inputStream = new FileInputStream(sourceFilePath);
        } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException("FileNotFoundException occurred. ", e);
        }
        return writeFile(destFilePath, inputStream);
    }


public static boolean deleteFile(String path) {
        if (path == null || path.trim().length() == 0) {
            return true;
        }

        File file = new File(path);
        if (!file.exists()) {
            return true;
        }
        if (file.isFile()) {
            return file.delete();
        }
        if (!file.isDirectory()) {
            return false;
        }
        for (File f : file.listFiles()) {
            if (f.isFile()) {
                f.delete();
            } else if (f.isDirectory()) {
                deleteFile(f.getAbsolutePath());
            }
        }
        return file.delete();
    }

I am also trying to delete using content resolver:

public static boolean delete(final Context context, final File file) {
        final String where = MediaStore.MediaColumns.DATA + "=?";
        final String[] selectionArgs = new String[] {
                file.getAbsolutePath()
        };
        final ContentResolver contentResolver = context.getContentResolver();
        final Uri filesUri = MediaStore.Files.getContentUri("external");

        contentResolver.delete(filesUri, where, selectionArgs);

        if (file.exists()) {

            contentResolver.delete(filesUri, where, selectionArgs);
        }
        return !file.exists();
    }

But none of this function works. That file still appear in my gallery.

Please let me know where I am going wrong and what is missing here. I am also checking runtime permission for Read and Write external storage.

Here is my Manifest.xml

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="pix.tours.pixtours">

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CALL_PHONE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="com.android.vending.BILLING" />

    <application
        android:name=".GlobalApplication"
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:hardwareAccelerated="false"
        android:icon="@drawable/logo"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:largeHeap="true"
        android:roundIcon="@drawable/logo"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme">


        <activity
            android:name=".activities.MainActivity"
            android:screenOrientation="portrait"
            android:theme="@style/AppTheme.NoActionBar" />

        <activity
            android:name=".activities.SplashActivity"
            android:screenOrientation="portrait"
            android:theme="@style/AppTheme.NoActionBar">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
 </application>

</manifest>

Thanks!

Answer 1

rename failed: EXDEV (Cross-device link) : /storage/987F-099F/SDNumber/Voc_112_1.png

Removable SD cards are read only (using file scheme) since Android 4.4+.

To be able to write use the storage access framework.

Answer 2

Are you requesting storage permission at runtime? Even if you add uses-permission in manifest, still you need to ask user to grant permissions at runtime. Here is code:

/ Storage Permissions
private static final int REQUEST_EXTERNAL_STORAGE = 1;
private static String[] PERMISSIONS_STORAGE = {
        Manifest.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE,
        Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
};

/**
 * Checks if the app has permission to write to device storage
 *
 * If the app does not has permission then the user will be prompted to grant permissions
 *
 * @param activity
 */
public static void verifyStoragePermissions(Activity activity) {
    // Check if we have write permission
    int permission = ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(activity, Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE);

    if (permission != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
        // We don't have permission so prompt the user
        ActivityCompat.requestPermissions(
                activity,
                PERMISSIONS_STORAGE,
                REQUEST_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
        );
    }
}

Read more about the runtime permission request here: https://developer.android.com/training/permissions/requesting.html