Stop applications closing automatically? - MDA II, XDA II, 2060 General

Hi,
I've recently started using my XDA II, but I'm having a very frustrating problem which I suspect may be a 'feature' of PocketPC 2003 memory management.
When I open up applications and then switch focus away from them (e.g., by using a task switcher like Go, Smallmenu, MagicButton, etc.) they then 'close' themselves in the background.
This is annoying enough when it's just e.g., viewing a file and then have to reopen it and find your place again, but it's seriously irritating when you're in the middle of a task, swap out for a few seconds, and then try to return only to find that PocketExcel has closed, having 'saved' your file with a silly name, meaning you have to open it again. In some apps it even seems to lead to data loss (e.g., if you're half way through entering a new contact, and then do something else, you lose your half-completed entry).
I've got stacks of memory free, so if it's a memory management 'feature' it's being far, far too zealous in reclaiming what it thinks are "unused" resources.
Does anyone else have this problem -- and if so, is there a way to solve it? (please say yes!)
thanks!
Greg.

Hello gregmarsh,
this is a well-known issue with all XDA2 and alike devices (i.e. MDA2, i-Mate etc.) and early ROM's such as 1.03 etc. Check the following link for more info on this issue with a few suggestions how to (at least partialy) get rid off it:
http://ppcw.net/mobile2003.php?itemid=1645
The good news is that the number of running processes have been reduced in ROM 1.60.
PavelR.

PavelR,
Thanks for your help on this point -- I will try some of those suggestions.
I hope that O2 releases a new supported version of the ROM soon (I don't quite have the guts to flash this myself just in case all hell breaks loose...!)
cheers,
Greg.

Related

Is it possible that WM2003 allows only four running apps at

Hi,
I just got the new MDA2 and although it is a really awsome machine I see something very strange: I can open three apps and have them running in the background but as soon as I start the fourth one the first one gets closed automatically. It doesn't matter if it is ms reader or explorer or media player, they simply get closed Anybody else seen this on their WM2003 device ???
Cheers,
Oliver
This is the answer I got from conduits:
" It is indeed a feature of Windows Mobile 2003 -- the operating system will
shut down applications that are in the background when you are low on
memory. In the next release, we will incorporate a "do not close when
playing in background" option, which will fix that problem."
Is really nobody else seeing this behaviour apart from me ? I must be doing something wrong. With 50MB free memory it should not have to close apps down.
To be truthfully I think its a bug in the PPCPE WM2003 OS and has nothing to do with the available free memory at this point. But I'm pretty sure there'll be a fix/update.
HTH
Just read on PPCW.net that the limitation is not memory but an OS limit to 32 processes, for a new one to start once this has been reached an existing one must be closed. Looks like this one could be very difficult to resolve...
Read full article at: http://www.ppcw.net/index.php?itemid=1645

Re:Best software for WM5.0 to date...by far!!

Re:Best software for WM5.0 to date...by far!!
Hi all. I cannot take credit for the best bit of software I have come across since purchasing my Jasjar. All credit most deservedly goes to sub69 for pointing me in the right direction. 8)
Read this thread to understand why:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=30412
Like most people on this forum, I joined xda-developers to solve my own problems whilst trying to help others solve theirs if I am able. I've been cursing left right and center for 3 weeks now about the performance of the Jasjar even though i still love the device. However one of my big complaints related to memory usage/leakage as I believed it affected the jasjars performance and through many trials and errors and lows, I almost sold it due to feeling I was not getting what I paid for. I felt that the jasjar was slow and underperformed.
I retract all former negative comments I made in relation to it being slow. Whilst looking for a simple application (with a small memory footprint) that would close all running apps without the rigmaroll of hunting down the 'settings' tab .I tried several different programs and all fell short in one way or another...till now (including Wisbar Advance 2.4.1..., Spb 3.0.1 and MagicButton (small footprint))!
Sub69 pointed me in the direction of GSPocketMagic and claimed it was the most stable program he had tried. Thought I'd give it a go too. Am I over the moon that I did.
This software does EXACTLY what it says it does.....well for me anyhow. :lol: Even better, it very much appears to have ironed out alot of my performance/speed issues with the jasjar! It has sped up browsing of the O/S and access to applications and gives me greater control of navigation in a simple manner. For me it has been Rock solid. I've only been testing it for about 5 hours+, but it hasn't slowed down once and has not dropped below 12MB of Program memory (I started with 27MB) & it maintains its speed whilst I upurposely ran 12 programs simulatneously (including video, music, photo slide show, word mobile, powerpoint, resco radio etc..)and then connected to wi-fi, surfed the net (faster I might add -not the loading of new web pages, but of cached ones) and posted on this forum. Almost Everything has improved by at least 30% or more (speed gain) and whilst I still get some jerking in high res 640x480 vid playback, it too seems more stable.
I don't understand how this has happened. All I had previously installed was TCPMP and Resco radio ! :?
Bearing in mind I had even overclocked my jasjar (no longer needed) with PocketHackMaster 2005, which, for me, did not yield results as favourable as this has.
The only logical conclusion I have been able to come up with is that GSPocketMagic has overridden some default settings/application that was somehow holding my Jasjar back! Overridden a bug in other words & this seems possible as it loads first after a soft reset, therefore taking precedence over anything else that may have usually performed some of its functions. Anyway that's just a theory.
For anyone like sub69 who have experienced relatively few problems with their universal, you might not notice any difference, but for anyone who is still suffering performance issues, I urge you to try this. You have nothing to loose & no of course I don't work for the company. I've just had to wait 3 weeks to start seeing the manifestation of the beast I believed the Jasjar was supposed to be. :lol:
Sorry about the long post people, but I've shared in alot of the misery many of you have been complaining about & at £700 it's about time we got some positive results.
thanks again to sub69. 8)
I can confirm that this programme is small and perfectly funcitonal for closing apps. If you're battling with PocketPlus for some reason, then this is definitely the way to go.
So do you have a URL where I can download it from?
Just have a look in the original thread he mentioned ;-) it´s
http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php?soft=1276
- SUperbowl
Joe you could have opened the topic that was suggested
http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php?soft=1276
good luck
Hi, is it possible to use it without replacing the current Today page and Start Menu?
Which CAB file do I install?
Yes, there's an option to set the 'click' to open the "Start Menu" (the default is "Menu") You could then set "Tap & Hold" to close all tasks or maybe to open the GSPM++ Menu.
I use "GSPMagic.xscaleE.cab" for the english version.
Here you go. A bitmap to use instead of he built in WM2002 windows flag.
CJSnet said:
Which CAB file do I install?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GSPMagic.xscaleE.CAB for english on JJ
Sub69, nice start button, now the flawless look sets it off
sub69 said:
Here you go. A bitmap to use instead of he built in WM2002 wibdows flag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where do I put this? The current program's bitmaps are all together in one file.
Are other people finding this program somehow magically overrides some settings or bugs?
Do I have to keep closing tasks to keep up good performance?
This is the only button you can change as far as I know. Put it anywhere, and on the Basic tab of the GSPM++ settings screem, choose Bitmap as the Image, and browse to the saved .bmp
I don't have to keep closing tasks, but mackaby may have a different opinion on this, as he was having more problems with the JasJar's performance in the first place?
CJSnet said:
sub69 said:
Here you go. A bitmap to use instead of he built in WM2002 wibdows flag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where do I put this? The current program's bitmaps are all together in one file.
Are other people finding this program somehow magically overrides some settings or bugs?
Do I have to keep closing tasks to keep up good performance?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Put in anywhere you like, then go to the menu: start-option-setting. Change to Bitmap and point to your new start menu bitmap.
The less programs you keep in memory, the better the performance, so close your apps instead of building up in mem.
Ok Sub69, you where there just before me.......tnx for the nice bitmap!
WM 2005 was supposed to deal with this issue. But I find that the build in close button of WM 2005 does not close at all. Amazing MS didn't find a solution for this problem yet.
The great thing about GSPM is that it also closes the phone application, where Magic button cannot deal with this properly.
sub69 said:
I don't have to keep closing tasks, but mackaby may have a different opinion on this, as he was having more problems with the JasJar's performance in the first place?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite true, that was the case for me, but no more. It doesn't really matter wether I close down applications or not, my speed is always up, unless I run videos at the same time in windows media player and TCPMC (that was accidental by the way).
Like I said, it's worked for me, and I had performance issues. If you don't have any, maybe you you won't see any improvement in performance, but it is still a very useful and stable application.
Oh, don't get me wrong it definitely speeds things up a bit for me too. It's only when you mentioned it that I really noticed though. I've been installing and uninstalling so many different things it's hard to keep track of what might be making a difference!!
Anyway, it's the best task manager I've used on my JasJar, and the performance boost is a welcome bonus!
Two Soft keys issue is back!
Small problem, some of us have noticed that the 2 soft keys keep dissapearing and reappearing after soft-resets. I thought I had this sussed last night, but I was wrong. It's my only issue with this software but not enough to put me off it.
mig31 suggested we might contact the developers of the software, as they would more than likely be able to fix this quicker than we could. I second that.
Gotta work at the mo, but unless someone else is willing to get in touch with the developers of GSPocketMagic, I'll get around to it in the week and post the outcome of our communications. Otherwise, all's well with this app. :wink:
I just wish I cud understand why (and if) it speeds up the device, even if u dont close apps. I'm a bit dubious if it's actually doing anything otherwise, without some benchmarks :S
if anyone finds gs++'s source code, please pm me.
V
I noticed that the 2 bottom soft keys disappear when you click "Close all". May be there is a way to add this in the "Exlude task Close" somehow

EXEC SUMMARY: TIPS n TRICKS to make your JasJar run well

There are way too many posts on this board from ppl who r saying "Piece of crap, I'm gonna take it back and stick it up my provider's...". This post is for you!
I'm no expert (just a disciple of ppl like buzz, vj, etc), BUT I am not afraid of a hard reset or 30, and as a result I've tested everything below, and most of the stuff throughout this forum. I've also followed everything on every forum since being the 10th person in my country to get a JasJar. I welcome critisism, corrections and additions. Please post replies by refering to the step you would change, or insert after. Let's try to stick to proven alternatives and additions though, so that this thread can become somewhat of a 1-stop point for new users (and existing users who do not have the time to learn this alone - and let's face it anyone who has a Universal already, is probably pretty hard working, and already spending an awful amount of time justifying their acquisition in front of their BlackBerry collegues...)
This is written with a single thought in mind; what the hell would my wife do if she got one of these. No-one could blame her for tossing it inside of a week, but with a few changes it's perfectly functional - in fact with a few more changes (also listed below) it's quite desirable.
By the end of this process, your Universal should have a reasonable suite of apps, perfect functionality around all issues solved to date (I've not covered networking tho), a screen flip speed of 0.5s or less, and free program memory of over 20Mb
So here goes, a step-by-step process to get your Universal 100% functional, proven and tested on the HTC Universal iMate JasJar, but should all work on any MDA:
ROM Upgrade: First thing's first. Upgrade to the September-30 ROM (JASJAR_WWE_11353_137_10301.zip). It's available somewhere on xda-developers, or on clubimate for imate users. This is a no-brainer - no posts on this board or any others indicate it's a waste of time. Many posts cover O2 users flashing to this ROM, with great benefits. There are ways to re-install the O2 graphics and apps - if you want ;-) If you have ANY issues with your Universal, bite the bullet and do this; you'll see that the following setup process is not as brutal as you'd expect (I can run thro it in about half an hour - but I've done it many times and have all the apps lined up and ready).
Optional soft reset: Some pppl like to soft reset BEFORE the device installs the default apps. On this ROM, there's no performance improvement, no memory imporvement that can't be covered later (backgammon etc), and potentially some important losses that I didn't hang around long enough to discover.
Sync: Now sync with your PC to get your contacts, calendar and tasks. This is only here to get you up and running asap.
Pocket Mechanic: Download (www.antontomov.com) and install this essential app. You have a few days on trial, and it's necessary for the next steps
Notification Queue: This can be done later, but it's nice to get familiar with this process whilst your queue is small. Using PM, open the notification queue. You may already (yes!) find some duplicate (yellow icon) sddeamon entries. These seem to replicate during an activesync. You can/must delete all duplicates from time to time. You will also, in future, find some "\.\\Notification.....SCRIPT..." entries. Keep an eye out for these. Most mature within minutes of you finding them, so let them expire. Many are future-dated and tightly back-to-back. These can nearly always (I've never had a regret) be deleted without repercussions. If you don't manage these, they tend to breed, and anyone with XDA experience knows what happens when your queue fills up (failed alarms etc). I'm unclear as to where these come from - undoutedly an app that is not behaving elegantly (regular registration checks etc), and if you follow the steps on this post you should NOT find any - ie the apps here do not seem to be culprits. But, keep an eye open...
Registry cleanup: Again, this can be done later, however you'll soon see the beenfit of doing it now. Using PM, run registry cleaner. You'll get around 6 entries, all of which can safely be deleted. If you did not follow step 1, you may have to examine eahc entry to see if the O2 ROM is messier. The beauty of this step is that from now on, you can safely clean everything that PM finds in the knowledge that it's a leave-behind from an app you installed, and now you can install, de-install, and provided you clean up the directories (easy) you KNOW for sure that you've completely gotten rid of the failed app. Winner!
Task closer: Now it's time for your task manager. There's a lot of coverage on this, and any of the following seem to do the trick, ranked in order of simplicity thro to possibly problematic:[list:333ba237cf]
Magic Button (free, includes battery line on top of screen)
GSPocketMagic++ (free, includes cascading menu. Some MDA Exec users claim that it closes something awful that O2 installs, and solves a 7 second flip issue. SEVEN SECONDS!!! If you implemented step 1, you should not have this problem to solve anyway)
spbPocketPlus (not free, and do not allow it to show any storage meters. There are some bad posts on spb, but I've found it just as good as the above, altho it takes up slightly more memory)
WisbarAdvance2 (not free, HUGE footprint, definite performance issues BUT it skins your Universal SO beautifully, that I've gone with this and WAD - desktop plugin)
[*]Basic apps: Now there are a few no-brainer apps to install, that no-one disputes and that are all free. NO BRAINERS:
Total commander (free, replacement for file explorer - way way better)
TCPMP (free, replaces media player, more formats, full screen, way way better)
Batti (free, battry bar on top of screen like spbPocketPlus, small footprint, but if u r using MagicButton you already get this)
TRE (free, registry editor, necessary to run .reg files covered later)
IIWPO (free, AWESOME concept; If your owner info is changed, it SMS's the number you've set with new SIM number and new 'owner' details. Great if someone steals your Universal. Don't bother if u r not happy with a little installation effort)
BT icon (free, on this board somewhere, gives u an icon on your today tray that shows BT status and allows u to jumps to settings>connections>BT)
BT switch (free, on this board somewhere, several apps that turn BT on, off, or toggle)
Battery Uptime (Optional: free, today plugin that tells u the battery status BUT it's way more useful: you get to see actual running time vs uptime, and remaining running time. This gives u a good feel for your battery consumption rate under different scenarios and helps overcome a LOT of concerns around thinking you are draining faster when actually you are just using the device more)
apReminderPlus (free, AWESOME repeating alarms. Beauty of this is that is seems to be independent of WM5, in that it keeps an eye open for any alarms, and pops up to do its thing if it sees one. WAY beter than built in repeat system, and makes me feel good that I have alarms covered off in case the old wm2003 bugs start to appear again)
VJSMS (free, on this board, gives u 1-click to send an SMS. Note that .lnk file should read as follows INCLUDING inverted commas:
\Storage Card\Program Files\VJApps\vjsms.exe" "123
Change path and number of course. Number can also be a name.
Sad to report that VJDailer doesn't work on the universal. This would be awesome
[*]Settings: Time to do your basic settings:
speed dials
power and backlight
voice dials
Owner info
ringtones and notifications
DO NOT set regional settings if u r using PI (below)
[*]PIM: OK, time to replace the CRAP calendar built into WM5. CRAP CRAP CRAP! Disgracefully, embarassingly CRAP. Hell, symbian ship better default apps with the OLD Psion S3 and S5 than this! Now, I use PocketInformant. Latest release works well on JJ with 2 livable issues: Landscape flip screws up Monday/Tuesday in week view, and you MUST NOT set any regional settings what-so-ever, else you get the blank calendar view bug. AgendaFusion is due for a WM5 release any day now. Other than that, I don't think there is much that works on the Universal - correct?? :?:
[*]Reg fixes: Now there are a few no-brainer registry hacks that you should run. You can find these as cab files on this board, as registry keys under the wiki page, else as .reg files on one of my earlier posts (fastest method):
Buzz's BT headset (prevents BT from turning off over night - no brainer! Thanks buzz!!)
"Always on GPRS" (search this board - keeps GPRS/UMTS turned on - awesome!)
Date & time in title bar (why not)
Menu and popup fonts 700 vs 900 (it's cosmetic, but on our nice VGA screens, it seems daft to have a look n feel that's SO QVGA)
PIE homepage (prevent 'e' button from going to clubimate page)
Terminal services cache (increased cache uses memory during terminal services, but it's WELL worth it to eliminate black blocking issues)
Turn IR off (unless you have a good reason for keeping it on)
[*]Extra apps: There are several very useful apps, that work reliably and do not have an adverse impact on your Universal.
eWallet (not free, desktop sync does not work, but rest is very useful)
Pocket sudoku (not free, but it's SO much fun!)
Mobipocket reader (skinny version is free, for mobipocket ebooks - ebooks fully being 25% of your devices functionality along with PIM, phone and internet access. Google beta 5 version with full VGA support)
uBook (more eBook formats. Not free but usable. VGA support)
1-calc (cos built in calculator is SO crap)
GPRS traffic monitor: We need a GPRS/3G monitor. spbGPRS monitor does NOT track the usage of yoru device as a 3G modem - which is where u chew up traffic costs. IP Dashboard has similar issues.
[*]Memory:Now, I'm the first to say that I don;t fully get this yet. There are a few things that the posts suggest should reduce program or storage memory - but don't really seem to do so. Try them and let me know results with more scientific before and after checking please:
Remove backgammon & skype, and re-install to SD card
Remove the 1Mb .tsk themes from the \Windows directory. You cannot delete them, you have to create new files that are smaller and copy them into \Windows and overrwite the larger files. Search this board for some sample small files provided. I didn't find that I got any memory back...???
Ditto for .cab files in \Windows
Do not use these big theme files - by using smaller themes you should get more program memory.
A couple of dudes have started threads on getting more memory and clearing out \windows files - but there are no good responses yet...
[/list:333ba237cf]
Right, that's it! As I said above, I welcome input and feedback - but let's keep it hi quality so that this post perhaps gets stickied and we can get less of the "Buy my JasJar before I post it on eBay posts". Of course there are a load more apps you can add, but most give issues (eg TomTom) and posts on this board cover working around them for ppl who have to have these apps. This was a good, strong, basic config.
Hope this is helpful to some.
Some well-thought out words there, craigiecraigie4. However, I'm a firm believer that it's a bad move to install anything that I REALLY don't need. So far, my MDA Pro has a default installation. None of these "essential apps" are necessary. Indeed, half of them seem to only exist so that you can add other "essential apps" :wink:
If/when a better browser comes along, I'll investigate. Other than that, I find the messaging client perfect (works nicely against Exchange server); Terminal Services could be better - just giving me true full-screen support would be enough. And I'd like better Wifi support - I want, for example, to be able to name my SSID. IMHO, with desktop PCs as much as with PDAs, every time you install a piece of software, it ultimately makes the system *worse*. ie the result is a damned site less than the sum of the parts.
so, taking each point with my (possibly unique, certainly cynical) POV
1. ROM Upgrade
Didn't bother. It adds nothing that I'd use apart from MSN and that would just suck up time that should be spent on worthwhile things :lol:
2. Optional soft reset
Yeah, I may do this but, TBH, T Mobile install very little stuff and it seems to work, so I ain't fixin' it.
3. N/A
4. Pocket Mechanic
I can't see that I need this.
5. Not quite sure what the problem here is. I've been using XDAs since day 1 and never encountered the problem. YMMV
6. Registry cleanup
Never assume that some badly-written software doesn't depend on some default or illogical registry setting. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
7. Task closer
OK, not a "two-click" operation, but in Settings/Memory, I can close running applications. No new software needed.
8. Basic apps
Total commander - erm, yeah, it's nice and everything and does a better job than the standard affair. However, 99.99% of the time, error: +/- 0.01%, I find I don't actually need any of that extra fluff.
TCPMP - granted, I only use MP to listen to WMAs I record off the radio to listen to later.
Batti - On my Today screen, there's a little icon I tap and it shows me my battery state. I can also see this using Settings/Power (or whatever it is)
TRE - See previous warning about effing about with your registry
IIWPO - nice idea :lol: but no substitute for insurance or taking care
BT icon, BT switch - I've never used Bluetooth in my life. YMMV
Battery Uptime - See prior comment about battery state indicator
etc
I'm sure that more people will find your advice usefull than mine, but just like to point out that, out of the box, these devices (at least MDA Pro) seem not to be too wide of the mark. For me, at least.
This is very helpful...thanx!
You mentioned that the soft reset before installation of imate stuff may lead to some problems in the long run. As I have opted for this strategy and have only installed two cab files (btpatch and a file that brings up the smart dialing), I would appreciate it if you could tell us what kind of problems we might confront. Also, is it too late to add these cab files after the fact (that is given we have synched contacts and added other programs)?
Cheers, apap
craigiecraigie4 - very useful advice, I think for everyone with a PPC. I don't have a universal, but good tips either way.
I didn't realise VJDialer doesn't work on WM5. I'll look into updating it when I get a new version of Visual Studio (or a WM5 device!).
Good work man!
V
Hi VJ - yeah, I'm afraid that there are a couple of posts on your primary thread about the "no command line specified" - no matter what combinations we try in the .lnk file. Saw your comment that another crowd charges for such an app. I'd happily contribute for the benefit of quick-dials - would be awesome along with WAD. You might want to mention your app on the WAD (lakeridgesoftware) forums - many 2003 users there who would LOVE this. With WAD u can have popup boxes on your skin, so with vjdialer one can popup and view of quickdials. awesome.
craigiecraigie4 said:
[*]Buzz's BT headset (prevents BT from turning off over night - no brainer! Thanks buzz!!)
[*]Menu and popup fonts 700 vs 900 (it's cosmetic, but on our nice VGA screens, it seems daft to have a look n feel that's SO QVGA{)
/quote]
where can i get the 2 things above...looked but cant find
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vijay555 said:
craigiecraigie4 - very useful advice, I think for everyone with a PPC. I don't have a universal, but good tips either way.
I didn't realise VJDialer doesn't work on WM5. I'll look into updating it when I get a new version of Visual Studio (or a WM5 device!).
Good work man!
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi vijay!
I'm running on wm5 on my xda2....and am using vjdialer and vjsms extensively!
I dont think there are any problems with VJDialer's compatibility with wm5....
S
spbPocketPlus (not free, and do not allow it to show any storage meters. There are some bad posts on spb, but I've found it just as good as the above, altho it takes up slightly more memory)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have this running on my Exec and have storage indicators for memory and SD card on today screen, or are you talking about something else?
Btw, I found that my Exec runs faster with pocket plus than it did with magic button and pocketmagic++
Cheers
J
craigiecraigie4
Thank you VERY much for your extensive effort - this really does helps a lot :!:
That's an awesome post craigiecraigie4, some hard work went into that one dude.
Now my post below is not intended to be better than the original, merely another option. craigiecraigie4's use of the device is obviously a lot different to mine, as I work in an office, and am out of connectivity for maybe 3 hours of travel a day max, and never at weekends unless I go out. I'm on a scooter or a tube train so no connectivity is possible during travel for me.
What we are describing is our comfortable loadsets or configurations of our little systems, and that's what the stuff down here is, the Bongo configuration if you will. :lol:
I have made my comments against craigiecraigie4's original titles, and added a few apps of my own that I have.
[*]Weirdness for Hallowe'en :shock: After a hard reset, then sometimes the crosshair pointer setup would be real slow, and others it would be fast. Just in case, I did it until I had a fast one and proceeded from there. Don't know what/if any difference it makes, but that's what I do.
[*]ROM Upgrade: As there aren't any upgrade ROM's out there execept for the iMate one, I wouldn't until the new carrier ROM's are posted. I agree with CraigieCraigie though. Sooo, why not then? Warranty is the answer. Although I think in reality they wouldn't wash their hands of you just because you dared to use someone else's ROM, the carrier techies are generally not allowed to instruct you in the art of repairing your device with anyone else's ROM except their own, and so you would need to wait until your carrier released an upgrade and they could tell you how to do it.
[*]Optional soft reset: Definitely. And be selective about the manual .cab installs (installing total commander or the like first to see the Ext ROM). There's generally something in there that forces the device to behave in a way you don't like. An example is the internet button taking me to the t-mobile home page all the time. I hate that so I didn't install the relevant .cab.
[*]Sync: Now sync with your PC to get your contacts, calendar and tasks. This is only here to get you up and running asap. <-yeah man
[*]Pocket Mechanic: Download (www.antontomov.com) I bought this. It's good meaty tools you would get in a full Windows OS that M$ didn't put in WM5 yet.
[*]Notification Queue: Did it once, didn't do it after my last hard reset and TBH, haven't felt a need. I probably would do if I installed it and saw a gazillion notifications spamming my inners up. :lol:
[*]Registry cleanup: Haven't done it, but a careful look and selective delete may be of some use. Can't be arsed is the honest answer
[*]Task closer: Haven't bothered this time to minimise my number of concurrently running programs (absurd logic eh :wink: ). I only use a certain few apps, and as they're few don't notice a big slowdown from having them minimised if they don't close fully
[*]Basic apps: Here are Craigie's apps with my comment, and my loadset apps
Total commander - yeah man, schmokin
TCPMP - I only use mp3's so no point for me. Perhaps if I need to watch videos I will reinstall it.
Batti - I use Spb GPRS Monitor, v2.3.0, b525, and it has a battery icon, and I have the icon on my today screen, and I can guess it most of the time.
TRE - I use BitsInside Regedit. Also free and I like the Win 98 feel to it.
IIWPO - Great idea, I didn't know it worked on Universals. I will do this cos you never know if it might lead you to a thief. They'd have to be non-savvy theives of course else they'd hard reset it before using the new SIM
BT icon - I use the FN + -> combination to get there or the connectivity icon on the status bar.
BT switch - as above
Battery Uptime - If you want to learn then great
apReminderPlus - I don't use the alarm function
VJSMS - Inbuilt in WM5 is fine so far for my needs
Agile messenger - very thrifty use of bandwidth, like <10% of MSN (really) and free at the moment, but will pay for itself in bandwidth charges very quickly for most people. Suck it and see
GPS Viewer - because I have a Holux GPS and want to verify connectivity sometimes
Pocket Hack Master - because I like to crank it up to delightfully unstable 624MHz sometimes, but haven't need to with my installation as described here oddly enough. It's fast enough for me so far.
Pocket MSN because I want the Hotmail to appear in my messages application. I use Agile to IM people as above
TomTom Navigator 5.1 because it's awesome
[*]Settings: Time to do your basic settings:
speed dials
power and backlight
voice dials
Owner info
ringtones and notifications
DO NOT set regional settings if u r using PI (below)
[*]PIM: OK, time to replace the CRAP calendar built into WM5 - I agree it's crap, but I don't need a decent one. I am a simple soul.
[*]Reg fixes: - If you want to
Buzz's BT headset - haven't noticed this issue yet, bet I will tomorrow morning now though
"Always on GPRS" No good for me - 40megs/month tariff limit
Date & time in title bar (why not) - cos I know the date and time.
Menu and popup fonts 700 vs 900 - haven't done it yet. I like the size
PIE homepage - is done for me through my selective Ext ROM install
Terminal services cache - I don't use it yet
Turn IR off - yeah agreed waste of space most of the time.
[*]Extra apps:
eWallet - I don't keep details like that on my phones.
Pocket sudoku - I read books, so insert MS Reader for me there
Mobipocket reader - doesn't support .lit (MS format), and I read .lits and .docs so far. Wait until I run out of books though... :lol:
uBook - haven't needed it ....yet
1-calc - but the inbuilt calc does +, -, * and / so it's cool for me. I'm not a physicist
GPRS traffic monitor - spb is fine for me as I don't use it as a modem due to bandwidth limitations and being surrounded by connectivity in London.
[*]Memory:Haven't done these, but they look sensible if you can be arsed
Remove backgammon & skype, and re-install to SD card - I don't have them or use them anyway. How do you play backgammon? I went to a comprehensive school
Remove the 1Mb .tsk themes from the \Windows directory. I only have 3 default ones and use the standard blue theme. Functionality and not form is my motto :wink:
Do not use these big theme files - Good advice bro' (or sis)
Hope this is helpful to some other people :lol:
hi
Does ROM update invalidates the manufacture warranty?
Jatt
Menu and popup fonts
can anyone explain how to change the Menu and popup fonts from 700 to 900. Is it a registry hack?
jatt said:
hi
Does ROM update invalidates the manufacture warranty?
Jatt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would need to ring them up and enquire. With t-mobile, the tech dude just said they wouldn't be able to help me if I bricked my MDA until t-mobile released a ROM that I could download and use to revive the MDA. So, not invalidated for me, just much reduced support. Until a new ROM si out, all they can do with misbehaving devices is offer a replacement at the moment.
Illwil - the font size is a registry hack - search as it's here on this site somewhere.
joebongo: nice perspective. now users can see 2 extremes; O2 with much office usage, vs HTC with much out-n-about usage. Thanx 4 the effort.
illwil : search for my post on reg tweaks and run the .ren file 2 got 700->900 or rather 900->700
codiac: agree. I fiund spbPP 2 b perfectly well behaved, but there is so much bad press on it in this forum. perhas it's an O2 rom issue - pretty sad 4 them actually
xiasma: there truly do see 2 b an awful lot of ppl who think their universal is junk. this is intended 2 help them get up n running. some ppl got lucky (htc rom or just happy with functionality that actually works well) and they probably should not fix what aint broke. But one day they may want 2 push the envelope a little...
craigiecraigie4 said:
codiac: agree. I fiund spbPP 2 b perfectly well behaved, but there is so much bad press on it in this forum. perhas it's an O2 rom issue - pretty sad 4 them actually
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PocketPlus is working OK for me on my O2 Exec...
Hello Everyone.
I proudly received my Exec this morning, only to find that it ran like a bag of S**t.
I removed the connections.exe, and the active files from my windows/start up folder and things improved dramatically.
However I am having a problem with the activesync.
I have set up the partnership with my laptop running activesync 4 and when it communcates it does it without any problems, however as soon as I connect my usb cable between my Exec and my laptop it takes a few minutes for the charging LED to come on on my Exec, and a while longer before Activsync on my pc recoginses it.
Does anyone else suffer from this problem?
Cheers
You removed connections.exe and now u have a connection problem...
Try removing things 1 at a time.
I definitely don't have this problem.
FYI, on my HTC all I have under startup is:
sddeamon.lnk
batti (i installed)
apreminderplus (me)
iiwpo (me)
O2 is definitely adding stuff that does not seem 2 b required by htc.
The only shortcut I have in my Windows\Startup folder is 'Services' and I have no problem with ActiveSync, voice dialling (with the built-in dialler) or anything else. I have no idea what the sddaemon one does but mine runs fine without it.
fatspark, your problem might lie with your laptop rather than the Exec? As a test though, are you able to try ActiveSyncing over Bluetooth? See if it's any quicker. If so then maybe it's a USB problem. Dunno.
IIWPO
Can someone explain how to install the IIWPO in the extended ROM on the JASJAR ?
I think it is different than the EXEC, where can I find instructions ? I am willing to handle the hassle
Cheers SiliconS
The problem is a driver issue on one of my laptops, I installed activsync 4 onto another one and all is ok.
Cheers.
Fatzzz

New XDA Mini S - Too slow to use ...even in 'Corporate Mode'

Hello
I have just purchased a new XDA Mini S - to replace my dying XDA II (which was giving me electrical shocks and starting to lose data).
Ash (an extremely knowledgeable and helpful O2 shop assistant in Uxbridge) directed me to this site so I could get the details required to to set-up and run my new PDA in Corporate mode.
After set-up was completed, I synchronised the Mini with my work computer (via Activesynch 4.1) - allowing me to download my calender, task and contact items.
And that's it so far!! ...no other memory-intensive applications installed, ...no massive ringtone files, ...nothing!!
However, the unit is running very slow in comparison to my old XDA II. When I am working in the Calender application and go forward several weeks, followed by selecting the 'return to today' icon, it takes about 10 seconds to react. Similar behaviour exists in 'Tasks', when returning to the 'Today screen', and when using the menus - so, basically, all of the time. My previous unit reacted instantly - and that was fully loaded with software.
What can I do? I love the new Mini and the upgraded spec it offers - but is is unworkable - as described above.
If I invested in a mini-SD card could I utilise the additional space as program memory rather than storage?
Hopefully somebody can help. I am reasonably I.T. savvy - but only as a user and not much experience at progrommer / developer level - so basic intructions my be needed!!
Thanks in advance
Gary
I think my previous message was too long...
Basically, how can i speed up my XDA Mini S which is already running in Corporate Mode?
Thanks
Gary
Soft-reset once a day? My Vario runs acceptably quickly after a soft-reset, but slows down over time.
Hi Zathras
Thanks for the tip...
...but I have been 'soft-resetting' several times per day - and it doesn't seem to help.
I do have several years of appointments in my diary. Would reducing this to only 2 weeks of history help?
Thanks
Gary
Hi Gary,
I had a Magician before and also feel the 02 mini s (Wizard) is way slower.
I have read elsewhere that the Wizard has a silly anti-virus program that always runs in memory and will chew up memory.
The boards indicate that to use a different extended rom. The only problem is I cannot get a view on which portions of the o2 Rom should be deleted and which should be kept.
Let me know if you find a way.
Thanks
Adrian
I have noticed a few times after running active snc on my mini s it slows right down till i soft reset.
could it be the same problem?
Hi Adrian
Thanks for your help...
I'm not a programmer / developer - so wouldn't know where to start with ROM edits, etc...
Knowing my luck I would probably do something unrecoverable!!
Is there an easy way to do this? Is it done in the Wizard directly - or via the PC?
...and is it a file that's viewable in explorer?
Excuse my basic approach to all of this. Maybe there is a tutorial somewhere on the boards...
Thanks
Gary
does it slow down after active sync has run ?
Goto to settings memory and make sure all your programs are shut down especially activesync as this seems to slow it down more than anything. Also download check notifications and remove any entries in red that have probably appeared especially if you have been soft resetting several times per day.
You really should see a speed increase if you complete the above. Activesync really does slow your wizard down and more than a few duplicate entries found and removed with check notifications will really help.
See if that helps.
It seems to be the same before and after activesynch!!!
I closed down all running programs and the Calendar is still dead slow...
How do you 'download check notications'?
Thanks again
Gary
http://www.scarybearsoftware.com/ppc_cn_overview.html
Thanks for your help
Do I need to install both 'Check Notifications' and 'Notification Clearfix'.
I am correct in presuming that 'Notification Clearfix' prevents future duplications whereas 'Check Notifications' lets you see all events, whether or not thet are offending?
Gary
try tweaks 2k2 there are some reg hack that help with peformance
I've installed the one that runs at startup, but it only helps clean up the list at startup - not after startup; so if you add alarms/etc., the list can get mucky again. So I've also got it under an icon to run from time to time Need to find a nice scheduling application that can run other applications - just have it run every 8 hours or so
Try some other apps apart from your calendar, it could be that there is just too much info in there. You may just find its not as speedy as your last device, but thats just the way it is. Its a trade off and maybe if the speed is a big issue the wizard isnt for you.
I heard a lot of people saying the wizard is slow before I bought one, but I found its speed fine for what I expect from the device. I find my uni much quicker, but again its that trade off, my uni is much bigger.
The wizard needs to be loved for what it is not for what you want it to be. :lol:
I'm trying to love it - believe me !!!
...it is only the speed of the calendar searches that really annoys me - I can cope with the sluggish moments.
And I have just discovered something... when you cross one month to the next, the calendar freezes
If someone can do the following for me - it will verify whether it is specifically my unit that is at fault.
Open Calendar, switch to 'Agenda View', and then, using the directional keypad, arrow right until you cross over one month - say January to February. Does the calendar stop working?
When it rcovers, hit the 'go to today' icon. What happens?
I think there is a bug!!
Gary
Got the mini s ab out a month ago from O2 shop. I just did a hard reset and didn't install any of the O2 crap. Is running quite fast and everything just seems fine. I have tried what you said on the calendar. I don't have any problem. The calendar program just keep running without stopping or anything. After I close the calendar, I pressed on the 'Today' button and everything seems fine.
Thanks for trying for me - I appreciate it...
I just need to find a solution that works for me.
I already have the most basic install possible - corporate mode - so wonder if there are any more avenues to go down...
Cheers for now
Gary
Garrington said:
And I have just discovered something... when you cross one month to the next, the calendar freezes....I think there is a bug!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just tried this on my Charmer in case it was a WM5 bug and I can't replicate it - all works fine.
Try doing a hard reset, and then just when the little box comes up saying something like 'customising in 3 seconds' quickly press the soft-reset button.
Voila! - basic WM5 with no more o2 crap installed! You'll have to set up the gprs and mms yourself, but if you phone cust. sevices then they can e-mail you the instructions...
It should run faster than before.

Slow Changing of Input Method?

Guys, I have a question.
I used to have an iPaq 6300 running WiMo 2003, when selecting input methods there is an arrow beside the input method you click on to bring up the menu that lets you choose between Keyboard, Block Recognizer, Transcriber or Letter Recognizer. This was instantaneous! The moment you press the arrow, the menu pops up and you can switch input methods instantly.
On my new Atom Exec though this is not the case. You have to press the input method icon first, which brings up the arrow, then click on the arrow, then wait like a minute before the menu pops up. What gives? Is this really how all WiMo5 devices work? Is this a problem with WiMo5 or with the Atom Exec in particular?
It is annoying because it makes it harder to switch between input methods. Could someone tell me the score on this?
Thanks,
My bad, I fiddled around with the Atom a bit more and fixed the problem by doing a Hard Reset. Now I set the PPC back up to how I like it and it's working flawlessly.
Hmm after some time the problem seems to be back. It looks like the phone bogs down with stuff after a while, causing this problem. I don't feel like reformatting, does anyone have a fix, or a program that cleans up and optimizes your PPC?
this is an issue of WM5.
It also happens to WM6. The more applications you installed, the slower it will get (not sure what kind of application though). Well, Atom Life has 1GB of ROM. Of course people will start installing a lot of applications.
Anyway, I read somewhere in the forum stating that if you have more than 10 today plugin installed, the SIP will take a some time to appear. The plugins don't necessary be active. I mean, the ones not active are also counted. I have not confirmed this yet though.
I have more than 40 programs installed in my atom. It didn't slow down that much (only 5 to 10%) but what I usually do is to backup everything first before I install anything. At the first sign of speed reduction or bugs, I just do a restore. I have more than 15 today plug-ins both active and inactive. However, one thing I noticed is that it is better if you install your non-essentials to your sd card. It doesn't matter if you do a hard reset, they will still be there and if you use a tray launcher or clauncher, you can configure the icons to reappear even if you do not re-install them. This way, you reduce the clutter in your main memory and at the same time save you the trouble of re-installing. The reconfiguration of the executable icon will take some time but it is still faster than re-installing 30+ programs. It is important though to maintain a storage of no less than 17MB. Once you go below this, you will really see the reduction in speed and will be pissed off with your PPC. By the way, do not use Opera or any modified IE (tab browsing and downloading. by the way, Opera is good with downloading but sucks in handling your PPC's memory) while doing something else with your PPC. It will really really slow down your PPC.
i posted this same thread sometime ago, but there was no solution. At last i discover the culprit. I see the difference in speed when i install Embedded Windows VB Runtimes. regardless whether i install it in the memory card or the main memory.
Got this info from another site, it really works.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
make WM5 SIP faster (加快輸入法) (not a joke)
X51V ENG A12 + Ce-Star 2.8R2A + Monster SIP + MS IME for JAP works well.
But I am not very sure "every WM5 PPC" works well, too.
After installing a lot of softwares, WM5 SIP becomes slow.
You can make it fast again.
1. install resco explorer 5.42 and resco registry at \Device
2. use resco registry to export the registry of
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID
to a file (like CLSID.reg) at PPC, or SD, or CF
donnot edit or modify CLSID.reg
3. use resco registry to delete CLSID
4. use resco explorer to execute CLSID.reg to import the registry CLSID back
5. turn off PPC, soft reset
It is amazing like magic.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Weird... it really works. Everything back to normal. Menu is displayed instantly after tapping on the list button.
I'm using Atom Life WM6, so this mean that it also works for WM6.
Urk Double Post
Aha! O2's proprietary software is a bunch of Today plugins! That may be the culprit. I noticed the a while later though after the O2 software was installed.
I have no perceptible slowdown on the Exec other than the input method switching. I just need to fix that!
My main memory is about 85% free (83.6MB) and yes I do install all the non-essentials to the SD card.
MightyOx I'll try your method hopefully this fixes this issue. While "upgrading" to WM5 I thought it would be a completely better experience, but I'm finding WM5 has issues and that quite a few things were done better in WM2K3 (like the SIP switching speed) or how about creating a new SMS message in WM2K3 you only needed 2 taps here in WM5 you need 3. *roll eyes* sometimes I wonder what developers are thinking when they take steps backwards like this.
On the other hand I love being able to rotate the screen, and Voice Command 1.6 was totally worth it.
Mochan said:
Aha! O2's proprietary software is a bunch of Today plugins! That may be the culprit. I noticed the a while later though after the O2 software was installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not O2's software. It just happen to be the next software you've installed before the problem show itself. It can be any software. As I said in my previous post, it will happen after you've installed a certain number of software. I think it is WM5 and WM6 related.
Anyway, the workaround is already posted. So, I have no more complain about this problem.
Yeah, looks like it's not. I tried Mightyox's method, THANK YOU SIR my Atom is running fine again. It's like once you pile over some registry entries over the CLSID directory, it takes time to get it. So the solution is to delete the registry key and "re-enter" it so it goes back on top. Very strange but if it works then more power.
Tried it on my flame...Wow...works like a charm

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