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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
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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
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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
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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...
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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
I have no idea what is going on with my Exec and have to keep resetting it all the time to get back the program memory which drops to between 2 and 3mb frequently even when there are no programmes running. Is this normal?
Here is what I have installed on my Exec:
Batter Bar
Program Bar
Pocket Breeze
All the above on the Today Screen.
Besides, I have Net Front
Resco File Explorer and thats pretty much it.
Last night, when surfing with Net Front, I got the error, not enough memory to open programme and then Net front shut down. I checked, the program memory was down to 2.3mb. Closed all the open programmes (only text messages and calender were open) and also went to task manager and closed all running programmes.
Thereafter, the Progam memory went up to 3mb.
But that is where it stayed unfortunately till I ultimately had to reset it and it came back to about 16mb. After texting a little and also opening my appointments, it was down again to 10mb.
I am kind of frustrated actually..... is this expected of the Exec? On my XDA II, I always had in excess of about 50Mb available and maybe that is why it is twice as fast as the universal.
PLEASE HELP......WHAT CAN I DO? THANKS ALL.
Cheers, Vikas.
PS: Spent the last two days searching for any solution on these boards visavis old posts but didnt find out how to and hence this request.
I really really appreciate all those who can help out and thank you all in anticipation.
there isnt a solution, your screwed....
Some "options" for you to consider:
soft reset regularly to get it back
use 02 corporate not the mickey mouse retail version (I use imate)
beware of all "additional" fat that the device comes with by default
read these forums in detail (about 1 month), the sticky at the beginning of the universal forum by craigie4craigie is a really really good start though highly detailed
watch out for what you sychronise, one person had a 12 megabyte PIM file for calendars and contacts. mine was 5meg due to all the calendars, so I stopped syncing all calendards and wound it back to 1meg by doing only the last two weeks.
check your emails, mms, and text files, keep em clean and clear. if syncing emails, only sync the headers or 5kb, dont do attachments.
your today screen additions are always resource hungry, and suck memory. my SPB Pocket Plus, with Weather, and Diary sucks about 8meg (28 startup without anything to 20meg), and slowly dwindles down to 10meg when I soft reset.
As it likes to cache the entire website, I did find one circumstance where for some reason the website was absoloutely massive, with pictures, giffs, fonts etc, and this zapped my memory from 20meg to 3meg. When it closed, it went back upto 12meg.
A couple of files on this site are being tested to kill unused apps memory resources, which is slightly effective.
You really want to try and keep your boot up memory to about 20meg, and it will drop to about 10meg during a days heavy usage.
Consider getting rid off:
Batter Bar
Program Bar
I have heard elsewhere that the Batter Bar in particular wasnt good for the device. As I have never really heard of either and have read lots in these forums for a year or so, then its not a good thing that I dont know of them. Maybe somebody else here could correct it.
Generally, reliable applications that you can use are SPB, Resco, and SBSH each have their own pros and cons. SPB can slow it down also, but it isnt that extensive, and if I find I really need the speed, I just disable it from the today screen, I am beta testing the newer release at the moment.
Activesync left sync'ing all day can easily kill 10meg of my memory over the whole day.
Also, what is actually in your startups, not just the today screen. With my imate, there was about 4 on install, and I got rid of all of them entirely.
There are so many tweaks, hacks, and improvements, and modifications that can be done.
Firstly though, ensure you are in corporate mode from what I have ready about the 02 version.
Seriously think about the hard reset, then be really choosely about what you install, and to where. Test each extensively after each install.
Anyway, thats enough for the moment, let me know your opionions....
So basically I'm screwed.... dont know if I like the sound of that but am sure that is the truth. :lol:
Oh well. Simon, would like to say how much I appreciate your reply and your taking the time to write all this down, that is indeed very nice of you and thanks again for this.
Regarding your message:
1. Yup will keep resetting especially after syncing (at work my Exec is always syncing/charging so guess need to reset once a day)
2. Yup using Corporate mode and not the ghastly slow O2 active desktop
3. Read and followed the Sticky post regarding tips and tricks for the Exec, installed Pocket Mechanic and did a registry cleanup along with deleting most notifications.
4. Synced my contacts/calender etc, about 4.5 Megs
5. Sms's I delete regularly so not more thatn 30 at one time. Emails are usually deleted and hardly any on the Exec.
6. Guess my batter pack and programme bar along with pocket breeze must be using up the RAM as when I soft reset, have about 18 to 19 MB free at that point which dwindles down to about 10 mb during the course of the day. If using Active Sync and then NetFront or Opera, this goes down to about 2/3MB
7. Sorry about battery bar, but meant battery pack pro (gosh I sould like such a dolt). I should get rid of it? Along with Programme Bar? What is a good alternative? SPB POcket Plus?
8. Not much else on the Today screen, just the Battery Pack Pro, Programme Bar & Pocket Breeze thats it.
Will try out your suggestion of doing a Hard Reset and loading again selective programmes, guess I need to figure out which ones even though I like the ones I have on right now. What do you think?
Once again, can't tell you how much I appreciate your taking the time and effort to help out. Thanks a ton.
Cheers, Vikas.
simon_darley said:
there isnt a solution, your screwed....
Some "options" for you to consider:
soft reset regularly to get it back
use 02 corporate not the mickey mouse retail version (I use imate)
beware of all "additional" fat that the device comes with by default
read these forums in detail (about 1 month), the sticky at the beginning of the universal forum by craigie4craigie is a really really good start though highly detailed
watch out for what you sychronise, one person had a 12 megabyte PIM file for calendars and contacts. mine was 5meg due to all the calendars, so I stopped syncing all calendards and wound it back to 1meg by doing only the last two weeks.
check your emails, mms, and text files, keep em clean and clear. if syncing emails, only sync the headers or 5kb, dont do attachments.
your today screen additions are always resource hungry, and suck memory. my SPB Pocket Plus, with Weather, and Diary sucks about 8meg (28 startup without anything to 20meg), and slowly dwindles down to 10meg when I soft reset.
As it likes to cache the entire website, I did find one circumstance where for some reason the website was absoloutely massive, with pictures, giffs, fonts etc, and this zapped my memory from 20meg to 3meg. When it closed, it went back upto 12meg.
A couple of files on this site are being tested to kill unused apps memory resources, which is slightly effective.
You really want to try and keep your boot up memory to about 20meg, and it will drop to about 10meg during a days heavy usage.
Consider getting rid off:
Batter Bar
Program Bar
I have heard elsewhere that the Batter Bar in particular wasnt good for the device. As I have never really heard of either and have read lots in these forums for a year or so, then its not a good thing that I dont know of them. Maybe somebody else here could correct it.
Generally, reliable applications that you can use are SPB, Resco, and SBSH each have their own pros and cons. SPB can slow it down also, but it isnt that extensive, and if I find I really need the speed, I just disable it from the today screen, I am beta testing the newer release at the moment.
Activesync left sync'ing all day can easily kill 10meg of my memory over the whole day.
Also, what is actually in your startups, not just the today screen. With my imate, there was about 4 on install, and I got rid of all of them entirely.
There are so many tweaks, hacks, and improvements, and modifications that can be done.
Firstly though, ensure you are in corporate mode from what I have ready about the 02 version.
Seriously think about the hard reset, then be really choosely about what you install, and to where. Test each extensively after each install.
Anyway, thats enough for the moment, let me know your opionions....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RE THIS:
7. Sorry about battery bar, but meant battery pack pro (gosh I sould like such a dolt). I should get rid of it? Along with Programme Bar? What is a good alternative? SPB POcket Plus?
8. Not much else on the Today screen, just the Battery Pack Pro, Programme Bar & Pocket Breeze thats it.
DESELECT THE FROM YOUR TODAY SCREEN, AND IF NECESSARY THE STARTUP DIRECTORY.
THEN CHOOSE EACH ONE SEPERATELY FOR THE DAY TO SEE THE IMPACT.
ACTIVESYNC IS SUCKING THE GUTS OUT OF IT.
Resco explorer comes with a free today programme plugin, which is memory efficient.
SPB PP will do journal bar and programme features in one, but has more memory overheads.
never used pocket breeze, but lots do abd isn't likely to be the cause of memory issue.
There is large volumes of info on this forum on memory loss, and most are anticipating a major ROM update to fix.... maybe hopefully, we'll see.
You can try use Memmaid of Dinarsoft to get a list of programs running in RAM and how much of the ram they are consuming, just to get an idea of which particular program is consuming the most ram.
Heres the pocketgear shortcut:
http://www.pocketgear.com/downloads.asp?product_id=14279&prodname=MemMaid (supports WM5) 1.5
Hope this helps you to find out what memory problems you have.
First of Simon, Thanks a lot once again.
Second, sorry for the late reply but was trying out your suggestions which I have to say are invaluable.
Did a Hard Reset a couple of days ago.
Loaded back on some programmes that I really require:
At start with no sync, nothing, Free Ram is 33 mb
I then synced with the computer after loading SOTI Pocket Professional
Total Pim size: 4.5Mb
Free ram at this stage: 25mb
Then loaded on the following:
Rescoe File Explorer along with Resco Today add on
Pocket Breeze (maybe I should look for an alternative?)
Memaid
Net Front 3.3
Memory at this stage is now 22mb or so after a soft reset.
Now really missed the program bar (from Battery pack pro) so installed the Magic Button (Great programme) and PsShutXp.
Total ram now after all this, about 22mb after soft reset, normal usage, with contacts, calender, text messages open, about 18mb.
Guess I can live with this. Maybe removing battery pack pro was the solution.
Of course, the moment I connect to active sync (its on active syn the whole time I'm at the office), the ram goes down to 9mb. Guess that really sucks memory.
Now, maybe I also need to get rid of Pocket Breeze and install some other s/w to replicate it but without too much loss of RAM.
Thanks to you Simon, started using the Resco Today Plug in which I am sure hardly uses much ram. And is not bad at all.
Didnt use pocket plus as most report memory issues with it.
Certainly hope that the new ROM fixes these memory leak problems. Thanks a lot again. The Exec is now faster than before but its sad that they would make this device without enough memory or with issues such as this. The XDAII never had any such problems and to be honest, I still miss it.
Cheers, Vikas.
simon_darley said:
RE THIS:
7. Sorry about battery bar, but meant battery pack pro (gosh I sould like such a dolt). I should get rid of it? Along with Programme Bar? What is a good alternative? SPB POcket Plus?
8. Not much else on the Today screen, just the Battery Pack Pro, Programme Bar & Pocket Breeze thats it.
DESELECT THE FROM YOUR TODAY SCREEN, AND IF NECESSARY THE STARTUP DIRECTORY.
THEN CHOOSE EACH ONE SEPERATELY FOR THE DAY TO SEE THE IMPACT.
ACTIVESYNC IS SUCKING THE GUTS OUT OF IT.
Resco explorer comes with a free today programme plugin, which is memory efficient.
SPB PP will do journal bar and programme features in one, but has more memory overheads.
never used pocket breeze, but lots do abd isn't likely to be the cause of memory issue.
There is large volumes of info on this forum on memory loss, and most are anticipating a major ROM update to fix.... maybe hopefully, we'll see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dear Jorgee,
Many thanks for your email and took your advice and downloaded and installed Memaid. It does do the job of cleaning up the Exec well and am going to stick with this one. Thanks again.
Cheers, Vikas.
Jorgee said:
You can try use Memmaid of Dinarsoft to get a list of programs running in RAM and how much of the ram they are consuming, just to get an idea of which particular program is consuming the most ram.
Heres the pocketgear shortcut:
http://www.pocketgear.com/downloads.asp?product_id=14279&prodname=MemMaid (supports WM5) 1.5
Hope this helps you to find out what memory problems you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi guys,
just got my M5000, however i got 2 questions, its driving me mad and losing faith with my new purchase fast
I am a new owner so be gentle
1. Programs are still running, when i close them if i look in settings-->system--->memory, running programs still has programs running! do these stay forever? and i have to close them in here EVERYTIME?
2. do you guys have to reset the machine every so often? seems bizarre coming from a nokia phone. Is it normal to reset the phone?
1. The programs will stay running, they are designed to. Windows Mobile (5 in this case) will manage the memory, and when more is required, it will close down programs automatically.
There really is no need to keep closing them usually, unless you are about to do something where you specifically need a large amount of memory, and want to be sure...
2. What particular problems are you having that are requiring you to reset the device? I havent reset mine in weeks, maybe we can help? Define 'every so often'. Remeber, this is basically a mini PC running windows you have here, and as such will need to be restarted at times, just like your home pc.
thanks for the reply
1. ok a bit flawed wn5 design but i see why MS did it :twisted:
any cheap utility i can use thats reliable and safe?
2. i say 1 a day, but i play with it a lot as i only got it on friday evening
mstar said:
thanks for the reply
1. ok a bit flawed wn5 design but i see why MS did it :twisted:
any cheap utility i can use thats reliable and safe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Spb Pocket Plus is my favourite for this kind of stuff. It gives you shortcut buttons on the Today screen, as well as a Close button that really closes the programs, Safe Mode booting, etc.
They charge USD 24.95. Check it out here: http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/pocketplus/?en
mstar said:
thanks for the reply
1. ok a bit flawed wn5 design but i see why MS did it :twisted:
any cheap utility i can use thats reliable and safe?
2. i say 1 a day, but i play with it a lot as i only got it on friday evening
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Only had mine about 4 weeks - however have been using PPCs for about 8 years.
I have always been a loyal fan of pocket plus - but find it just too slow on the M5000. I have replaced all of that functionality with magic button(free), small menu(free-there is a plus version for a fee) and apreminder+(free)-all take much less space than ppc+!
Magic button allows you either close the app or minimise and even if you choose to close apps you can build an exception list just in case you want to leave any open!
At first I had to soft reset my device at least six times a day when i was messing around installing apps etc - now i would say its about 1 a day maybe every other day - it is quite stable, and with wm5 you never have to worry about loosing data if the battery gets disconnected or run down.
When I switched from Nokia - 2 things hit me battery life and soft reseting.
Matt
yer matt you notice these things when u move from a establised phone maker like Nokia.
However what is magic button? sorry me a newbie M500 owner
mstar said:
yer matt you notice these things when u move from a establised phone maker like Nokia.
However what is magic button? sorry me a newbie M500 owner
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.trancreative.com/mb.aspx
There you go - also has an option to soft reset your device so you dont have to keep prodding that hole - mind looks damaged already!
BTW :
apreminder+ is a repeating alarms utility (You'll notice that clock alarms repeat ok, but alarms for tasks or calender appts - do not repeat even if the option is checked!! - Its a long standing fault of wm2003SE and has reoccured in wm5) The only problems (but its free) with apreminder+ is dont change options whilst in landscape view - (switch first) and for some reason it repeats the reminder sound during the clock alarm.
small menu - this basically replaces the start menu and with alot of playing around you can basically customise it so all favourite apps are a click away!
others might have different views on better apps but these suit my needs.
Matt
You might want to check out Wisbar Lite (really cheap if not free ... cant remember) here... its a great application manager (so you can close apps if you want to) and it features a really cool battery manager (just uses the top 2 rows of pixels at the top of the screen).
They do a Wisbar Pro (or something like that) that is said to provide really nice skins for the device.... never tried it though.
matt1971 said:
I have always been a loyal fan of pocket plus - but find it just too slow on the M5000.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that you've mentioned it, I do agree with you about Pocket Plus' performance on the Universal, especially the close button - if I have 2 or 3 programs running in the background, the close button menu can take up to 5 seconds to open up!
But I do like its Safe Mode feature... Any recommendations for this one?
Thanks for the list of freebies too.
richardlai said:
matt1971 said:
But I do like its Safe Mode feature... Any recommendations for this one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point....The safe mode saved me from hard resets at least twice on my M2000. My device had locked up due to messed up today plugins - which I think is the main reason for a safe mode!!
Catch22 really:
Keep PPC+ but suffer performance (that 5 secs nonsense to open running programs really got to me) but be safe in the knowledge that if your today plugins screw up you have a way out.
OR
Dont bother about the safe mode and always remember to backup before installing today apps.
Personally, I have sprite backup, takes about 5mins to backup and restores prefectly when needed and dont forget M5000 has persistant storage so not likely to lose data if you have a device lockup.
Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have always been a fan of spb, in fact have installed PP, diary, backup, gprs, weather.
howwever in the end, I have decommissioned all of them as the total drain on performance was frustrating.
I turn them on again when iget bored and want a change.
SPB PP runs much faster as a today plugin without the extras enabled.
the reason I mention it now is that without all the extra features, plug ins etc, I can just leave all the running programs as it will only zap my memory from 30mb to 20mb, thus leaving plenty of breathing space. however with all the plugins loaded I would start at 20 dropping to below 10 thus taking quite a memory hit.
my resets are also reduced using the basic device to once per week compared to once per day.
but as I said, I am a sucker for plugins and new stuff so I use them, then get frustrated and go back to the basic device.
my 2 bobs worth...
is there a registry hack that will close a program instead of minimising it?
Here you go! http://www.trancreative.com/mb.aspx and the best part is that it's free!!!
There are many programs that will do this, some of them have many other functions that you will find useful.
My favourite program, WisBar Advance does this as part of a massive set of functions, and adds the ability to completely skin your device.
The trade is that it uses heaps of valuable RAM and isn't free.
ViJay555 has a piece of software that will also perform this function, VJOKButt.
This is something that many people ask about, we all find our own solution.
cheers guys i'll try them out. does anyone know why microsoft did this?
bobbyb said:
cheers guys i'll try them out. does anyone know why microsoft did this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So that applications will "seem" to start faster after the first initial load.
The way MS sees us using the device often has little to do with the reality of using a PDA.
The default tools loaded by WM5 or the carriers (the ExtROM contents) are what they assume we will use and they do try to provide the things that most people want. Word, Phone, Calendar etc will all run quite happily in the memory that we have been (grieviously under)allocated on the device. However, when you start putting lots of third party apps in there you find that 64MB isn't enough. Skinning, Today plugins, TomTom, alternative BT stacks and voice diallers, better PIMs and the like all take up more space than MS had planned and we have to close them to save space.
If you ran it the way it was intended then minimising without closing would be acceptable.
Reminds me of Monty Python:
You're all individuals!
I'm not ...
One day I'll find a way to upgrade this baby to 512MB of DDR and drop a 2GHz CPU in it ... Then I'll be a happy camper =)
One problem I ran into, well, really not a problem just didnt think. As mentioned there are several programs that work great and I run SPB Pocket plus and all was great until my Exec started running slower & slower and eventually crashed. What I realized was that I was closing programs with the "ok" button on the keypad. This will only minimize not close so my programs were still running and stacking up in memory. This is a big "DUH". As long as you use the "x" in the top coner then the programs mentioned can close your program (as designed) but if you use the keypad "ok" the programs will continue to run in the background. Just a heads up.
Unless you use PQz! This program has an option that lets the "ok" button on the keyboard actually close apps.
have I mentioned I'm a fan of PQz? ;-)
Thanks, I will check it out.
Hello everyone.
My wife recently picked up a Tilt2 and is migrating from her Palm TX.
She is looking for a replacement for Pocket Money, Pocket Quicken, and something else I've forgotten the name of but she's looking at SPB Pocket Plus, Pocket Finance Diary lite (from mobile9.com), and CryptoWallet, none of which did I find listed in Apps thread.
If anyone has used these apps are they not worth the cost? Are there any simular apps that perform better for less or free?
For games she is looking at Happy Lines, Uno (it is in the Apps list), and Matching Hearts; and would love other recommendations for any Bejeweled-like games. She also would like a music player which has a random play feature. I see several listed in the Apps thread but didnt research enough yet to see which has that.
Thanks for any and all help or comments.
Tim
Popatim said:
Hello everyone.
My wife recently picked up a Tilt2 and is migrating from her Palm TX.
She is looking for a replacement for Pocket Money, Pocket Quicken, and something else I've forgotten the name of but she's looking at SPB Pocket Plus, Pocket Finance Diary lite (from mobile9.com), and CryptoWallet, none of which did I find listed in Apps thread.
If anyone has used these apps are they not worth the cost? Are there any simular apps that perform better for less or free?
For games she is looking at Happy Lines, Uno (it is in the Apps list), and Matching Hearts; and would love other recommendations for any Bejeweled-like games. She also would like a music player which has a random play feature. I see several listed in the Apps thread but didnt research enough yet to see which has that.
Thanks for any and all help or comments.
Tim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Popa, welcome to this corner of the forums
The only question you asked that I can help with is the media player..I can tell you that the built-in HTC music player has a random play option, and it's a nice simple option if she doesn't need much flexibility. However, most any of the commonly used 3rd-party players (coreplayer, TCPMP, nitrogen, etc) certainly can do that as well, so you just have to gauge what else is important in a media player for her. WMP is also built-in of course, and also not half-bad for basic use.
One more thing to help you out...I'd highly recommend running the two cabs I've attached on her new phone. They change some settings in window's memory management that free up memory much faster when apps and processes are done using it...they'll save you a lot of headache when she would have come to you complaining because her new toy is running like molasses (which could still happen...keeping this phone running smoothly especially regarding memory can be a real challenge). The 3rd cab is up to you, but it's a very helpful utility written just for the Tilt2 called CrudScraper that lets you rip out a bunch of the stock apps (only the ones you choose) and crap that AT&T was nice enough to load it up with for you. It's not a cab though, just run the .exe from her SD card and it's self-explanatory from there. Let us know if you need instructions on running the cabs too.
Good luck! I'm sure you'll get some answers to your other questions soon...but if not, you might want to post in the general windows section of the xda forum since most of those programs will work on a lot more models than just the TP2, and you might get more exposure and response that way
SPB Pocket Plus works fine and syncs with Money. I liked the old money client you used to get better but it gets the job done.
hx4700 Killer said:
SPB Pocket Plus works fine and syncs with Money. I liked the old money client you used to get better but it gets the job done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, are you sure you're not confusing Pocket Plus with something else (e.g. SPB Finance)? Pocket Plus is more of a system utility, that doesn't sync with anything. Besides, not all features of Pocket Plus are compatible with WM6.5, so that's something else to take into account.
sirphunkee said:
One more thing to help you out...I'd highly recommend running the two cabs I've attached on her new phone. They change some settings in window's memory management that free up memory much faster when apps and processes are done using it...they'll save you a lot of headache when she would have come to you complaining because her new toy is running like molasses (which could still happen...keeping this phone running smoothly especially regarding memory can be a real challenge). The 3rd cab is up to you, but it's a very helpful utility written just for the Tilt2 called CrudScraper that lets you rip out a bunch of the stock apps (only the ones you choose) and crap that AT&T was nice enough to load it up with for you. It's not a cab though, just run the .exe from her SD card and it's self-explanatory from
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have a question:
1. NoPushInternet_v2.CAB - where do you install device or storage and do you do anything after install, also do i leave the installed cab on my device or can i uninstall it with its done?
2. SSK TP2 Dynamic Resource Proxy.cab - same question?
thanks
apax said:
i have a question:
1. NoPushInternet_v2.CAB - where do you install device or storage and do you do anything after install, also do i leave the installed cab on my device or can i uninstall it with its done?
2. SSK TP2 Dynamic Resource Proxy.cab - same question?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Install them both to the device, they're very small, and then once you do that you can delete the cab if you want...though I recommend keeping a copy on the SD card of any cabs that you use, so you can reapply them easily if you ever hard-reset. These automatically run in the background once installed, no need to manually start anything.
apax said:
i have a question:
1. NoPushInternet_v2.CAB - where do you install device or storage and do you do anything after install, also do i leave the installed cab on my device or can i uninstall it with its done?
2. SSK TP2 Dynamic Resource Proxy.cab - same question?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sirphunkee said:
Install them both to the device, they're very small, and then once you do that you can delete the cab if you want...though I recommend keeping a copy on the SD card of any cabs that you use, so you can reapply them easily if you ever hard-reset. These automatically run in the background once installed, no need to manually start anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the quick response...
sirphunkee said:
Install them both to the device, they're very small, and then once you do that you can delete the cab if you want...though I recommend keeping a copy on the SD card of any cabs that you use, so you can reapply them easily if you ever hard-reset. These automatically run in the background once installed, no need to manually start anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been running these cabs for a few weeks now. it seems they stop working after a while. I have noticed my mem usage was in 65-70% again and even after a soft reset, stil up there. Only thing that works is reinstalling the SSK TP2 cab then miraculously back down to 49%. Am i missing something on keeping these running in the bckgrnd? i mean i dont mind reinstalling but feel kinda silly doing it over and over.
Thanks
Joe