Database Users

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
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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

O2 XDA Exec - One Very Simple Owner. A Few queries...

Morning All
Have just discovered this website, and frankly it terrifies me.
I have been wallowing in shame since purchasing the Exec because I have no idea what I can do to improve it. I have been trying to read as many posts as possible, but even though some posts are written so "my wife could understand it...", it is still a little complex for me.
A few things I would like to do:
Get rid of the delay on flipping from Landscape to Portrait.
Get rid of the awful buttons down the left hand side and the gap at the bottom of the Landscape screen so I can actually utilise the full screen.
Get SBP Diary working propoerly when the screen flips (never seems to fit)
Make WMP 10 to swow my movies in full screen rather than postage stamp size.
I am a man of very simple tastes. I want to watch a movie or play Tiger Woods on the train on the way to work.
I want to run WeatherPanel (Marsware) without it crashing and requiring a soft reset every so often. I would also ike it to operate full screen.
I want to keep a note of my battery performance and some international time zones.
On my XDA 2 I used to run:
Battery Pack
Journal Bar
Neither seem to work on the Exec without sucking all the memory out of it.
I run Town Compass Bartender Drinks and Pocket Stars. I run A-Z viewer and Pocket Streets. All of these are from my memory Card (1GB)
I rarely use the internet, but like to check a few scores, especially when abroad - can this be sped up?
From all the above, you will see that I am quite a simpleton - amongst other things - but am I beyond saving?
I was sent the latest ROM upgrade by O2. Should I do it? Will it help, or is there another upgrade that will stop my moaning?
Oh, lastly, I understand very little jargon and need everything spelled out as if to a 3 year old (with little PPC experience)
Please , please help. If for no other reason than it is Friday and that makes you happy.
Kindest regards
Rich

Use pocket dvd studio or virtual dub to resize your video to 640x480 to get fullscreen

Use pocket dvd studio or virtual dub to resize your video to 640x480 to get fullscreen

I found the best 2 suggestions for my XDA picked up here were:
Hard-reset and select the corporate install and leave out some of the slow O2 customisation.
Make sure no today plugin is calculating & displaying the space on the SD card - this can cause significant delays the switch between portrait/landscape .
I did upgrade the rom (same as a hard-reset but can be a bit more nerve wracking for some). I think some had problems as the document mentions turning the phone back on but did not say turn it off first. I turned phone/bluetooth/wireless off before upgrading an it went smoothly.
When I upgraded I noted all the actions in Notepad, with serial numbers and registry edits etc. Found this usefull when the OZvga stuff screwed up and I had to hard-reset again!
Steve

Brilliant - Now have internet probs though - any idea why??
Thanks Stevie
Have managed to do this whilst at work and even though I have had limited time to play with it, it has improved a thousand fold.
Beggars the question why they bother to fill the system with all that rubbish in the first place.
Only problem is now I seem unable to connect to the internet. Admittedly this may have something to do with my work PC, but it is saying that GPRS 3G wont connect either.
Do you have any suggestions??
Whiggy - will get this and am sure to be overflowing with gratitude over the weekend
Have a grear weekend all.
Rich

I think the settings for o2 are in the customised stuff but check back through the threads as the question has been asked a few times on the correct settings - one of the other members guided me through the MMS settings. I think there may be a cab file as well with just the o2 connection settings on it.
Search for 02 connection setting or something like that.
Steve

I too had the same problem with Internet Explorer when i installed my Exec in Corporate Mode. I found this cab file somewhere on the Forum, can't remember or find where so have re-attached it.
With this cab file installed (it does not install any of the O2 rubbish that you don't want, only the connection settings to allow you to use GPRS & UMTS)
When prompted you need to select personal mode, to ensure that the file installs properly.
Hope this helps :lol:

On SPB Diary screen not fitting...find out the size that works for you for each screen orientation, then edit registry:-
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Spb Software House/Spb Diary/TotalHeight - for Portrait mode,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Spb Software House/Spb Diary/TotalHeightL - for Landscape mode
Sorted!

if you are having problems with the connection to internet and phone connections, let us know your provider and am sure we can post the cab file so that you can just install that feature.
otherwise, install total commander for a file explorer
path it to \extended_rom\ and find the file for your communication provider and run just that one cab file.

mms connections cab file here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?p=205766#205766

For a few other comments to your initial question as i am bored and sitting here debating going to bed.... I Know, read item 2/3 of the initial post, but I am going to break the rule and type in upper case to seperate my comments from the original, I AM NOT SHOUTING.....
Get rid of the delay on flipping from Landscape to Portrait.
FIXING SOME OF THESE OTHER ITEMS WILL LEAD TO THIS, BUT CORPORATE INSTALL FOR 02 AS I READ IT IS YOUR ONLY CHOICE, HARD RESET, START AGAIN.
Get rid of the awful buttons down the left hand side and the gap at the bottom of the Landscape screen so I can actually utilise the full screen.
I THINK THIS IS THE RETAIL CONSUMER CRAP THAT COMES WITH O2 AS I DONT HAVE IT ON THE IMATE. REFER ABOVE POINT.
Get SBP Diary working propoerly when the screen flips (never seems to fit)
MINE WORKS PERFECTLY, LOOK AT YOUR FONTS. SEND A SCREEN SHOT SO THAT I CAN SEE WHAT YOU MEAN BY DOESNT FIT.
Make WMP 10 to swow my movies in full screen rather than postage stamp size.
KNOWN BUG, ANTICIPATING A FIX. USING TCPMP AVAILABLE FREE ON THE WEB SHOULD PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE APP FOR WATCHING VIDEOS IN FULL SCREEN.
I want to run WeatherPanel (Marsware) without it crashing and requiring a soft reset every so often. I would also ike it to operate full screen.
NEVER HEARD OF IT, I USE SPB WEATHER PERFECTLY.
I want to keep a note of my battery performance and some international time zones.
USE THE CLOCK FOR ONE TIME ZONE, BUT IF MORE THAN THAT YOU CAN USE MOBIMATE PROFESSIONAL I THINK IT IS.
On my XDA 2 I used to run:
Battery Pack
Journal Bar
GET RID OF BOTH IN MY VIEW, BOTH ARE CRAP. JOURNAL BAR WILL KILL YOUR SPEED. I DOWNLOADED THEM TRIED THEM, USED THEM, WENT BACK TO SPB AND USE RSS FEEDERS OR SYNC'D PAGES TO KEEP UP. ALSO, I DONT THINK JOURNAL BAR IS ACTUALLY WM5 COMPATIBLE, NOT MY CALL ON THAT ONE.
Neither seem to work on the Exec without sucking all the memory out of it.
AS MENTIONED, GET RID OF THEM THEY ARE SUCKING THE CRAP OUT OF IT.
I run Town Compass Bartender Drinks and Pocket Stars. I run A-Z viewer and Pocket Streets. All of these are from my memory Card (1GB)
NEVER HEARD OF THEM. JUST CAUSE THEY ARE ON THE MEMORY CARD DOESNT MEAN THAT WHEN YOU HAVE USED THEM, THEY CORRECTLY GIVE ALL THE MEMORY THEY WERE USING BACK. SOME DO, MOST DONT, AND SOME JUST HOG IT AND GIVE ONLY A FEW KB'S BACK. MEASURE THERE PERFORMANCE WHEN YOU USE THEM PREFERABLY AFTER SOFT RESETS.
THERE IS A COUPLE OF LITTLE TINY APPS AVAILABLE THAT ARE SLIGHTLY SUCCESSFUL IN FORCING APPLICATIONS TO RELEASE MEMORY AND GIVE IT BACK, BUT AGAIN, ONLY SLIGHTLY SUCCESSFUL.
I rarely use the internet, but like to check a few scores, especially when abroad - can this be sped up?
FIND A WEBSITE THAT PROVIDES THIS INFORMATION, PLACE IT INTO YOUR MOBILE FAVOURITES ON YOUR COMPUTER, SET IT UP TO AUTOMATICALLY SYNC TO YOUR PC MACHINE, THEN SYNC THAT DATA TO YOUR PDA. DISABLE ALL PHONE COMMUNICATIONS WHEN REVIEWING TO STOP IT GOING TO THE WEB TO GET THE DATA AND FORCE IT TO LOOK ON YOUR MACHINE FOR THE INFORMATION.

I'll offer my thoughts on the questions you ask with which I've had some experience...
Richie Blue said:
Get rid of the delay on flipping from Landscape to Portrait.
Get rid of the awful buttons down the left hand side and the gap at the bottom of the Landscape screen so I can actually utilise the full screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The default O2 software will slow your machine down spectacularly. Do a hard reset and choose 'Basic' mode (not corporate). Basic mode doesn't install all the O2 crap, but DOES install the connection settings for you, so you can access the internet and stuff. Later, when you're an expert like all of us (NOT! ) you can/should choose Corporate mode and then install your chosen CAB files yourself.
Another thing to do to speed up your Exec is to turn off Error Reporting and Incoming Beams. You'll find these items in the Settings pages.
Richie Blue said:
Make WMP 10 to swow my movies in full screen rather than postage stamp size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd ignore Whiggy's suggestion of resizing all your movies :roll: , and I'd do what Simon_Darley suggested: install TCPMP which is a free media player that works perfectly in full screen. (Google for 'TCPMP'.) The full-screen problem is a known bug in WMP which they'll hopefully fix in due course. Resizing all your movies to 640x480 seems like a lot of hassle and a waste of disk space when TCPMP plays them just fine.
Richie Blue said:
I want to keep a note of my battery performance and some international time zones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a fantastic free battery meter that someone posted in another thread on this forum and which I'm using with no problems. If I can find it I'll add it to the bottom of this post. SPB Pocket Plus has a battery meter, but PP slows the Exec down so much that I uninstalled it.
If I want to know a world time I use the built-in clock application, which works for me.
Richie Blue said:
On my XDA 2 I used to run:
Battery Pack
Journal Bar
Neither seem to work on the Exec without sucking all the memory out of it.
I run Town Compass Bartender Drinks and Pocket Stars. I run A-Z viewer and Pocket Streets. All of these are from my memory Card (1GB)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are lots of programs available that claim to be WM5 compatible, but they're not. They'll do more to slow your Exec down and make it unstable than anything else you can do. Choose your programs carefully, and test your machine after each installation to check whether it's slowed the thing down.
After doing this I decided that I can live with almost all the default MS apps, but add extras that I use occasionally, like TomTom, ListPro and TCPMP. Anything running all the time (like a Today plugin) or anything that replaces the PIM (contacts & calendar) could cause you big problems.
I personally disagree fully with the theory that people in these forums often quote, of using a task switcher to force the closure of running programs (instead of allowing Windows to minimise them). MS designed the OS to handle memory itself, and my machine works perfectly when I allow this to happen.
Richie Blue said:
I rarely use the internet, but like to check a few scores, especially when abroad - can this be sped up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A word of caution in case you haven't tried this yet: GPRS usage abroad costs a bloody fortune (as a friend found out after a week in New York in which he checked his emails from time to time, leaving himself with an £80 bill when he got home...)
Richie Blue said:
From all the above, you will see that I am quite a simpleton - amongst other things - but am I beyond saving?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:lol: Not a simpleton; just a newbie. We all were once at the beginning. Soon you'll be hacking and tweaking like the rest of us and you'll be helping the newcomers too.
Good luck!

Found the simple battery meter:
http://www.pocketpcfreeware.com/en/index.php?soft=1382
It works perfectly, doesn't slow the machine down and is free!

Close programs??

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.

Please Delete This Thread

You all know what happened here. Thanks picsel for the nice pdf file.
~Mike

Update: Fixed browser rendering issues.

You dont know how long i've waited for this, thank you!! it works great on my Qtek 9100
edit: all the features work fine, but after a while of browsing, it gives a low memory warning.. any way to fix that?

MilanoRex said:
You dont know how long i've waited for this, thank you!! it works great on my Qtek 9100
edit: all the features work fine, but after a while of browsing, it gives a low memory warning.. any way to fix that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no problem.....glad you like me too
yea memory issues have been reported @ my site, Im currently looking into it. It also will not start a data connection, you have to manually start that yourself also.
~Mike

wow, i am impressed if the memory problem gets fixed, thanks a lot.
if only there was a smartphone verion i could get. it makes me want to go back to ppc.

It's been working fine for me - I've been using it with several windows open and it hasn't complained yet... I'm using a heavily customised version, but I have to say that it's one of the most beautiful apps I've ever seen (after customising!)...
Thanks Lvballer06!
V

vijay555 said:
It's been working fine for me - I've been using it with several windows open and it hasn't complained yet... I'm using a heavily customised version, but I have to say that it's one of the most beautiful apps I've ever seen (after customising!)...
Thanks Lvballer06!
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how is it heavily customized? what tweaks can you do to this?

No chance this will work on Smartphone I take it?

vijay555 said:
It's been working fine for me - I've been using it with several windows open and it hasn't complained yet... I'm using a heavily customised version, but I have to say that it's one of the most beautiful apps I've ever seen (after customising!)...
Thanks Lvballer06!
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea I have ran across the memory issues myself. I just moved my history folder over to the card and change the reg reference and its been working beautifully. I havent figured out what the issue is there nor can I find out why it closes when u hit ok......I also would like to know what you mean by a heavily customized version?
~Mike

I'm sitting in court right now, stealing wifi and browsing with picsel. It's a beautiful app, but it's a shame it doesn't quite conform to Win32 API. Custom text boxes etc, so for some reason it doesn't accept carriage returns (enter key line breaks). But, minor issue.I think the memory issue may due to attempting to download streaming media, which fills all free memory (at least, youtube crashes it). May need to limit assigned memory in registry.Heavily customised: I'm using a plugin I am writing to make it prettier and easier to use... just for my use for now, but it could be very helpful. Multiple windows are supported, but not very useful because you can't pass links between windows. But you can browse in multiple windows, and do lots of other stuff.V

vijay555 said:
I'm sitting in court right now, stealing wifi and browsing with picsel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sound like me
I think the memory issue may due to attempting to download streaming media, which fills all free memory (at least, youtube crashes it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
now that you mention it.....I think ur right. The one time I got the low memory error was when accessing a myspace page.
May need to limit assigned memory in registry.Heavily customised: I'm using a plugin I am writing to make it prettier and easier to use... just for my use for now, but it could be very helpful. Multiple windows are supported, but not very useful because you can't pass links between windows. But you can browse in multiple windows, and do lots of other stuff.V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
multiple windows would be great...I bet ur loving it lucky u!
~Mike

vijay555 said:
I'm sitting in court right now, stealing wifi and browsing with picsel. It's a beautiful app, but it's a shame it doesn't quite conform to Win32 API. Custom text boxes etc, so for some reason it doesn't accept carriage returns (enter key line breaks). But, minor issue.I think the memory issue may due to attempting to download streaming media, which fills all free memory (at least, youtube crashes it). May need to limit assigned memory in registry.Heavily customised: I'm using a plugin I am writing to make it prettier and easier to use... just for my use for now, but it could be very helpful. Multiple windows are supported, but not very useful because you can't pass links between windows. But you can browse in multiple windows, and do lots of other stuff.V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any plans on releasing this little jewel? sounds pretty cool

Not just yet. Picsel is one of the most beautiful apps I've seen, but at the same time a little rudimentary in access Working on improving it... will keep you informed.
V

I have been playing with Picsel and it's a great app.
The other day it suddenly lost the "momentum" when scrolling with the stylus. So if I am dragging the stylus and lift it immediately stops making it harder to get through long pages. Anyone else experienced this? Have a solution?

Mine lost momentum too after first usage. Not missing it though. Didn't investigate how to reenable...
V

Let's hear it for the nOOb!

Hi guys, I'm really glad i found this place, i just hope i can learn enough to help contirbute down the road as well! But for now....
so, i went to the wiki list of hacks and apps, and i decided to try downloading the phone pad program, just to try.
There's not much literature there to help you out, so i just downloaded it to my lappy, and unzipped.
THe setup file is an XML doc, and i don't know what i'm supposed to do with that to get it on my phone....
Thanks for lending a noob a hand!!

Dillsnik said:
Hi guys, I'm really glad i found this place, i just hope i can learn enough to help contirbute down the road as well! But for now....
so, i went to the wiki list of hacks and apps, and i decided to try downloading the phone pad program, just to try.
There's not much literature there to help you out, so i just downloaded it to my lappy, and unzipped.
THe setup file is an XML doc, and i don't know what i'm supposed to do with that to get it on my phone....
Thanks for lending a noob a hand!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the file was a CAB file then do not extract on PC just transfer the CAB file to the device and double tap it to run it.
Mike

Thank you, i got it on the phone and opened it....
now i just don't know where to get it or how to use it.
BTW, the program i was installing is the phone pad that is posted in the Wiki thread.
No info on it there...

Dillsnik said:
Thank you, i got it on the phone and opened it....
now i just don't know where to get it or how to use it.
BTW, the program i was installing is the phone pad that is posted in the Wiki thread.
No info on it there...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
This particular application installs an additional way for you to input text and numbers on large touchscreen keys (bigger than the ones on normal touchscreen keyboard)
So for example if you are texting somebody and you touch the little keyboard symbol at bottom of screen you will see a little arrow beside the keyboard symbol. (i.e. don't open the keyboard by tapping it - tap the arrow beside it) A list will pop up allowing you to select different ways to input your text, anything from handwriting to your newly installed Phone Pad!!
This option for the keyboard is now available for all programmes where you would use the on screen keyboard. Keys large enough to save you the bother of using stylus and just use fingers.
Any problems ask here or send PM/e-mail details below
Mike

THanks very much mike, i found it!
Still a little tricky to get used to...It's funny, with all that my new PPC can do, i am finding i miss some of the simplicity of my old flip phone for things like just calling and texting. Maybe ei need more getting used to it still
That phone pad is a little different than i'm use to for texting....its a little tricky figuring out how to just select the word you want...or for ex, if you hit 1 and you want an !, do you select it at the list at top or is there a button that scrolls through the choices? those buttons on the left are a little tight up against the side to hit cleanly it seems, although no real misses yet.

Dillsnik said:
THanks very much mike, i found it!
Still a little tricky to get used to...It's funny, with all that my new PPC can do, i am finding i miss some of the simplicity of my old flip phone for things like just calling and texting. Maybe ei need more getting used to it still
That phone pad is a little different than i'm use to for texting....its a little tricky figuring out how to just select the word you want...or for ex, if you hit 1 and you want an !, do you select it at the list at top or is there a button that scrolls through the choices? those buttons on the left are a little tight up against the side to hit cleanly it seems, although no real misses yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Being honest I agree WM devices aren't the easiest of phones and there is a bit of a compromise between getting all the other fancy stuff and the phone part of the device. You will get more used to it as you say. To be honest I'm never in so much of a rush to call someone that I don't have time to use the stylus on the full touchscreen keyboard. And just think there are all those thousands of freeware application downloads for WM5 out there - just waiting for you to try!! Mind you a lot of garbage as well.
One follow on thought just for info:
CAB files as you now know you install fromm the device
EXE files for WM5 you run on PC whilst connected via Active Sync and they'll install automatically.
If I have a choice I go for the CAB file as I store it on the SD card rather than cluttering up my PC. Also If I need to hard reset all my cabs will be sitting their waiting for a quick tap and their programmes are back on again. Although I do use Mobsync which is an addon for Active Sync that allows me to back up my SD card to my PC and anything I drop into the PC Backup gets put onto my PC card when I do a Sync.
Mike
Mike

Great tips mike....
You are right, i am excited to make the most of my new wonder with all the free (and not free!) ware out there. That is what i think it's probably all about, cause i feel like out of the box it leaves a lot left to be desired.
I need to get myself an sd card quickly for that! Only problem is, i'm sure i'll want/need a 2GB card. A 1GB card is like 20-30, a 2 gb is closer to $90!! i bought this in a large part for nav software and the map data should take up a lot of space on a card. I guess i could get a 1gb for now or even have two, but swapping will suck i'm sure. What do you have for yours?

I have just 1gb, but despite having maybe 20-30 apps loaded and a copy of their cab files, a few photos and usual odds and ends it's only one third full. (Mind you, I put on lots but end up removing almost as many so application numbers only grow slowly) WM apps are really quite small. But certainly nav software and and maps will take a considerable amount. Spotted a package the other day bundling a TyTn + Blue tooth GPS receiver and Tom Tom software all for a price £50UK less than I paid for the Device alone and no SDcard.
Makes yer sick dunnit!
PS In early days I loaded all apps onto device memory and a surprising number it took. BUT it began to seriously slow down device even with quite a bit of memory to spare. Now I load everything to Storage Card with the important exception of those things the device needs to start up. e.g. Phone skins and any programs that run on today screen. It is essential to load these things to device memory as folks have found the phone alarms may not ring or device will freeze when calls come in if something it needs to start is buried on SDcard. The main ring tone as well - although it will work from SD card may cause a ring delay if on SD card leaving as few as two rings for you to hear before voicemail comes on. Live and Learn!!
This forum contains a wealth of info - more than I will ever need. Getting to be too many multiple threads on same issue though which gets confusing as some appear to find no solution to a problem and yet another may have just the answer needed.
Mike
EDIT: By the way if you like paying for apps.!! I think Wisbar Advance and Wisbar Advance Desktop are great. BUT learning curve is quite steep and a bit of an on-going project but allows multiple desktops to hold all those today themes and gadgets that just won't fit on one today screen.

that's some good stuff to know, and it's nice of you to explain all that too me. really helps clear some things up so i'm not asking as many q's later or just generally in the dark.
i've heard of others speak of WA before. in your opinion, what are the biggest must have programs and also some of the best values out there? i'm willing to pay for a good program but I like a free one as much as the next guy!
FYI...I work in sales and managing accounts in different areas will be key for me. so if u know anything that lends well for that I'd be interested.
thanks,
dan

Dillsnik said:
that's some good stuff to know, and it's nice of you to explain all that too me. really helps clear some things up so i'm not asking as many q's later or just generally in the dark.
i've heard of others speak of WA before. in your opinion, what are the biggest must have programs and also some of the best values out there? i'm willing to pay for a good program but I like a free one as much as the next guy!
FYI...I work in sales and managing accounts in different areas will be key for me. so if u know anything that lends well for that I'd be interested.
thanks,
dan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dan
Here's a link to just some of the apps. I have on mine:
Look for the post by TCO who did a great job of finding all the links to the applications.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=283085
Here's a few mostly freeware application sites. Lots of rubbish in these but some maybe worth it. For anything specific for example if I wanted Excel on my device I'd just do a google search on: excel wm5. Freeware sites are everywhere but have your popup blocker on, some are good others are terrible. A google search on freeware WM5 will throw up lots of these. Also there can be the odd Java application that's good so may be worth a try.
I'm no expert in your work areas so guess you'll need to track down the good work related ones yourself though your kind of work would seem ideally suited to the typical tracking and accounting sorts of application. Some sites are nicely categorized.
http://www.pdagold.com/software/list.asp?p=1
http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/tags.php?tag=clocks&order=date&page=2
http://www.getjar.com/software/universal/all/Applications/Email/set2
Mike