As a relative newbie I've searched but can't find an answer, so sorry if this is really obvious. When you close a program it stays running in the memory. How do you close it properly so it isnt in the background?
Thanks
Landy
Orange SPV M3100 (locked)
You need a 3rd party application. Magic Button, Small menu, AE Button Plus, SPB Pocket Plus, or something similar will enable you to actually close programs rather thsn minimizing them.
actually, you can hit CTRL-Q with the soft keyboard and it will close most programs. not as easy as some of the 3rd party applications, but works nonetheless.
I learn something everyday. Thanks
ive allways used battery pack ( pro ) with pdas, works well on my vario 1, hope to use it when i upgrade!
I'm a devout Switch user.
I use Magic Button 2 for closing apps, it is tiny and very well integrated with the taskbar.
Recently I read this article on the Windows Mobile Team Blog which has a very good explanation on why the “X” button doesn’t close apps, really worth reading
Thanks for the heads up pof! Interesting, but down to personal preferance based on type of useage. Try streaming radio through wi-fi whilst surfing the web and making notes in Word simultaneously! It'll work, but you will noice a slow down, that u really would rather not. Until they pack a much more powerful CPU into these devices that can truly handle multi-tasking (regardless of type of application), the user will always have need of the choice, hence the need for intuitive 3rd party apps. Personally, I use Wisbar Advance as it can easily be set up to reflect the 'minimise' and 'Exit' functions I have become accustomed to in the Windows PC O/S. I additionally use AE Button closer for guaranteed button control over closing apps and I find this combination absolutely essential. Something I believe Microsoft should have included into the WM platform by default.
Let's not forget how precious memory is to pda users who don't have the ability to upgrade memory like in our PCs, which removes the need to worry about memory management for most situtions except CPU intensive applications and the fact that these mobile devices still suffer from memory leakages.
Just my 2 cents worth.
P.S. With the above mentiones setup, I have no memory issues at all. I always have between 28 and 25 megs of available memory. Just right for running any application (CPU intensive or not) at any given time and enables muti-tasking comfortably providing they are not all CPU heavy apps!
i use and recommend SmartSKey. it's tiny, but powerful in terms of real closing apps
Do any of these apps make the "ok" key close apps insted of minmising?
LeoPheonix said:
Do any of these apps make the "ok" key close apps insted of minmising?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AE Button Plus does this. through key remapping. Others may as well.
Related
Good Day to everyone, I want to know how to fully close a program without needing a soft reset.. because whenever I use the running program, Its really not showing all the program and therefore might not be closing all running programs.. I know there is a lot of programs running still because I had an h5550 before and I usually see a long list of running programs as compare to the xda II. Why is this so and how is the problem solved? thanks much
Use Magic Button.
http://www.freewareppc.com/utilities/magicbutton.shtml
well in settings under memory
under running programs i can close my programs if i want
though i cant say if they removed that feature in 2003
Hi ...
there is a difference between applications and processes. the first type you close and you can see on running programs. while the 2nd type is system processes ... windows control their start and end. closing any of them may cause a system crash.
What are processes? Is it essential that I close them? Will it make the xda slower if many processes are running? thanks and pardon me for my ignorance..
well in a multitasking envioment
a program is 1 process which can have many threads
imho then if i dont do a softreset my xda get slower and slower
as time goes by
a softreset solve this problem just like that
If you're not using a task manager of some sort (I use Resco), the easiest and way to close an app is to use the on-screen keyboard (if the app lets you open the keyboard that is :wink: .) Simply kit Ctrl+Q, just like the Windows shortcut!
Some other handy PPC shortcuts are;
Ctrl+C (copy), Ctrl+V (paste), Ctrl+X (Cut), Ctrl+A (Select all), Shift+tap (select multiple adjacent items), Ctrl+tap (select multiple items).
Hi.
Isn't this non-closing of programs a bit of a bug? I can see how PPC might want to leave commonly used apps in memory instead of actually quitting them (i.e. Contacts), but to be honest it doesn't exactly take that long to start them up from scratch.
I'm used to (from desktop win) pressing the X in the top-right corner and the program actually closing, or at least going to the tasktray (where you can see it to quit it).
I've only had my XDA-II for a week, and I'm scared that I've run up a massive bill already because of this prob, but will have to wait to find out -
Basically I used the Terminal Services Client to connect to my PC at home whilst at work. I only did this for about 30 seconds, after which I pressed the X at the top right corner. After about 4 hours or so I got home and looked at the screen an there was an error dialog coming from the supposedly closed Terminal Services Client! So the TSC might have been downloading thru GPRS for 4 hours!
I call that a bug. I reproduced it again at home. I have Rescoe task monitor and I can see TSC staying around after I've closed it. I'm now waiting to see what appears on my bill. Damned if I'm paying for it tho...
No doubt I'm the only person who has had this prob... :?
Not a bug, a feature
Partridge, it is not a bug, it's how Pocket PC's have been working at least for PPC 2002 and PPC 2003.
It is well known in the PPC community and there are a number of fixes.
I would strongly suggest that the first application you purchase are GPRS Monitor from SPB.
It gives you a small icon on the top line where you can see your GPRS traffic, an a Today plug-in that lists the amount of MB and the cost of the day's session. Using this, you will quickly notice if some application is using GPRS behind your back.
Regards
Michael
Not a bug, a feature
Partridge, it is not a bug, it's how Pocket PC's have been working at least for PPC 2002 and PPC 2003.
It is well known in the PPC community and there are a number of fixes.
I would strongly suggest that the first application you purchase are GPRS Monitor from SPB.
It gives you a small icon on the top line where you can see your GPRS traffic, an a Today plug-in that lists the amount of MB and the cost of the day's session. Using this, you will quickly notice if some application is using GPRS behind your back.
Regards
Michael
Thanks for the reply and advice.
Admittedly I'm brand new to this PPC game.
I still think its a bit naff that PPC's do this.
I expect a program thats expensive to run in terms of network bandwidth (and therefore money), to close when I press the X button. I guess thats just me...
Thanks anyway
Partridge.
Hi all.
I own a Qtek S100 for around 2 weeks, and have come to love the device for it's all around functionality and small form factor.
As a PDA w/stylus, I have absolutely no complaints. It's a great tool with hundreds of different pieces of software and games to play with.
As many of you, I want to use the Magician as my main phone as well. This is where the problems start. Windows Mobile does not seem be geared towards non-stylus use, yet when you are out and about, it would be nice if you could accomplish basic tasks without the stylus. The main reason being is that when you are out you want to protect the screen so you put the device in a case, so the screen isn't accessible.
Anyway, you guys know all this. Now here's the question. Is there software out there that's designed to make Pocket PC phone edition a better one-handed device? I am thinking of something like the following:
You click one of the hardware buttons, which opens this 'one-handed' program. This brings up a tree/menu of different functions. Anything you would need to do while you're on the road. For example:
Turn the phone to silent.
Turn bluetooth on/off.
Control the music you're playing (on/off/forward/back etc..)
Turn the device off.
Anything you can think of.
I realize you can do some of these things by mapping certain buttons to certain programs or by scrolling on the today screen or by trying to use the start menu, but I'm finding that you can only get so far before you're stuck and you have to use the stylus.
So is there any software of this nature? If not I might sit down and write something myself. If I do it would be cool if everyone can pitch and name things they'd like to do with one hand that they can't seem to accomplish.
Thanks!
What you need as a starter is Burr Oak HotButton Plus. This allows you to assign ONE hardware button that then pops up a list of programs that you can run. The list is configurable of course. You can navigate through the list of programs using your D-pad.
I would suggest getting a list of "Settings" shortcuts (available on the forum). Place these shortcuts in a folder and call them from HotButton Plus.
I also find Microsoft Voice Command a very useful software, especially when I'm driving. You can open programs, play music, etc. using your voice.
Also, this hardware-button tweak might do something nice. Haven't tried myself.
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,40355
I use AEBPlus in combination with Mortbuttons. AEBPlus is bound to a hwardware button, in my case Calendar. When I double press it, Mortbutton 1 pops-up a list of apps that I set in Mortbutton options. In this way, I can switch on/off bluetooth, phone, or launch apps. Mortbutton gives up to 12 apps per list and 5 lists are available. With AEBPlus I can bind 3 Mortbuttons per hard button, e.g. 36 apps per button!
Mortbuttons can be found on www.sto-helit.de
thanks guys. I will give all of these a try!
phoneplus for phone abilities
phonealarms for profiles
All those programs are not directly given what we expected - one handed operation.
jamijam,
Could you develop the program?
Cheers,
jamijam said:
Hi all.
I own a Qtek S100 for around 2 weeks, and have come to love the device for it's all around functionality and small form factor.
As a PDA w/stylus, I have absolutely no complaints. It's a great tool with hundreds of different pieces of software and games to play with.
As many of you, I want to use the Magician as my main phone as well. This is where the problems start. Windows Mobile does not seem be geared towards non-stylus use, yet when you are out and about, it would be nice if you could accomplish basic tasks without the stylus. The main reason being is that when you are out you want to protect the screen so you put the device in a case, so the screen isn't accessible.
Anyway, you guys know all this. Now here's the question. Is there software out there that's designed to make Pocket PC phone edition a better one-handed device? I am thinking of something like the following:
You click one of the hardware buttons, which opens this 'one-handed' program. This brings up a tree/menu of different functions. Anything you would need to do while you're on the road. For example:
Turn the phone to silent.
Turn bluetooth on/off.
Control the music you're playing (on/off/forward/back etc..)
Turn the device off.
Anything you can think of.
I realize you can do some of these things by mapping certain buttons to certain programs or by scrolling on the today screen or by trying to use the start menu, but I'm finding that you can only get so far before you're stuck and you have to use the stylus.
So is there any software of this nature? If not I might sit down and write something myself. If I do it would be cool if everyone can pitch and name things they'd like to do with one hand that they can't seem to accomplish.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HI
I use the O2 xdaI machine. I will get tmobile MDA COMPACT (= I-mate JAM) next week.
Hotbutton application is ok but the best so far for one hand operation is definitely Microsoft Voice Command ver. 1.5. It works increadibly weel on XDAI and I expect it will run even better on the JAM (I will let you know next week).
Cheers !
Heard some things about Micrsofot Voice command but I was finding it hard to believe that using voice could work well in most cases (what if it's noisy? etc...). Maybe I'll give it a try.
o2mn,
Gonna give all these suggestions a try before I think about doing something myself. The goal would be to create a program that lets you go through the menus, etc of ALL programs. Just using the buttons.
I don't know if i need to start a new topic about this but I'm trying to find out an easy way to create a launcher under a hardware button, like a bunch of people seems to wanna have.
In 'windows\appsbuttons' you can assign any hardware button to an *.exe. I want to know if there is an easy way to create a *.exe which
opens a *.link.
Something like:
IE2BUTTON.exe
» goto programfiles
»open IE2BUTTON.lnk
Hereby IE2BUTTON.lnk refers to the map IE2BUTTON where you can put every shortcut you want
Tried AEBPlus but it conflicts with application button mapping such as in TCPMP. Sometimes TCPMP gets the button press sometimes AEBPlus Plus got it - couldn't live with that so had to uninstall AEBPlus.
I use a combination of software:
PPCProfiles-Pro on the Today screen for switching phone on/off, bluetooth on/off etc via switching between profiles I've set up.
VJOKButton assigned to the memo button for closing apps, clicking OK.
MortButton for starting apps etc.
Application button mapping in TCPMP for one handed mp3 / video use.
The one thing I really want to be able to do still is alter the screen brightness one handed.
OK i understand (roughly) how memory management works on a PC, and how apps are loaded into RAM etc, but my MDA Pro is confusing me!
It seems that by the end of the day, every program that i have been running (and closing after use) is STILL running in the background (when i look at the task manager). This is pretty annoying, because it normally means that if i try to take a photo, it tells me there isnt enough memory to perform the operation!
Is this just the normal way memory/app loading is handled on windows mobile, or am i doing something wrong?
Thanks!
Pooper: how have you been "closing after use" your programs?
V
vijay555 said:
Pooper: how have you been "closing after use" your programs?
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using the X (or 'ok') in the top right hand corner. (usually there aren't any other options).
Is that the normal way?
that is exactly how all windows mobile devices have worked since forever.
by tapping on the X in the top right, it just minimises the application.
I assume the idea behind this is that as these devices have slower processes than people are used to in their PC's, and they get used to programs opening quickly on their PC's, by keeping the programs in memory they can then open as soon as you tap the icon for them giving a 'quicker' and smoother operating experience.
To shut them down properly, Pick one or the following:
1: search google for the thousands of other times this question has been asked and answered on all the pocket pc/windows mobile forums around the world
2: RTFM
3: tap start>settings>system>memory>running programs. then tap stop all to actually shut them all down.
Alternatively, get yourself a third party app which will actually shut programs when you tap the X. For instance, I have that function as part of SPB pocket plus 3 which i have on my device.
btw. sorry if i am a bit cranky, I am at work and a little stressed. but please, always search before you post.
It's ok, i get pissed off at people not searching before they post either, but hey i've got an excuse, i was getting timeouts everytime i tried to search
Don't suppose you could suggest the simplest program that closes apps when you 'close' them? *hides*
InClose Mobile
Try InClose Mobile, it's one of the best task managers there is for wm5 (I have tried a lot of them). It closes the program when you press the X (exactly how it should been done in the first place) but you can also minimise the program by taping and holding the X. Very good!
You find it here: http://insoftwarehouse.com/downloads/inclose/xe.php?l=en
GSpocketmagic++
GSpocketmagic++
search this out on google it includes a cascading menu program
Re: InClose Mobile
Wegas said:
Try InClose Mobile, it's one of the best task managers there is for wm5 (I have tried a lot of them). It closes the program when you press the X (exactly how it should been done in the first place) but you can also minimise the program by taping and holding the X. Very good!
You find it here: http://insoftwarehouse.com/downloads/inclose/xe.php?l=en
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent, thanks
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.
Many users, including Kevin Rose from Digg.com, have dumped Windows Mobile phones for the sake of other platforms, because they had impression that these phones are slow, much too slow. This impression results from the fact that in Windows Mobile Pocket PC edition applications continue running in the background after user pressed (i.e. tapped with stylus) "X" button of the given program. This is counter-intuitive and makes people think that applications were closed. Big number of applications running in background, of which users are unaware, results in slow operation.
"HTC X-Button" application is included in latest Pocket PC phones manufactured by HTC and recently it even surfaced on the Internet in form of "HTC X-Button.CAB" file, that can be installed:
... and can run in any Pocket PC device (no just HTC-manufactured):
Unfortunately due to legal reasons we cannot publish "HTC X-Button.CAB" application, but we hereby ask developers to develop similar (or the same) program! HTC has proven that not only it is possible but also, that such program works in non-HTC manufactured Pocket PC phones (we tested it). It is not for us to judge how difficult it is to develop such application, but certainly for sure it is possible as HTC shows.
By the way: it is worth noticing that HTC really cares about customer satisfaction because it includes this HTC X-Button application with their latest Pocket PC phones. Such (at first glance) small things really make a difference...
from msmobiles.com
who can get it ?
digifan said:
Many users, including Kevin Rose from Digg.com, have dumped Windows Mobile phones for the sake of other platforms, because they had impression that these phones are slow, much too slow. This impression results from the fact that in Windows Mobile Pocket PC edition applications continue running in the background after user pressed (i.e. tapped with stylus) "X" button of the given program. This is counter-intuitive and makes people think that applications were closed. Big number of applications running in background, of which users are unaware, results in slow operation.
"HTC X-Button" application is included in latest Pocket PC phones manufactured by HTC and recently it even surfaced on the Internet in form of "HTC X-Button.CAB" file, that can be installed:
... and can run in any Pocket PC device (no just HTC-manufactured):
Unfortunately due to legal reasons we cannot publish "HTC X-Button.CAB" application, but we hereby ask developers to develop similar (or the same) program! HTC has proven that not only it is possible but also, that such program works in non-HTC manufactured Pocket PC phones (we tested it). It is not for us to judge how difficult it is to develop such application, but certainly for sure it is possible as HTC shows.
By the way: it is worth noticing that HTC really cares about customer satisfaction because it includes this HTC X-Button application with their latest Pocket PC phones. Such (at first glance) small things really make a difference...
from msmobiles.com
who can get it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have it runnig in my wizard .i have extrated from another device rom.nice
but is integrated in the rom.as soon i got time i will make a cab.
i also got htc backup but is not runnig yet.
Which device did you get it from? Herald?
doedoe said:
Which device did you get it from? Herald?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
funny enough it was from a prophet rom.
Which ROM? I would also like to extract this application.
This HTC app is nothing new. There are plenty other legal free and commercial task managers out there.
Here is an excellent example: MagicButton.
It lets you close apps by clicking the X as well as switch between apps like Alt + TAB on PC.
There is also WizBar and SPB TodayPlus etc.
There is no need to extract anything from ROM or to re-invent the wheel (unless you wont to hone your programming skills).
Also I am quite curios as to how MS will respond to this move. According to a blog of one of their developers (don't remember the link now) they care about this "smart-minimize" crap so much, at first they didn't let manufacturers add any app in to ROM that had as much as an EXIT option in the menu. According to them "user should not manage memory".
levenum said:
This HTC app is nothing new. There are plenty other legal free and commercial task managers out there.
Here is an excellent example: MagicButton.
It lets you close apps by clicking the X as well as switch between apps like Alt + TAB on PC.
There is also WizBar and SPB TodayPlus etc.
There is no need to extract anything from ROM or to re-invent the wheel (unless you wont to hone your programming skills).
Also I am quite curios as to how MS will respond to this move. According to a blog of one of their developers (don't remember the link now) they care about this "smart-minimize" crap so much, at first they didn't let manufacturers add any app in to ROM that had as much as an EXIT option in the menu. According to them "user should not manage memory".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is about choice and prefences.as how they will react? how do they do react to the stuff we been doing to roms for years in this site?
im suprised tey havent shut down this site yet! or maybe they are learning from it!!!!!!
Well there is a big difference between this site and a company like HTC.
After all this is an unofficial gathering of enthusiasts and MS probably doesn't want to come down to hard on potential consumers even when they tweak ROMs here and there.
HTC on the other hand is one of the largest mobile OEMs in the world that works closely with MS (according to an article I recently read) so it comes across as sort of betrayal, don't you think?
It is 110% right move for us users though.
I find closing applications to be slower than smart minimising them. A Microsoft blog I read when WM5 was launched specifically stated that devices work faster when minimising, providing you have suffecient program memory (not lacking on the Prophet). This is because understandebly Windows takes much longer to open an application than maximising it.
Once in while I just end all programs and give the phone a restart (power off and power on rather than soft reset).
Yes that is the theory, but note the providing you have sufficient program memory bit.
Media player alone when active can eat 5-7 MB (which is why I never use it).
Unfortunately program memory is still short since maximum devices have is "64 MB" which if you are very careful can leave you with 30MB free on the Prophet after reset.
Yes, maximizing apps is faster than loading, but MS forgot a critical point:
There is no easy way to switch between minimized apps built in to WM which only makes things worth. Once you minimize something not only does it keep taking memory, but you also need to go all the way through Settings->System->Memory->Running apps to reactivate or get rid of it.
Sorry to drag this thread towards an argument, but there is no question in my mind that this is one of those cases where MS made a huge mistake and instead of fixing it now trying to sell it as a "feature".
When WM OS runs out of memory, it automatically closes the unused (minimized) apps. It just sees no need to close them if there are unused RAM available anyway, so apps are "cached" in case they will be used again.
You can easely switch between "current set" of apps - just reduce the number of "fixed" icons in the start menu. I leave only Help there and entire Windows Start menu becomes a large MRU list, like on smartphones - and I easely use it to switch between active apps.
The problem of "running slow" lies with badly designed apps. Actually, application should never consume significant CPU resources when lieing in background, but some bad developers forget about this fact.
All built-in applications behave nice. I have a process CPU utilization viewer, and can easely see that these apps when minimized dont even use 1% of processor time.