Database Users

Phone Application

I am new to the whole PDA form so please forgive me if this is obvious but I have not found the answers on this site.
I have an O2 XDA mini s and am slowly getting the hang of it.
Problem: On closing all running programs in task manager I loose the use of the phone keypad, pressing the green call button brings up the phone application but minus the number keys, calls can still be made through contacts. A soft reset is required to recify.
?Related problem: In task manager, there are programs running that are not visible on the list (if I press below the last visible item something is selected and I can "goto" it.
Plus on occation the listed item takes me to a different program ie. selecting media player takes me to Word (no set pattern though).
All help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance

StefanF: what task manager are you using?
V

Sorry, just to clarify, PDA is "as out of the box", so just the WM5 task manager.
Thanks for your interest, I have followed several of your posts and seen your site. You have some great programs I would like to use, particually like the big phone buttons and close application tool but am quite scared of this thing.
It may be a while before I mess to deeply.

Stefan: that sounds like an odd problem.
The built in task manager is useful but not very comprehensive.
If you want to view all running tasks etc, there are much better programs out there, many are freeware. If you can't find any better, check out one I've posted here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?p=190257#190257
It's not written by me, I've just re-added some features.
Note - closing the phone (cprog.exe) is not a particularly good idea unless you really need it, because some other apps expect it to be loaded (eg contacts)
My programs
Some are ok. You might want to try my program VJOkButt if you just want to close apps to keep your memory healthy. But that's subject to taste and it's not clear how useful - although on the Wizard, it might be helpful.
The big phone buttons are actually just for the universal, it's not designed for Wizard. Basically it's for VGA phones that are using the ful VGA hack.
I've got some other stuff coming out soon. Stay tuned :wink:
V

Phone application
Thanks for the info.
I think, from what you have said, I need to know what I am doing to shut down the phone application as it is never my intention.
Pitty about the big button program. Why is there not full customisation of the screen (as in desktop PC's, can change the size of buttons, scroll bars... both of which are to small for finger use on this)
As a side note, when I am in an application the menus and any selections within make a click upon pressing ie. in word, Menu>Cut each selection makes a click. I have all tap sounds off but the only way I can stop it is to turn the master volume all the way down. Any ideas?
Once again, thanks.

You have to overwrite some of the default sounds with empy sounds to disable all click sounds. At least that's what I did, but that was a long time ago..basically you use your pc, make an empty .wav file, and overwrite the necessary files in your \windows\ folder. If you're interested in doing this and need more help, shout out!
Closing the phone - yes, you would probably not close it without knowing what you're doing. I presume when you're not using the task manager you're not having the phone problems?
Try a program called CETuner to help play around with your scrollbars etc. It's good for modifying colour themes and various settings on the go. Another program worth looking at is Tweak 2k .net.
V

Many thanks.

Personally i'm currently using Magic Button to close apps and act as a task manager. http://www.freewareppc.com/utilities/magicbutton.shtml
It allows you to close or minimise apps, and by clicking the "house" icon on the windows bar you can also close all, soft reset etc. Final point on it is that you can see X number of running apps and touch to swap to them, or "hide when inactive" and "keep alive" so you dont close (or even see) some apps - i keep messages & phone in this state to improve response times but close use close all to kill everything else.

Danger using Task Manager
Stefan,
I had the same problem. Ideally you should use Start/Settings/System/Memory/Running Programs to close down active tasks. Yes, the Task Manager does it and you can launch it from the menu, but it is a bit dangerous (as I found out). The Phone app appears in Task Manager as an unnamed icon and its icon looks like the Windows Media Player one (at least it does on my XDA Mini S). Shutting this down will do exactly what you describe (I started a thread called 'Help I'm stuck in Contact History on this).
By all means use Task Manager if you want to, just don't shut all apps, leave the unnamed 'media player lookalike' icon.
Cheers. :wink:

To the original poster:
I had this problem when i got my XDA at first. To be honest, i think its the o2 active stuff that messes up the phone app.
My suggestion is this: back up any important data, then do a hard rerset of your phone. When the screen comes up about Standard, Corporate or Basic install choose the Corporate option and use the passcode 0506. this will allow you to use the phone without any of the o2 crap and since i done it i've had no problems with the phone.
just to let you know, this will stop the phone setting up its own GRPS and MMS settings, but if you phone o2 ar go into a shop then they will happily send them to you.
Hope this helps.

Task Manager or Active ?
I suspect that it is shutting down the phone app that's causing the issue not Active. I agree, get rid of Active if you don't like it (I use Basic so I still get the MMS settings), but I don't think Active is the cause.
Just my humble opinion of course.

I'd completely overlooked that StefanF was using o2. I'm an O2 and Orange user, but O2 active has never touched my system. Sounds like that's quite an oversight by them if the O2 Task Manager allows you to close the phone app... not recommended!
V

Oooer indeed
My friend has an XDA Exec (Universal) and he had lots of problems with the phone app which I strongly suspect were much the same thing. (although his apps in task manager were not unnamed, he had multiple phone apps running). I didn't know the Task Manager was an O2 add-on, I assumed it was a WM5 feature.

Automatic Closing of running programs

Correct me if I'm wrong. From the readings I have made , WM5 works by not closing the programs launched and keeps on working in the background even after closing the program (tapping the x button on the right upper hand). The only way to close this program completely and to free the memory is by stopping the program using the running program window. It is then that you free the memory. Unlike 2003SE once you close the program it also frees the memory.
This makes it a problem for WM5, because I notice that if you open a lot of program, eventually you loose memory and cannot run other program , not until closing all those previously opened programs using therunning program window.
I was wondering if there are any program/registry hack/patch to go around this problem.
Thanks

There are many programs that turn the x into a permanent close, instead of just minimize. I use Wisbar Advance Desktop but that is a full Today Screen replacement program. If you press the x it minimizes, if you press x and hold, it closes.
There are tons of other programs... do some searching.

It shouldnt be a problem. Too many people think of WM5 as Windows XP. When your memory is low you need to close thigns. This is not the case.
As you quite rightly say when memory gets low WM5 should close the oldest app to free up the required memory, the reason it leaves things open is to keep things fast. When you need memory, it just closes something.
I use mine for TomTom as well as memory hungry push email and my memoy always has at least 10mb free and I have never run out. If the device is running slow its normally down to a particualr app using all the processor. Skype for example which can be closed with the exit command in its menu.
Unless your having particular problems I say let it be. Closing apps each time is a pain and a waste of time.

Actually, the problem is the same in WM 2003 and 2002.
The program you are looking for is called MagicButton and it's free.
http://www.trancreative.com/mb.aspx

thanks for your reply. I will try the magic button, will update you...

Magic button lets you to define what to close and what to keep alive. I'm set to keep alive mesaging and some other applcations to get ot on faster and to closу other.

Ok button = close app
I have tried various app but none gave me what I want: when I press the hardware button ok or for example the red button (end call) to close the active window without the use of the touchscreen. Does anybody knows an app whick behaves like this ?

spb pocketplus (not free) also has this capacity, and with it you can map the "close all" or "close" to a button. you may also define exceptions for this (applications that do not close even if you choose "close" or "close all").

Hi, See and try this.It has good capacities and work really fine in Prophet.http://insoftwarehouse.com/downloads/inclose/xe.php?l=en

for those who uses msn live messenger..

hope this is the right place to post.. I am using the live 10.6.34.0800 and everything works fine except one part, closing it. I can't option to close the program. If i click on the "x" on top, it only minimize it and even so I can't find it under task manager. The only way to bring it back up is to click on the live.exe short cut again. So far the only way I can really shut down the program is to kill the process. I've used 10.6.33.0600 before and same problem.
Anyone else is experiencing the same thing? How do you go about it.
Thanks,

silvscorp said:
hope this is the right place to post.. I am using the live 10.6.34.0800 and everything works fine except one part, closing it. I can't option to close the program. If i click on the "x" on top, it only minimize it and even so I can't find it under task manager. The only way to bring it back up is to click on the live.exe short cut again. So far the only way I can really shut down the program is to kill the process. I've used 10.6.33.0600 before and same problem.
Anyone else is experiencing the same thing? How do you go about it.
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use a task manager like X Button, HTC Task Manager, WkTask, etc.

That is way it is. If you still like it, use it. Can't argue with MS. There were more older WinCE programs were like that. The argument was why you need to close the programs? I was steamed. Take Pocket Informant as example, it opens automatically when bootup. By default, the "close" option is hidden until you know how to config the program (older version did not have that option). Another example is ActiveSync. It took tons of time to figure out how to control the damn sucker. Tell me who doesn't hate it. In fact you can find custom ROM's in this forum with added feature called "Kill ActiveSync". It is not only can't be close, it starts by itself and drains your batteries. Go figure!

tnyynt said:
Use a task manager like X Button, HTC Task Manager, WkTask, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In general under the "x" for htc task manager, all the active programs will be listed, (active sync, file explorer, etc) but after the Live Messenger is minimized (running in background) it doesn't even show up. Only way to close it is by killing it under task manager or process.
jychan28 said:
That is way it is. If you still like it, use it. Can't argue with MS. There were more older WinCE programs were like that. The argument was why you need to close the programs? I was steamed. Take Pocket Informant as example, it opens automatically when bootup. By default, the "close" option is hidden until you know how to config the program (older version did not have that option). Another example is ActiveSync. It took tons of time to figure out how to control the damn sucker. Tell me who doesn't hate it. In fact you can find custom ROM's in this forum with added feature called "Kill ActiveSync". It is not only can't be close, it starts by itself and drains your batteries. Go figure!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well if this is the way it is with the program then i guess i can kill it through process. Unlike active sync, this drains a lot memory, if I don't kill the program it will just hide in the background and constantly running, if I disconnect wifi, it'll auto connect to data network, so obviously this is a big problem.

[REQ] How to kill unused processes, when phone is idle?

Yes is there a app that works, have tried the ones from elias, but does not work on diamond, all processes that I set to be killed, is still active, and the notsr, requires you run an exe file.
Am looking for some thing that runs in background, and close processes that still runs in background even after program is closed.
Or maybe some one can tell me if the reg code "Realexit" works on other apps that Opera?

Nobody who can help me with this?

have you tried cleanRAM? i don't know, if this app closes open programs, but it cleans out the ram of your device, so you never have to do a soft reset..
klick here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=487490&highlight=cleanRAM
edit: you can choose apps to close ("custom programm list" or something like this...)

how to close applications

Hi,
some of the applications does not have a exist option (maybe i didnt figured this out!). in this case how can i close them (i.e. can i do that by using back button).
I can press and hold the home button to see which applications are running and switch between them. but this does not allows me to close them.
please help
ooo7

This has been answered many times before, but just to make it easy, you can use apps from he market. Personally, I've tried TasKiller and Advanced Task Killer. The latter I find to be the best.
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.rechild.advancedtaskkiller

jamesking420 said:
This has been answered many times before, but just to make it easy, you can use apps from he market. Personally, I've tried TasKiller and Advanced Task Killer. The latter I find to be the best.
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.rechild.advancedtaskkiller
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HI,
but the problem with the advanced task killer is it gives huge list (i.e. I have not even started them.. i think it gives a list what ever i got in my program list)
for example, if i press and hold the home key i will icons of application i am running, however if i run advanced task killer i will get morethan what i have in previuos method.
i maybe doing something wrong.. but cant figure it out. please help
thanks ooo7

Yes,
I do have the same issue, there are a lot of applications listed which I haven't opend before.... I also want to close applications on a regulair base.
It seems the hero will slow done a bit when having a few apps open, which ofcourse is logical.

Advanced task killer lists all the processes that are running.
All devices (Mobiles, PC's and PDAs) have processes running that you haven't opened. these are the OS, and other apps that need to be running the whole time, like Gmail (or you dont get any push mail), calendar (Or you dont get any reminders), messaging, and many more. this is basic stuff and you need to understand it. just cos you haven't opened it, doesn't mean it is not running.
try opening task manager on a windows pc, and most have 20-30 processes running. Did you start all of them?
Also, holding the home key does NOT show you running programs, it only shows you the last 6 programs YOU accessed. Android has NO way of showing you what processes are running without a third party program. (or not that i know of anyway)
gotta agree with jamesking420 though, advanced taskiller is the best of the bunch at the moment.

Android closes applications when it needs the memory, but until then it keeps them cached in memory. So unless you hit some sort of bug, there is no reason to manually close applications. How did you get into the habit of manually closing applications on your cell phone, anyways?

Volker1 said:
How did you get into the habit of manually closing applications on your cell phone, anyways?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
probably from years of dealing with the antichrist of Mobile operating systems. Otherwise known as Windows mobile!

From what I've learned begin new to Android is that it is self monitoring. It will automatically close programs as needed ulike WinMo devices. You can just hit the back button or home button. It might store in the cache but the device will shut the program down as it is not needed.

archboy69 said:
From what I've learned begin new to Android is that it is self monitoring. It will automatically close programs as needed ulike WinMo devices. You can just hit the back button or home button. It might store in the cache but the device will shut the program down as it is not needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Truly idle apps won't affect performance, but misbehaving apps still cause problems. Ex: Peep drains the battery in no-time when it has no account preferences and thus can't possibly do anything useful. Give it valid twitter credentials, or kill it, and the battery lasts a lot longer. I.e. if you don't want to use twitter you either have to kill Peep every time after boot, get rid of it completely, or connect an external battery-pack

phel21 said:
get rid of it completely
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hell yes, how could I do that?

archboy69 said:
From what I've learned begin new to Android is that it is self monitoring. It will automatically close programs as needed ulike WinMo devices. You can just hit the back button or home button. It might store in the cache but the device will shut the program down as it is not needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rught, and if you add the android 'Task Bar' widget you can see, how much memory is free. You can also observe, that there are changes, because the operating systems frees memory by itself.
As others have written, there is no need to manually interfere, plus, if you switch off your device from time to time (I do it every night), you'll probably never have any problems with resources.
The known speed issues, that some users experience, should be solved by HTC and not with extensive use of Taskkillers and alike ...

Is there anyway of stopping peep and other things i don't use from starting up automatically?