Database Users

noob needs some help (long... yawn)

I am sorry that the title is so general but I really do need lots of help with my wizard and don't know where to start.
I have had the thing since xmas and have not used it for a single day ! it was an impulse buy and probably a mistake. I realise that now but I'm stuck with a 12 month contract so might as well try and use it.:roll:
I work a 12 hour day and simply do not have the time to experiment and play with it. I need someone who has considerable experience with the o2 mini s and is able to explain how to set it up properly and use it effectively and has both the ability and patience to explain it to me. I am happy to pay for this as I see it like any other service which we pay for. I do not expect help for nothing.
Is there anyone prepared to help me with this ?
first I would like to know how I can change and improve my desktop.
second I would like to know how I install TomTom
thanks
Nick
peanut

Long yawn answered with enthusiasm
Firstly I have an xdaII + 2i and i'm pretty good with pc's, but there are some glaring holes in my knowledge.
My brother has the phone you have, and on his I have installed ttn5 and stripped the rom back so that the phone works much faster.
There's an awful lot of reading for you to do, so seen as i can prob not help much on this forum i'd be glad to help customise and suggest tools and s/w for your ppc up for you so that you'll find it at least fun and maybe use it.

I am currently on my 4th iteration of a Pocket PC phone. I started out way back with an Ipaq 3650 with a softphone, migrated to the 1st T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone (Wallaby, XDA, ect.), spent a year with the Ipaq H6315, and have now been using the new T-Mobile MDA USA (Wizard).
When I had the original XDA (Wallaby), got lured into the "Fix it 'til it breaks" addiction by this site. The "ROM Kitchen" was just too inticing to resist. That first generation platform in its factory state left much to be desired and the enhancements created by this forum and it's members greatly improved the user expierience of those devices.
Now that I have skipped the XDA II, III, and IV devices and all of the jargin associated with these newer generations of this platform and are now using the Wizard, I find myself relegated back to "Noowbie" status with regard to my knowledge of how, when, & why to upgrade my new device.
The usefulness of this forum and the many contributions of its members have contributed to the dificulty in extracting the information one may be looking for. There is simply so much information here to sift through.
I too find it hard to find the time required to assimilate all of the data here.
My device is in it's stock configuration with the exception that I have run the Lockwiz unlocking program. Until I can get my head around what these varius other rom images will do for me, I am going to use the device as it is now, which is a quantum leap in usability compared to the other devices I have been using for the past 4 years.
It probably already exists, ( although burried in countless 30 page threads) but perhaps a sticky Noowbie section that will help us that are time challanged so that we can someday increase our usefulness to this forum.
:idea:

A problem with your question about your desktop is there is more than one answer.
My answer is to use:
*Wisbar Advanced
--Close apps (you can define exceptions)
--Define a top bar theme
--Define top bar buttons and multiple actions for each
--Show running task icons on top bar
*Wisbar Advanced Desktop plugin
--Define multiple "virtual" taoday screens
--Place shortcuts, buttons and even links to place a phone call on any desktop
--More themes
--Pin items that can be available on all virtual pages
*Pocket Breeze
--A great way to see all PIM items (calendar, task, etc).
--Allows other today plugins to be used in tabs
*Pocket Weather as a tab in Pocket Breeze
*Pocket Alarm
--This does lots of things in addition to phone profiles and includes a today plugin
*SPB Backup and its today plugin
*The SearchToday plugin borrowed from the Treo 700
There is just so much you can do and it has taken quite a while to evolve to this for me. And sometimes I change it
To get the most out of it, you will just need to budget some time.

Wow thanks for the replies everyone.
Phoneguy glad to see that I am not the only one with insufficient time to assimilate all this new technology. So much & so little time ...
Thank you for your offers of help. Perhaps I should make a list of what I would like to do with the mini s and start from there. I'll do that tonight. Perhaps any readers would make some suggestions as to what I can do to make the ppc a more friendly interface

Accurate, updated list of software for Mogul?

So I just got my Mogul, and trying to find software for it is really annoying. no list of programs with screen shots, each program type has about 40 different homebrewed versions, most of the stuff doesn;t have a lonk to download anything, no homepage reference so you don't know if you're downloaded a version 4 versions older than the current, piss poor instructions on howw to actually use it, etc.
Is there an actual list of software links, that is updated with the most recent verion, of sotware for this phone? For example, I'm interested in adding that "Cube" menuing system, and doing a Google search returns 50 different versions of 20 different pieces of software linking to pages with older versions of the software that doesn't even work.
Is there a commonly accepted "best" cube type mening system out there? how about a commonly accepted "best" iPhone like interface?

emkorial said:
So I just got my Mogul, and trying to find software for it is really annoying. no list of programs with screen shots, each program type has about 40 different homebrewed versions, most of the stuff doesn;t have a lonk to download anything, no homepage reference so you don't know if you're downloaded a version 4 versions older than the current, piss poor instructions on howw to actually use it, etc.
Is there an actual list of software links, that is updated with the most recent verion, of sotware for this phone? For example, I'm interested in adding that "Cube" menuing system, and doing a Google search returns 50 different versions of 20 different pieces of software linking to pages with older versions of the software that doesn't even work.
Is there a commonly accepted "best" cube type mening system out there? how about a commonly accepted "best" iPhone like interface?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, there are literally THOUSANDS of programs that work on the Titan. It doesnt take a lot of work searching to find programs that are awesome. Try using the search feature of this website or ppcgeeks to find what you need instead of asking someone to deliver it to you.

Searching is your best answer. Making a list of the most currnet builds out there (some of which the most current isn't the "best") of software out there would be obselete in a months time. I've got the best results with trial and error in finding what works with my setup (hardware, rom and radio).

Thousands? I've downloaded about 20, and TWO work. the rest do NOTHING, due to obscure compatability problems, some random patch being required that no one seems to have, or it just flat out won't work, period. It;s incredibly frustrating.

Most have said it. You need to do your own research and on top of that what's good for you may not be good for someone else. In a way this is the fun part - the searching for the good stuff. Also, I take much advise from the experts on this and other forums.
In any case, you can't *****. The source of this software is coming from thousands of people/companies. Some write something good and just dump it on a server for others to download and offer little to no documentation. BUT... you pay nothing in many cases (can't ***** there). ANd it's almost always "run at your own risk!".
Want something stable, documented, and supported by a company... stay stock (OEM). Wait... my stock software was not stable, not well documented, and hardly supported (Sprint). As a matter of fact an alpha ROM I am running now is much better than the OEM software that the phone came with.
Willing alpha and beta tester,
tsp
Mogul w/ 6.1, 3.16, 3.27, 60711, NexVision Alpha ROM.
YMMV

make sure you are downloading ppc applications and not smartphone ones, and that you are downloading applications for WM6. If the app doesn't work then search the forums to see what other peoples experience is with that program.

while some of the responses here have been a little abrupt, you need to understand that your request is literally impossible. Nobody could possibly compile of a list of all the software that can run on the mogul.
Here are some things to try, though:
Search the forums for "best programs" and such things
Download different windows mobile apps and try them -- I've rarely found any that don't work.
Figure out what functionality you're looking for, and search specifically for that.
At the very least, if you want to post a query such as this one, you need to specify what exactly you're looking for. Our friend above wasn't exagerating when he said that there are thousands of apps that run on the mogul. If you're new to windows mobile, it'll take some getting used to. Be patient and read a lot. you'll figure it out.
Most people on this board are happy to help you with problems, but they do expect that you exert some energy on your own. If they feel like you haven't, they get touchy.
This thread might become a little more useful for you if you were to say what you are looking for (for example, if you're looking for a good program for maps and such that uses a data connection, I recommend Google Maps (visit http://m.google.com from your mobile phone)
Hope this helps, and good luck!

id say VITO SMS CHAT v1.0.1 is almost a must have if u text alot and have a stock ROM...most the custom ROMS have some form of threaded SMS added for u...but stock ROMS dont and this is a very nice program...i dont use this site much, but im on ppcgeeks 24/7 and i know we have a thread about it there...
also if ur looking for a nice web browser check out netfront browser 3.5 is pretty quick and it loads full websites not just the mobile version...and if u use myspace it actually loads the persons page background...its in beta now till may 31st, but if u search hard enough u can find ANY ppc program for free

I tried searching for a while now. After a failed ROM update I lost all my apps so I am re-customizing everything. How do you change the Title on the Home page? Right now it says: 'TELUS' but that's a little tacky. Can someone guide me to the right post?

Titan Apps
I have quite a few apps that I have been collecting would be happy to contribute to the list let me know...also in the development and hacking section there is a huge list of HTC apps that are pretty much always a go on the Titan.

I am new to this site.. I have a moguel.. and I would love to know what programs u have..please contact me at [email protected] with the info..please and thank u.
marriotheblackguy said:
I have quite a few apps that I have been collecting would be happy to contribute to the list let me know...also in the development and hacking section there is a huge list of HTC apps that are pretty much always a go on the Titan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

i'm a noob as well but i read a bunch.thing is there are terms and titles that make reading these threads as bad as reading the bible at times.i tried a bunch of stuff since i had my mogul.i removed a bunch of stuff as well.but right now i use spb mobile shell,pocket plus,fun contact,s2play,s2u2,weather panel<-------- wich is cool as hell but takes a bunch of tweaking imo to get to run right.(still haven't got my radar images right)gpstoday,thumbcal,and a bunch of games.i'm not an expert by far but i know these apps work fine on my device.

this is pretty confusing but this is the index i use to keep track of all the apps that both work and are user-friendly(to an extent).
its kind of hard to understand of you havent written it but what ever
if you have any questions feel free to ask.
EDIT:btw i have all of these stored. (as in .cabs, .exes....)
KEY
--------
X = Located in Backup
O = Must retrive
-----------------------------
ON DISK BUT HAVEN'T INSTALLED
-----------------------------
--------
PROGRAMS
---------
O-PDAMedia SIP Keyboard Light v1.0 - Full Screen Keyboard
X-An Original Idea.com Webby - Alternate Internet Browser
O-TCPMP AAC Plugin - Enables AAC PLayback capabilities for TCPMP
O-TCPMP - Alternate Media Player
A_C Slide2Unlock
X-TNT Task Manager 2_0_30487_2 - Task Manager in Tray
X-The EquinoXe Wizard reTOUCHed - New Phone Keypad
X-PHM Registry Editor
X-CodyPPC Threaded SMS
X-Picsel Browser
X-Windows .NET FRAMEWORK
X-Adobe Flash Lite 2.1
X-TouchFlo
X-TOUCHFLOCONFIG.TXT
X-Slither's Cube
------------
EXECUTABLES
------------
X-LAUNCHER - iPhone Emulator
X-REQUIRES CONFIG.INI
X-REQUIRES GFX.FOLDER
X-PPCPimBackUp
X-REQUIRES PIM.FOLDER
X-Where is my Ram?
-----------------
WMDC EXECTUTABLES
-----------------
X-Christmas Runner Lite
X-Chess v2.0
X-Gnuboy-GameBoyColor Emulator
X-Pokemon Crystal ROM
----------
THEMES
----------
X-wm6t-waterandfire.tsk - Lighter with Water
X-wm6t-stargateprometheus.tsk - The Prometheus -> Stargate

By the way, the cube isn't all its made out to be. TouchFLO is worth it, but I find myself constantly bringing up the cube on accident, not to mention that its stays in the background after launching. (eating up 8-9% of memory) It's nice to play with, and its great for showing off the capabilities of the phone but in the end, for me, it just wasn't worth it.
Then again, to each their own. Truly, TRY programs out. People like different things so you can't always trust a stranger to give you accurate advice.

I was once a "noob," having switched from Palm to come over to the "dark side" (remind me of the Mac vs PC thing). I have the VZW XV6800 with DCD's 2.3.2 rom onboard. I have thrashed and trashed my poor PPC many times before getting it stable the way I want. I have the following recommendations to all "noobs" who want to see "what works and what doesn't."
1) Don't fear the hard reset. If things go completely screwy, simply start from scratch. I store all my cab files on the card for this purpose. BTW, I have never needed to call Verizon after a hard reset. I simply *228 to program the SPL and "everyting is irie mon."
2) Make every effort to find the answer yourself before posting a question anywhere. You are likely not the first person to have whatever problem you think you have. To coin a phrase, "the truth is out there." If you don't have the time to search for the answer, you probably shouldn't be putsing (a technical term) with your phone. Check here and over at PPCGeeks.
3) Figure out which base application you cannot live without. ake sure that each works with the other by soft resetting after each install and working the phone a bit before loading another. My base for instance is: SPB Mobile Shell 2; PhoneWeaver; WisBar Advance; Live Search; Google Maps; Opera Mini 4; Resco Backup; Resco file Explorer; and SK Tools. I know they work well, and work together. I always load these first after a hard reset.
4) Get a good backup program (Sprite, SPB Backup, Resco), and use it daily or at least before each new testing round.
5) Backup your registry and save the backup in a safe place (card) in case.
6) Test new applications one at a time, with soft reset after each installation. Do not load another new app, until you are sure that you're happy with the previoous one or have fully uninstalled it.
7) Have fun! Be happy! Don't forget that it's just a damned phone with benefits.

those are some nice tips for someone who is new jgilfor. do you mind if i quoted you in my sig or something? (pm me)

warez i use
After going through this thread, i decided to add the apps i run to my sig. When i get home i'll add some more.
I don't know if it's a good idea or not but maybe i could throw up a page with links to the software? Unless i can upload them all here.
What do you vets think?

It's probably a better request to ask for the programs that each person uses. That's more useful than trying to get a list of every single program out there. With a program name and some patience, then you should be able to find the right install file. If not, then this phone was probably not meant for you, sorry. =( Maybe a Nokia? lol, j/k!
Anyways, I like GhettoBSD's idea! I keep a list of programs that I use so that I know what to reinstall after a ROM flash:
Nilisco Flashlight
HTC Voice Recorder
HTC Home and emunutz HTC Home Customizer
HTC Audio Manager
Skunkworks FlashVideoBundle and TCPMP
Lordsmiff Battery Level
Jorrit Jongma WMWifiRouter
JRebeiro EsmertecJbed and Opera Mini
Stroths-Codyppc Led Killer 3.1
Oxios Memory
CooTek Cooperation Touchpal
GoogleMaps
PPCpimBackup
TomCo Solutions Stopwatch

Do you have a link for the HTC voice recorder that works with Mogul, I tried some but are not working. Cab installs the application, but when trying to record, always get an empty fie of 6b. No matter how long I record always have an empty file named voice00x with size of 6b. Or whay Im doing wrong? I installed the same file in a tytn and works perfect.

Here is what i use
Opera mini (great little browser)
DinarSoft MemMaid ( cleans out junk and temp/ frees memory too)
DinarSoft Handyswitcher (awesome taskbar app with cpu /memory usage that can be on top toolbar in every ap)
Shape Services IM+ ( great instant messanging app )
PPC geeks battery and performance reg hack
acbPowerMeter ( shows how much power apps consume, good for measuring 3g versus no internet use )
Blue Frog Touch Dialer, (htc diamond style dialer , skinable , bigger button layout very cool )
Led Killer 3.1 ( disables annoying flashing green service led )
HTC home plugin schen 2.10 ( nice gui mod, for weather and apps)
Youtubeplay
Total Commander
lokmeup IE Slow Scroll Fix
Google maps
Cloudyfa EsmertecJbed ( java)
PocketCM keyboard
RARLab pocket rar
Sipchange ( change keyboard tool )
someguy sMMS ( adds ability to send picture sms , providing you get your key from the sprint website)
PocketIRC ( mirc application)
Oxios memory ( free tool to free up unused memory)
TRE Pocket PC (free registry editor)

where can I find cabs for my Wing?

I have Wizards, a Blue Angel and a Hermes.
With the Wing I have discovered that some cab files from the other units don't execute properly or seem to have been written for very old versions of Windows Mobile. I am never sure if they are going to be resource hogs or are not going to release memory when they close and such like. (or is this more to do with the ROM than the applications I am trying to use?)
Or they ask me whether I am installing onto some elderly processor (mips or arm or etc) and I am never sure either which one to choose for the Wing. And often the ones I choose dont work
Where can I find repositories for cab files (or indeed exe files to be executed from the computer) which are new enough to work with the Wing please? Any applicatoin will do, games, utilities, etc etc

most apps will, and the only truly system specific ones are like customization and tweak stuff.
there a bunch of freeware sites with lots of fun stuff thats totally device inspecific.

You can startout by browesing www.pocketpcfreeware.com .
Once/if you get through that site, just google "ppc freeware"
Hope that helps.

If you are still looking try this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=356480

Thanks for this specific answer guys: I was just unsure what to do when given a choice between installing an elderly program designed for a 2001 computer on the Wing when the hcoice seems to refer to installing for those elderly processors

Thanks for this specific answer guys: I was just unsure what to do when given a choice between installing an elderly program designed for a 2001 computer on the Wing when the hcoice seems to refer to installing for those elderly processors

New HD2, where do I start?

Hi guys, I'm new to this forum and it's a pleasure to be a new member! As a brief introduction, I'm completely new to HTC, Windows Mobile and any non-Symbian device! I've used Nokia's, Sony Ericssons & Motorola's all my life and Symbian is all I know, I think you get the picture......
Anyhow, I should be getting my HD2 within the next few days because I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and I just want to know where to start?! This looks like the most comprehensive forum I've seen on the net and I couldn't think of a better place to start learning. I know it's a bit of a broad question and I have had a look through a number of posts to get my bearings, as such. I've seen posts about Roms, registry modifications, patches...... and it all sounds very interesting and I want to know all the functions and information I can about my new device.
Coming from the Symbian background, everything is pretty straightforward but Windows Mobile sounds a lot more technical and something I'm looking forward to learning about. Any information or tips about what I should & shouldn't do to help improve performance/tweak the device would be much appreciated and I'm a fast learner. PS I've seen this post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=583638
and will work my way through it when I get the device, but it seems to be aimed at people with some previous experience with this platform. I'm sure you guys see these tpye of 'Help Me!' posts all the time but thanks in advance.

Hello Gargon, welcome aboard!
I too am new to these forums and I've spent a not-insignificant amount of time browsing threads on the HD2 since I made the decision to finally ditch the venerable nokia 6030 that has served me so well all these years. Being a self-confessed techie the HD2 appealed to me the very instant I first caught a glimpse of it in all its Kubrick monolithic glory and as soon as O2 release info on their tariffs I will be seriously weighing up my options.
Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty. As a disclaimer I've only been here a short while so I wouldn't be surprised if I get a few facts wrong. Hopefully someone will correct me if I do!
The HD2 is powered by Windows Mobile 6.5 edition and as you might imagine it's not too dissimilar in how it operates to the PC desktop version. You have a desktop, start menu, program files etc. with all the various settings held by the registry. The beauty of WinMo is that it is far more customisable than the iPhone OS/Symbian in that you can change pretty much everything you see and also how you interact with the device. For example, a developer on these boards has released an application which enables the vibration feature on almost every keypress whereas the default HD2 only goes so far. Another dev has released an app which changes HTC's desktop from a 3x3 grid of shortcuts to 4x4. You can even do away with HTC's superb frontend entirely and install something like SPB Mobile Shell which has a snazzy rotating cube effect desktop and many other alternative enhancements (although you will have to pay for this). And this is only the tip of the iceberg! There are thousands of applications and games out there on the internet, and with Microsoft finally getting into the appstore gig we can expect a well-stocked central repository for software sometime in the near future. Failing that, google is our friend
With the help of the talented and selfless developers here at xda-dev almost anything is possible, including the potential for changing the operating system entirely, so you can't rule out the HD2 one day running Android or WM7 somewhere down the line, however this depends on one crucial bit of software -- the Hard SPL. Without this essential bit of kit, peons such as myself are unable to reflash the device to a different operating system or even a different version of the current OS (e.g. a lite version to save valuable ROM space, or an enhanced version with greater functionality). Everything hinges on this being developed by the code masters behind the scenes however such projects require a lot of skill, time and effort and such is the support of the community here that monetary donations are pledged in gratitude for past endeavours and in the hope of new enterprise.
As for installing applications themselves, I haven't yet delved deep enough to give you a comprehensive answer, however I suspect that there are FAQs on the parent forums which will give you all the information you need. From what I can tell, applications are released in .cab format which are executed from the phone and self-install. I can't wait until I can get my grubby paws on this masterpiece and get busy pushing buttons! I'm sure I've missed a whole lot of information but my lids are getting heavy and my battery needs charging. I hope this wasn't too patronising for you and I'm sure some other people here will gladly fill you in on anything I've missed.

Welcome aboard, great first posting. Showing the threads you read already makes many people want to help you more.
If you come from Symbian, some stuff will be the same, i.e. you use icons for programs.
What differs the most is the customization possibilities and the level of deep control you have over the behaviour of your new machine.
Get to grips with Microsoft Mobile Device Center, (syncing your data).
Do you have an Exchange account or Gmail ? You can setup your device to have pushmail connectivity with GMail or Exchange.
If you don't own an Exchange Server, you can setup your own free
Custom Domain at http://domains.live.com and have your own email adress as a LIVE-ID and have pushmail with it (free).
Then, I would dig in to the many cool free applications around.
Yes, hunt for .cab files as they will install over the air (OTA) and from your device.
Another tip: When you get your device, start at the first Icon, view it, try and dig deeper in the menu's, always. Press and hold the screen/text to see if there are context menu's.
Then work your way through all the settings and icons available. It will take you about 3 days to see all the menu's and options, although the first 80% you will discover the first day
Hope you will enjoy the transition.

Hey guys
First off, this a awesome site with heaps of help. And advice which is great
Secondly I amnew here too and hopefully getting my hd2 soon. Can't wait!!

Thanks a lot for the replies guys, very informative H2D2 and thanks for the tips lucid. It's good to know that there are other people in a similar situation to myself! If anyone can post any relevant links to any apps or roms/cab files that might be useful for a first-timer then it would be much appreciated. In the meantime, I'll keep doing the research and, if I find anything myself, I'll post it here. Thanks again.

Well I'm new as well so hi everyone!
I used to have a wm phone but that was a few years ago and things have changed a lot since then... so have a bit of catching up to do. Been browsing on here the last few days and ordered the HD2 this morning.
Gargon, I'm sure you'll get used to it all in no time, I know it all looks confusing at first but really it's not that bad and I'm sure the nice people on here will help if you're stuck.

Greetings our new community members
I was in the same situation as You guys half year ago when I purchased my first WM device, the Diamond2. And now Im awaiting my HD2 already ordered
As for the Windows Mobile platform, it is the most powerful, sophisticated and versatile mobile platform ever made, and that's why it has always attracted more advanced users. But on the other hand, it is in many ways very similar to Windowses on your PCs At first you may feel a little overwhelmed of all the functions, tips, tricks, registry hacks and so on. But what's great about Windows Mobile platform, is that once you start to "feel" it, then playing around with your phone becomes extremely addictive. I remember my first week with the Diamond2, it was nothing else than playing with it, installing and testing every trick i could possibly find
Moving on to the relevant stuff:
First of all, you should equip your device with a decent file explorer, as the native WM one is a bit clunky. I recommend Resco File Explorer. Second, equip yourself with a registry editor, as you gonna need it for tweaks. Resco Explorer has a plugin for registry editing and there are even desktop PC editors which you can use when device is connected to the PC.
As for application installation, it can be performed in 2 ways:
1).cab files. These are like .sis in Symbian. You run them directly from the device just by executing them from any file manager.
2).exe files. Those can be installed from your PC when the device is connected to it. Sometimes developers make small apps for phones which are in form of exe files which are designed to run directly from the device. This is possible because every app after installation usually has its folder in Program Files where an exe file of the app itsself is stored (exactly the same as on Your PC Windows)
Moving on to the interface. One of the biggest advantages of Windows Mobile is that it enables you to change practically the whole interface with minimum effort. The native WM interface is unfortunately very old and not finger friendly, and thats why every major company designed their own interfaces. On the HD2 it is called Sense. In fact Sense is only a further developement of an interface which was called TouchFlo 3D. And one thing more you should know. Developers on this forum use the code name of this interface, which is Manila. HD2 has the latest Manila v2.5. So basically Manila=TouchFlo=Sense.
Feel free to ask any questions, everyone of us was a newbie at first I personally am very happy to see new people being attracted by new fantastic WM devices. I myself was a Nokia/Symbian fan for many years, untill half a year ago I discovered that I was living in the darkness all these years
The XDA-Developers is one of the greatest, biggest and oldest communities on the whole internet. This makes this community concrete, mature and serious. This means that members are very helpful to each other and they always communicate with a certain level of etiquette, so You surely won't hear any offensive words, swears or any vulgarisms
So enjoy your new devices and this community, as it will bring you many happy moments, i guarantee this to You

the wiki is a great tool (not much on the HD2 in there yet) but background reading on other devices is good.
As long as you're willing to take time to learn to use the search (often searching around the term you're looking for) then you'll solve issues you may have quickly as well..
several of us are happy to discuss stuff on PM as well..
and don't forget if you find something that you think others would find useful,
The WIKI is always there, to be edited at your leisure

Welcome
Very nice attitude from Gargon01 and H2D2.
You are on the right track about the winmo os.
In itself it is clunky on the surface but the structure sits on the registry database which is accessible through a registry editor.
This forum is quite unique and must be the largest of It's kind, that is, a community of smartphone developers/hackers.
I have been dropping in for 4 years but only started flashing recently after buying an HD.
The HD came with an earlier development of Touchflo and I saw rom versions on Youtube etc of more advanced versions from XDA Devs.
I took the plunge in flashing roms and have been addicted ever since.
I am running the latest version of sense on my HD but am awaiting an HD2 from clove tech on the uk for which sense was made.
There are many brilliant people in this community who generously offer their creativity, time and energy.
You are in the right place. More will be revealed.

Thanks a lot for the responses guys, exactly what me and I'm sure a lot of other new users are looking for! I'll look for the Resco File Viewer jgal, there was a similar app called Modo on Symbian that was also used for deep-file exploration/modification purposes.
Also, it's good to know that there are a lot of similarities to the desktop version of Windows. I'd like to think that I'm pretty proficient with that so I'll look forward to taking that knowledge and applying it to the HD2.
A big thanks to all the other users who have contributed to the post as well! I was pretty sure that my thread would fade away into non-existence but it's good to know that people seem genuinely interested in offering help and advice.
I should hopefully be getting the handset on Monday so I'll give it a good examination and keep you all posted should I run into any problems. Keep the tips/links coming though, my brain is like a sponge!! Cheers.

Looking for a kiosk style ROM, no apps, block on new installs

hi.
i'm wondering if anyone has developed an absolute bare-bones ROM for the HD2. the intended use is for field auditors and the only thing i want them to be able to do is launch their auditing app and use the calendar. the sim will be data only so it won't support calls anyway. it's a single purpose device and they will have a monthly data allowance that i don't want to use up with browsing / personal use etc. i hope to remove (or block) all apps, basically just keep the Today screen and i would deploy my app via Visual Studio / USB. can anyone point me in the right direction? i searched around the HD2 forums for 'kiosk' and 'block' and 'uninstall' but everything i found was feature-rich instead of feature-less.
thanks in advance

How do you plan to restrict app installations on a WM phone ? CleanEx series roms are pretty bare...in any case all ROMs will come with some basic apps which are required for day-to-day functioning

hi, thanks for the reply. i know the phone is designed for everyday usage, so browsers etc are standard issue. and obviously i can never be 100% sure that people won't install an app, but i want to put in whatever measures i can to deter novice users, e.g. removing file manager, Market, etc. it's a business-only single-purpose project and i'd like to customise the device as much as possible for that. am i looking at cooking my own ROM?
cleanex looks like a good start, thanks.

timmer3 said:
hi, thanks for the reply. i know the phone is designed for everyday usage, so browsers etc are standard issue. and obviously i can never be 100% sure that people won't install an app, but i want to put in whatever measures i can to deter novice users, e.g. removing file manager, Market, etc. it's a business-only single-purpose project and i'd like to customise the device as much as possible for that. am i looking at cooking my own ROM?
cleanex looks like a good start, thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
best move forward, PM the cooks.

I am not sure, if this is what you are looking for, but.... couple of years ago I did sold and deployed Kiosk mode from SPBsoftwarehouse. it was 500 licences/installations. it was used on tytnII/kaiser PDA. they used only one application for remote database, even phone, wifi and other functionalities was disabled. it worked like a charm. I dont know, what they added to newer versions of kiosk mode SW, but maybe it will help you. it is not free and for sure not cheap, but it works and it exist test/demo version
http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/pocketpc-software/kioskengine/
EDIT> right now they have three products,
SPB Kiosk Engine
SPB Kiosk Explorer
SPB Kiosk Terminal

thanks for the replies. just in case anyone else is interested, i found a codeproject article that explains some of the challenges.
the SPB software has some reported performance problems but it does have an attractive feature list.