Database Users

How to install software?

Hi....
New user here and just recently purchased the Qtek.
Been a long time Palm user and this is my first WM PDA.
Need help.
Tried searching....but search comes up with too many posts to go through all of them.
How do I install a cab file? Have a SD card and would like to leave the main system memory alone. Remember reading somebody saying something about it but no explanation concerning how to do it.
Why is there no sticky for something as general as this on this board?
Not that I'm saying that this is not a great forum - found a lot of other resources - but there should be a sticky for all the newbies - like me - that explains how to install software, what are essential software that are required, how to change settings, etc..
Anyway, hopes somebody can explain to me how to install cabs and leave it on the sd card.
Mel
PS. Mad Monkey Rules!

1. Put your sd card into the device
2. Copy the cab to your sd card
3. Use the file explorer on the device to surf to the cab file
4. Double-tap the cab file and follow the cabs installation instructions.
Should be good to go...

It's worth reading the publisher's notes/web-site to see if they advise against installing to SD storage card. Most apps will offer a choice of where to install to, but some publishers will ignore your choice - Thanks TomTom! However, you can often overcome that by manually moving files/folders to SD-card and hacking paths in the registry. If you export those keys, it's a doddle to recreate next time.
By all means test to see if an app will run successfully from SD-card, but there are some apps that don't like being left running from SD when the device powers down. Typically you'll find they've crashed/closed when you turn the device back on, but be aware that you may not realise something is wrong until later. Also remember that WM5 is still new and many programs may not be completely compatible.
Be prepared to spend a couple of weeks (or more) trying different applications, and continually hard-resetting your device, until you've built up your desired suite of apps. Most apps are available on a 10 to 30-day trial period, so take advantage of that. When you're ready, perform a fresh install of everything, preferably noting down the order of install. If your chosen backup program allows it, take stage backups so that you can always return to a specific point.
With the Universal & WM5 there's less of an advantage in putting everything in SD-card, since you can't move the split between program and device storage. However, I tend to put as much as I can in SD-card so that't there's less to lose and recover when I hard-reset the beast.

Thanks guys.
Worked great.

Moving 'My Documents' to Storage after BS mod

Happy New year to all
I've been following with this site for quite sometime until i decide to switch from HP 6365 to o2 Mini/Magician.
I've successfully mod my Mini to BS with TMob 1.13 rom & 1.13 Radio. I'm just wondering if there's any possibilities to hack the default My Documents which resides in RAM to Storage. After all I still have 17MB free Storage after BS even having all my apps install in it.
I've tried few apps with registry editor but can't find anything that relates to My Documents location. What i mean is like Windows XP where you can change the default My Doc's from \Doc..& Settings..\User...etc to the folder that you want . eg: D:\My Documents
This will actually save a little time to backup the My Documents contents in the event you get a corrupted or format your C:\ in Windows Xp or Hard Reset in the case of PPC. Simply do a restore & I have the last state that i wanted or backup.
My intention is to configure my PPC with alll the customize apps, settings & etc and do a backup. In the event i need to do a Hard Reset, i'll just need to restore my OS from backup without the needs to backup or lose anything especially the My Documents. Like i said, restore & i have the last state of OS & cofig of the last state that i wanted to.
Been searching this forum but the search functions doesn't find me any results that relate to this. Anyone have such a wild idea?
Here's my apps in storage.
SPB Pocket Plus 3
Sprite Backup 3
PocketX Photo Contact Pro 4
Cab Installer
Vcard Receiver
Flexwallet 2006
Resco Explorer
Sk Tools
Tweaks2K
Ampda Camera

kanryu said:
I'm just wondering if there's any possibilities to hack the default My Documents which resides in RAM to Storage. After all I still have 17MB free Storage after BS even having all my apps install in it.
[...]
My intention is to configure my PPC with alll the customize apps, settings & etc and do a backup. In the event i need to do a Hard Reset, i'll just need to restore my OS from backup without the needs to backup or lose anything especially the My Documents. Like i said, restore & i have the last state of OS & cofig of the last state that i wanted to.
Been searching this forum but the search functions doesn't find me any results that relate to this. Anyone have such a wild idea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wild Idea: Leave your "My Documents" folder where it is. Use Sprite Backup to do regular (scheduled, automatically running) backups of your device and save this backup to storage as an compressed exe. That way, after a hard reset you only have to launch File Explorer, start the backup file, restore, reset, takes less than 2 minutes. Depending on how many programs are stored in RAM (non-BS) and how many/how large documents are on your device it should work flawlessly.

Thanks for the info & kind attentions. I do practice a good backup.
I'm just looking at the hack/mod as a "bonus" if it is possible.
Cheers!

kanryu: since you suggested it, try to test this out.
I suggest you do this before installing any other app, because My Documents is a system setting used in many installations and they may get confused.
HKLM > Explorer > Shell Folders > My Documents
The storage card isn't always available at boot up, so again, it might cause problems. Storage might be a better idea then storage card. But this can already be configured in the options menu in Notes, at least.
V

Perhaps you can move all of the stuff to the storage ( not the card) and then put a shortcut from main memory to the storage card directory?

with some registry modifications as well. Some software only default the storage of data to \My Documents folder so merely moving everything to Storage and creating a shortcut won't do.

O2mini_noob: which registry mods did you use?
Have you guys tried the registry keys above?
V

I have tried this hack long time ago, wishing I counld change BT dir, but it did not work.. Storage Card & Storage, both failed...
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Explorer\Shell Folders]
"Templates"="\\Storage\\My Documents\\Templates"
"Windows"="\\Windows"
"StartUp"="\\Windows\\StartUp"
"Recent"="\\Windows\\Recent"
"Programs"="\\Windows\\Programs"
"Program Files"="\\Program Files"
"My Documents"="\\My Documents"
"Fonts"="\\Windows\\Fonts"
"Favorites"="\\Windows\\Favorites"
"Desktop"="\\Windows\\Desktop"
"Application Data"="\\Application Data"
as you can see.. only templates works ( since it's not related to the OS it self )... I tried changing Fonts dir as well, did not work either
I guess this has to do with the OS it self... so it is impossible to change it..

sorry Vijay, I was merely adding to stevedebi's quote of moving the entire \My Documents to storage. Obviously you have to do some registry changes to make it happen but wouldn't be as easy as that.

To OP.
I *think* I have a similar problem to you.
Basically I want to sync my files to/from my PC/PDA but the ram on my blueangel is way to small where as my 1 gig SD ram has vastly more than I need.
Now, i have managed to relocate my Sync briefcase on the PC to d:\briefcase. All well and good, this now trys to sync to the Pda's volatile ram way to much data .... so, im half way there.
Now, how can I tell the sync software or PDA's OS to sync to a folder on the SD RAM card?
I know I can put the SDcard into my PC but this is not what I want to achieve, i want it to be seemless and done in the craddle much like contacts etc are done.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance!

vijay555 said:
kanryu: since you suggested it, try to test this out.
I suggest you do this before installing any other app, because My Documents is a system setting used in many installations and they may get confused.
HKLM > Explorer > Shell Folders > My Documents
The storage card isn't always available at boot up, so again, it might cause problems. Storage might be a better idea then storage card. But this can already be configured in the options menu in Notes, at least.
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried this before. Everything under this tree has been rename to \storage\my documents But after a soft reset, some of the key will revert back to default. ???
Seems like only those template folder are moveable. I'm started to suspect \My Documents are not fully handled by registry.
I'm wondering how clean the system can be if you need a 3rd party software to edit the registry such as Resco, PHM & etc. I know it's best to do it with a clean system but.... unless there's a way to edit the registry out of the PPC, or there's a standalone executeable software, which I have yet to found.
I'll see what can be figured out next. Hopefully this idea is not a 'fat hope' :?

Don't you guys try to create another "My Documents" folder in the BS and link to it a shortcut (from today)?
I have put to c-launch a link to /storage card/my documents and all is well!!!

Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and the file is not in use' message

I encountered the following problems all at once,and I think they are related to the same cause.
A) While trying to install an application, I got a message saying that the CAB installation was not successful,
B) when I try to uninstall any application via start>setting>system>remove program, none of no applications are listed.
C) I have an error message 'Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and the file is not in use' is I try to delete file/folder or to move or rename them. This is so for microdrive, SD, and main memory.
I've done a hard reset. But as soon as I use Sprite Restore, the above problems come back.
Has anyone come across this problem before? I think some unknown processes is locking up my device. In desktop environment, when we have this problem, there is a utility called UNLOCK to solve the problem. Is there an equivalent tool in WM5 environment?
Appreciate any help you guy can give on this.

I have another issue with memory. Sometimes it will show me that the Mini SD is full even if it is empty or i will not show the files in the Mini so i have to reset and then it will be fine. has anybody had this ptoblem before.

I solve the problem by restoring from a day old backup copy using Sprite restore. Initially I tried to restore only the system data and leave the document etc unchanged. However it didn't work. The problem went away after I did a complete restore.
Looks like there is an invisible lock places in the unit, making it looks as is all files and folders are being used by another program. We definitely need a utility program to deal with this because while my approach did solve the problem,I also lost a day's data.

HTC ROM UPGRADE - Missing contacts & apps

hmmm I installed the EU Rom upgrade, having removed storage card amd take a copy of PIM.VOL. Upgrade completed, I can see apps on my storage card but my phone can't see them in the list of programmes, so I can't add them to programme font page or start menu... My phone also doesn't seem to see the pim.vol so I can't reload all my contacts (no they weren't all on my pc - I can sync with that fine but not all my contacts were on pc)
CAN ANYONE HELP PLEASE - I can't be the first - or last - with this..!?
thankyou
Mark

Try TotalCommander to copy the file + backup your contacts with PIMBackup2.8 in future. As for the apps, you need to re-install them, so you can safely delete the apps on the storage card saved under Program Files

Thanks, going through various cab files etc and re-installing, TomTom next! Copying pim.vol hasn't worked, I have some Mob no's on my sim and can see them but bizarrely when I try to add to favourite contacts, all I see are a few email addresses, not the (few) mob no's I have on the phone. Looks like I will have to re-source these , what a chore... I though that copying the pim.vol would save me this task (am sure I read it in these august forums!)
all the best, Mark
ps any other tips on how to fully restore what contacts I have, so I can add them again to favourite contacts, are appreciated.

You may want to look into Sprite Backup. It's very nice for restoring system state after moving to a new rom. After flashing a new rom I have all applications / contacts / emails / texts / etc back on my phone within 10 minutes. I don't have to install anything. It's quite nice, especially with all the flashing and testing I do.

[Q] Solution to delete cabs/other files that are part of (original) ROM?

Hello,
I am currently using an xda touch diamond that I have been configuring and
maintaining etc. with much devotion over the last ~two years... For that reason, I understandably fear flashing. However, I am running into the hardly-any-space-on-internal-storage-left-problem, and subsequently have been heavily searching for solutions that might enable the deletion of individual rom-files. I think I read twenty times, no, it's not possible. So my question is: Would it be possible to clone the complete device without any data/config loss whatsoever into a file (simililar to what sprite backup does), and in advance of flashing/whatever you will call the complete restore process actually DELETE certain files that used to be undeletable on the device itself.
Thanks for answering this....
Matthias

me1235 said:
Hello,
I am currently using an xda touch diamond that I have been configuring and
maintaining etc. with much devotion over the last ~two years... For that reason, I understandably fear flashing. However, I am running into the hardly-any-space-on-internal-storage-left-problem, and subsequently have been heavily searching for solutions that might enable the deletion of individual rom-files. I think I read twenty times, no, it's not possible. So my question is: Would it be possible to clone the complete device without any data/config loss whatsoever into a file (simililar to what sprite backup does), and in advance of flashing/whatever you will call the complete restore process actually DELETE certain files that used to be undeletable on the device itself.
Thanks for answering this....
Matthias
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You yourself are describing a 'playful' method of building a new ROM!
This is what ROM cooks do when a ROM is made. They remove or edit - files or folders that are inbuilt and add their custom folders to it and 'cook' it. So in a sense the answer is 'YES' you can remove what you don't like in your ROM. But NO you can't do it by your suggested method. You can cook a ROM yourself or ask a cook on forum to do you a favour and delete unwanted files from your ROM and you can flash custom ROM with better space on it - Flashing is not that bad to be honest! I have done it on my WinMo - uncountable times! More than the number of times you might have changed your wallpaper!
So just make sure you read instructions on how to do it. Back up all your data on storage card and contacts too! - there you are ready to go!
After first flash of new ROM you won't take more than 2 hours making your phone as it is! (and you get faster with each flash!)

yes, drupad2drupad is right,
what I would add, I know what you mean, been facing the same decision. Spend year customizing and didn't want to loose it, on the other hand phone become slow and full. Well if there was a simple solution to this, this forum would be 95% smaller. there isn't any universal solution.
you will loose something. some settings, (registry or config files), some customizing. etc.
by using different backup programs or by setting them differently, you can trigger how much to backup, and how much to revert. BUT if you backup everything, (all registry and all files) after flashing you are right where you was. no big change.
what I do is I copy all int.memory to SD card, export all registry, backup only messages (contacts and calendar are in file pim.vol, if you end all programs and disable today plugins, you should be able to copy there and back this too, not loosing nothing by backup converting)
then flashing new rom, restore messages, copy pim.vol back and then slowly, restoring setting for each program I care to do so.
it's either a file in \program files or in \windows or a part of registry. there you open your big exported reg file, search for a name of program and cut,paste to empty reg file and import.
I made a backup script to do this automatically, but it's not possible to make it universal, it will backup only those programs it's set to backup.
back to you question about deleting rom files. you can, after a fashion, but deleting such will only add info to ignore this rom file. which means, rom file stays, but is not visible. thought, you can clean your int memory. removing temp and accumulated useless files, moving programs you use rarely to SD, but this is very time consuming and advance thing to do.

thanks
first of all, thanks to the two of you for such devoted answers! thanks a lot , really.
My guess is it will take me (I'm quite obsessive) 6-10 hours -- research etc. to make sure everything will definitely go fine and finally restore everything to the prior state. Never having messed around with flashing etc., I think it's too much effort to gain some lousy 20 mb.
I still really appreciate your answers. It's a shame there is no universal method to do this is a few steps, with some utility, for everyone...
So I was wondering, what do you think, on a system like the touch diamond, running windows mobile 6.1, with I think ~100 mb internal storage, how many mb should in your opinion at any point in time be free space, to ensure things are running smooth? (And, I suppose/hope flash memory deterioration due to little space left is not that much of an issue...)
Else I'd go as far as "donating" some chrismas bucks to some kindred spirit in guiding me through the process, I just don't have the nerve to do this, for 10 mb... never again will I buy a device that has too small internal storage!
thanks to everyone...
matthias
(edit) ps.: I find it funny that the files in rom can store data (like the 16 MB mxip initdb.vol which is said to carry contacs I believe) - for the novice, like myself, it's kind of difficult to understand why files can be written to, but not decreased in size to free up memory somehow - or do they have a "size limit" / "fixed size"?) but anyway, you need not comment on this.

There is a way that you can reduce your file storage size quite easily....
Thanks to AnDim, see here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=377514.
Do the following steps:
1. Use a back-up tool such as Resco Backup and make a back-up on your storage card.
2. Use Total Commander and copy all of the files in your Windows directory that are NOT part of the ROM. You can do this quite easily by chosing the "Hide files in Rom" part. Then copy and save these files on your desktop.
3. Use AnDim's HTC ROM Image Editor. Open your original rom with this (I hope you have it).
4. Add the files you copied from your desktop to the rom you opened with AnDim's tool.
5. Delete any duplicate files that were in the original rom from the ones you just copied.
6. Save the new rom and flash it.
7. Use Resco Back-up to restore your original rom.
8. Use Total Commander to delete the files created by Resco Back-Up in your Windows folder that you had previously added to the rom.
After all of this, you will find you have much more storage space and a quicker rom because all of the files you added that overwrote a rom file will no longer have duplicate files and also rom files take up less storage space.
Good luck!

hi mitsi,
thanks for that post, highly appreciated! this looks like a solution to the problem I described -- After doing some time-consuming cleanup, I now have some ~10 MB free, so I think I'll wait for this to decrease down to let's say 5MB in the future, and then follow your steps -- which seem to be advanced, but feasible. This is really a great hint. Hope others who run into the same problem will find this thread helpful too. I'm really impressed with quality and helpfulness in this forum, outstanding. Will have to go out and help others where I can now to compensate for my bad conscience
Grüße nach Berlin aus dem Schwarzwald!
M.

I recommend using SPB backup.
I used that program to do what you wanted to do ever since I used Axim x5 (currently TP2).
I have it set up so it automatically make a backup every week on Sunday, so just in case if something goes wrong (bad cab or driver) I can have most of important changes and not LOSE a thing.
So, good luck : )