Database Users

Cab files from .exe?

Hi,
I just got my MDA II and love it. I've used pocket pc's before but never really got deep into it. I was wondering how, if possible, how to get the .Cab files from .exe's so I can put them in the ext-rom? I want to make my own custom ext-rom but dont have some of the .cab files for certain apps i want in it, I only have the .exe install files. Also...is there a way to save my settings in the ext-rom also? Im away from home and desktop alot so incase of a hard reset Im safe.
Thanks

When you install any program (using a setup program), go, on your desktop PC, to \Program Files\Microsoft Activesync. You will find there folders with the names of the programs you installed, and, in each folder, the related cab file. A few programs install directly in a folder in \Program Files.

thanks for answering.

Or if you are under Windows XP, sometimes you can just right click over the .exe file and select extract, there you will see all the files, including the .CAB ones... :wink:

Difference from .exe installation and .cab ...

Hi guys,
I think I don't understand the difference between the desktop (.exe) installation and the .cab installation for a ppc programs....
Is there a possibility to install the program in a dir. of the SD? For example, I'd like to create a dir called "Program files" in the SD.
P.S: How can I change the default location for programs installation from device memeory to SD?

Use cabinst (search on google) to install cabs from PPC to different folders - essential tool!
You need registry tweaks to change the default folder, although this isn't really advisable. See Tweaks2k (i think) for this. But with cabinst, not required!
V

Thanks!
If I understand well... I have to install at first cabinstl on my Jam and after that I must use .cab installation!!? (I have to copy cab file in to particolar path of SD or?)
Using .exe install is not possible?

The .exes you download from sites wil (almost always) be for installation on the PC. You double click that, that'll load up activesync and install that way.
The other way is to copy the .cab to your pocketpc and double click. That will install, but gives little control over custom folders to install to and will also delete the .cab after install.
However, after installing cabinst you can double click on .cabs on the PPC and install anywhere.
V

Yeah! With cabinst I can instll app on my own "Program Files" dir in SD...
That's nice but I can't find all the app I have to install in CAB format so... my question is if is there any method to put the files on a specific dir from .exe installation..
Many thanks guys!

if you've got the .exe for the pc, double click it WITHOUT your pda connected. Activesync will load up and you'll get the Add/remove programs screen, saying the program will be installed next time you connect your pda.
Then, on your pc, you have to hunt around for the cab.
I use a program called filetracer to find files, but generally try looking in (I think, I'm not in front of my pc right now) C:\program files\Microsoft active sync\ (or something like that). There you should find folders, eg
\spb\Weather Panel (that's not a real example!).
Dig through there, and you should find eg
Arm_VJStuff.cab.
This is the file you need.
Sometimes you'll get a bunch of numbered files. eg If you see one like
2577_vjstuff.cab amongst other numbered files, the 2577 is the one you want (2577 refers to ARM, the chip in your PDA).
Copy that cab file to your desktop or wherever you want to store it, and copy a copy to your PDA. When you connect up your PDA activesync will ask if you want to install the installation you aborted earlier. Just cancel it.
From there, just install on your PDA with cabinst!
Sounds complicated, but you'll get the hang of it very quickly!
I keep all of my cabs in a folder for installation from hardreset very quickly.
V

Sounds good!!! :wink:
Thanks!

Change Installation Directory

Hi,
i want to install the programs to a directory on the mmc card.
But if i do so, it installs in the root.
Now, thats not looking nice, and its hard to find anything there then.
I want create a directory for games and programms on the card.
How can i do that?
I can only choose between, Memory Card, Storage and Main Memory.
And that sucks!

Maybe u can user WinCE CAB Manager and edit the *.cab installation directory to any directory u prefer.

You can use the freeware CabInstall and install program directly from the SD.

Yes, but on the on hand this would be a lot of work, changing every single files directory in the cab and on the other hand it wouldn´t work out with Progs, that have an exe intallation, like the game AoE.
Thos Progs, first install on the PC and then on the PPC, and there are no editable CABs at all.
I thougt about changing the installation interface inactive sync , but i´m not a coder.
But maybe, there is somebody out there, who had the same idea like me and realised it already.

The Best solution ever: have a look at the attached files, open the TXT file first (the instructions)
You will not need any additional Software (except e Regestry editor like PHM Regedit), just follow the instructions and use the attached files.
Workes great I am having this now for 4 months!

if you install the programmes to the SD/MMC card, and they make their own folder, put the SD/MM card into a card reader on the pc and select the entire folder as hidden. this means that the programme still works, but does not show up when you explore the card. this does not work if u are using your phone as a card reader.

Sorry DerliebeWolf, The BEST solution is the follow (Tested on WM2003Se):
- Download a registry editor 4 Ur PPC
- Open AskDir_ON.reg with the program
- Reset your PPC
manually:
- Go to \HKLM\SOFTWARE\Apps\Microsoft Application Installer\fAskDest
- Change DWORD value (dec) from 0 to 1
- Reset your PPC
If you install a cab file or an exe file from the pc (that copy the cab into your ppc and then execute it), Windows Mobile will ask you in wich folder you want to install the sw.
Note that you can have problems with some applications (because they're not installed in their own directory)

Check out Nonentity's File System Tweak http://forum.xda-developers.com/vie...order=asc&highlight=file+system+tweak&start=0

Cabinstaller is the best and easy software i could recommend for this. Run the cab installer software once and set it to run for all installations, the whenever u try to install a cab file, it will prompt you for the path of installation. It also has an option to disable deleting of cab file after installation. Do you want anything more than this? and to the max, it is free ware! Its easy to get, if you can't find,I have it in my site' software section. www.cartystudios.com

oh yes, i've forget that cabinstall associes .cab files to it (and then, when you execute an exe from the pc, in the ppc will be opened always with cabinstall in auto)
They're the 2 Best Solutions

A (maybe) usefull idea

I used the testwm5.exe to extract the mui files, so to be able to change the mui language to greek. I have an hp ipaq hx2490b and I cannot etract the imgfs files(the program says dont found) from the nba file. So thing that its maybe we can put the mui files( and other files) in rom without to flash via the full backup file from spb backup or pther backup program. I havent eperiance or so much knowledge about these things, so I ask if it is possible to happens somthing like this. To extract some how the files of the backup file and replace the files that we want, and after compress it again.
Just thnk about it.
Thanks!

testwm5.exe doesn't create pure copies of the original files. Compare them in a hex editor and PE analyser. However, they generally work.
spb and similar apps don't create backups of the rom files - they don't need to because they are in rom. However, this means that these backups cannot restore a rom, just user generated files.
V

You can't put the file into the ROM without flashing. Backup software do not touch the ROM, it just replaces the files. If you already have the mui files in your phone, you can do a backup. and the next time you perform a hardreset, you will just need to restore from this backup file.

Ok. Thanks for the quick replay!
So any way to change the mui on this device. So far I didnt find something usefull, but maybe I miss something. Anyone that did it with hx2490b?

Just copy the MUI to windows, set the MUI key in registry to the correct LCID and reset.
Note that system MUIs like shellres.dll.0xxx.mui must be signed to load.

Disable Cube

Hi,
How can I disable the cube on a shipped ROM Elf ?
Thanx

hii try this out
got some where in the forum...
1. Unzip the Disable Cube.zip and copy the folder Disable Cube in storage card.
2. With resco explorer copy the four exe files from the folder Empty Files in windows folder.
3. With a registry editor in HKLM\Software\OEM\TFLOSettings change EnableCube from 1 in 0 and make a soft reset.
note : take a backup of the original files which you will change as my cube didnt work properly when tried to re-enable it as i forgot to do so.