Database Info

Modify WM5 behaviour.

I would like to modify my PDA behaviour:
1- Change the welcome screen during boot and place a personal one.
2- Modify the menù i see on the desktop, such as menù entries like MSN pocket PC etc...
3- Eliminate cprog.exe from startup, i don't want it, i would like to start my own application instead.
Do i need to manipulate the ROM/registry for these modifications?
If yes, about ROM i'm almost a noob yet, is there any tutorial/start up guide?
Thanks.

With my psychic power, I'm gathering all the information about your phone... and giving you the following answers..
1. Search (forum and wiki) on how to modify your splash screen
2. Read the manual
3. Remove it from the \Windows\Start up ?
No

hanmin said:
With my psychic power, I'm gathering all the information about your phone... and giving you the following answers..
1. Search (forum and wiki) on how to modify your splash screen
2. Read the manual
3. Remove it from the \Windows\Start up ?
No
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhm.. i think cprog.exe resides in ROM :-| how could i remove it and their icons
like signal quality ? I can't remove cprog.exe from the windows directory and it's lnk
doesn't appear inside \Windows\start up
Thx.

At least...
If i can't remove cprog.exe, at least i would like to remove the signal quality icon on the top right of the screen and the warning balloon coming from cprog.exe. Or... is there a way to cover all the screen (also the taskbar) with my application GUI?
Thx.

If you can make a dummy exe and have it named cprog.exe, just copy it over. When the OS saw that there is a file with the same name in the storage (and also one in ROM), the OS will launch the one in storage instead of the ROM. Now, it is a matter of getting a dummy EXE.
Just incase, backup your system first.

Thx for help...
Are you sure i can overwrite cprog.exe inside \Windows directory?
I cannot move/copy or delete it. The OS is saying i cannot copy
file and resources present in ROM :|.
How do i backup my system, if i overwrite it, how i get it back?

First, backup. Use backup software such as SPB Backup your system. If things went seriously wrong, you will hardreset your phone, and use the backup EXE file to restore your phone. Just make sure you backup before modifying.
You can use software such as Total Commander for PPC to over write the EXE. I'm very sure (been there, done that) it can over write (cover up) files in ROM, but I'm not sure if it is possible to write over an EXE that is currently running. Try your luck. To recover the overwritten (e.g. original) EXE, just delete it (e.g. delete the new, modified EXE) to expose the original EXE inside the ROM.

There should be no problem overwriting a ROM exe once even if its running. The change will simply not take effect until you reset the device.
To disable it though, you will have to rename the exe first (you will not be able to delete your copy while it is running) then reset so the original will be called instead.
And just to make it clear: you will not overwrite anything. A copy of the file will be created in your storage memory. The original system file will remain as it is, it will simply be "hidden" until you remove your copy.
The backup hanmin suggested is for your data and installed apps. If you are still at the stage were you are experimenting with the phone and don't mind getting it back to factory settings if something goes wrong you can skip it.
What you should investigate though is the notification system. It is somewhere there that cprog.exe is triggered in the first place and if you want your app to pop up instead on incoming call you will most likely have to register a notification for it.
(Though I do not have much experience with TAPI, so I am not really sure about this)
What I do know for a fact is that opening a full screen window (covering both top and bottom bars) is very easy:
Right after the window is created (not in WM_CREATE handler) call SHFullScreen API.

hanmin said:
First, backup. Use backup software such as SPB Backup your system. If things went seriously wrong, you will hardreset your phone, and use the backup EXE file to restore your phone. Just make sure you backup before modifying.
You can use software such as Total Commander for PPC to over write the EXE. I'm very sure (been there, done that) it can over write (cover up) files in ROM, but I'm not sure if it is possible to write over an EXE that is currently running. Try your luck. To recover the overwritten (e.g. original) EXE, just delete it (e.g. delete the new, modified EXE) to expose the original EXE inside the ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, it worked fine, i've just built a dummy exe with a little main returning 0 immediately. And when services.exe starts it, it just returns 0.
I suppose if i hard reset my device cprog become the original.
What kind of APIs should i call to customize taskbar look and feel?

levenum said:
There should be no problem overwriting a ROM exe once even if its running. The change will simply not take effect until you reset the device.
To disable it though, you will have to rename the exe first (you will not be able to delete your copy while it is running) then reset so the original will be called instead.
And just to make it clear: you will not overwrite anything. A copy of the file will be created in your storage memory. The original system file will remain as it is, it will simply be "hidden" until you remove your copy.
The backup hanmin suggested is for your data and installed apps. If you are still at the stage were you are experimenting with the phone and don't mind getting it back to factory settings if something goes wrong you can skip it.
What you should investigate though is the notification system. It is somewhere there that cprog.exe is triggered in the first place and if you want your app to pop up instead on incoming call you will most likely have to register a notification for it.
(Though I do not have much experience with TAPI, so I am not really sure about this)
What I do know for a fact is that opening a full screen window (covering both top and bottom bars) is very easy:
Right after the window is created (not in WM_CREATE handler) call SHFullScreen API.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for help.
I'm just dealing with cprog.exe becouse it is dropping the data call i make using RIL api. This happens becouse cprog.exe is taking the ownership of the call through TAPI, so since there is no other application using TAPI, cprog.exe believes it's the only owner so it just drops the call. Since i'm not using TAPI but RIL i cannot claim for the call ownership while answering the call. The process cprog.exe gives problems only for answering incoming calls.
The only solution i found is to kill cprog.exe or just replace it with a dummy exe as explained here. That's why i was asking for it. Now my RIL application works fine and i don't need to kill cprog.exe/TSP anymore within my code. I'm forced to use RIL instead of TAPI becouse TAPI doesn't expose some bearer options i can set through RIL.
Bye.

Here is the article abut customizing the taskbar. Unfortunately, as far as I know there are no APIs to deal with it (short of sticking an annoying notification icon there), you have to replace the whole thing or whatever parts of it you do not like with a child window (see LVMTime and LVMTopBat).

levenum said:
Here is the article abut customizing the taskbar. Unfortunately, as far as I know there are no APIs to deal with it (short of sticking an annoying notification icon there), you have to replace the whole thing or whatever parts of it you do not like with a child window (see LVMTime and LVMTopBat).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot.

[Q] How to overwrite Htchomesetting.xml

I have an edited htchomesettings.xml that i want to put on my jade.
Everytime i try to drag 'n drop this file into my windows folder, i get the 'acced denied, be sure the file isn't read-only, in use or that you have enough space left'-error.
When looking at the file's properties (with Resco or total commander) it seems to be fixed in the Rom and i think that's the reason i can't overwrite it.
I already googled it and found some topics concerning this problem, and generally they all give the same advice:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2736263&postcount=500
the problem is, i already used both programs, and apparently it does not seem to work, or i'm doing it wrong or i'm overlooking something...
So, can anyony tell me how to overwrite this file with total commander or resco, if this is possible.
Many thanks, and sorry if this is a stupid question, i searched the web for about 3 hours before asking you guys .

It's a little easier than that. The only thing you need to do is make sure that the plugin is not running. In other words, deactivate the plugin in the Settings menu. Then, do a soft reset, just to make sure that the system has stopped using it. Then you can copy and paste with any program that you like. I have found that using a PC (via ActiveSync) works best. Good luck!!

Thanks for the quick reply thunder.
Unfortunately, it did not work out. I deactivated TouchFlo already (and did the reset). And still it gives me the same error.
"Cannot copy HtcHomeSettings. Make sure your device has sufficient memory, that the file is not set as read-only, and that you have permission to copy this file type"
This time I simply used Active sync as you told me.
Again, does it have something to do with the fact that this file is hardcoded on the rom?

rubain013 said:
Thanks for the quick reply thunder.
Unfortunately, it did not work out. I deactivated TouchFlo already (and did the reset). And still it gives me the same error.
"Cannot copy HtcHomeSettings. Make sure your device has sufficient memory, that the file is not set as read-only, and that you have permission to copy this file type"
This time I simply used Active sync as you told me.
Again, does it have something to do with the fact that this file is hardcoded on the rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, if it is built into the rom, you will probably have a hard time copying over it. Have you tried to edit the file directly on the phone? I believe that there are a few xml editors for ppc floating out there, you could try that. Also, is there anything in particular that you want to do that requires you to modify the xml? Reason I am asking is because you could use M2D Customizer if you are only looking into modifying some settings. Hope this helps...

Allright, found out how to overwrite it!
Made a .m2dct file containing my preferred theme and settings, then i edited the included HtcHomeSettings.xml file.
Then i used the M2D customizer to load the .2mdct file, and that worked perfectly.
Thanks for the hint, Thunder!

games into games folder

hi there i've installed some games onto my HD2 (uno, FM, tonyhawks) and want to locate them in the games folder not in the main windows area. can anyone help me do this?

open file explorer. browse to windows/startmenu/programs.....look for ur games shortcuts......cut..... nd paste in windows/startmenu/programs/games. done

You're not done at all.
OK, it will move the shortcut to the correct folder, but the icon won't follow. It's defined in the registry ([HKLM\Security\Shell\Startinfo\Start] then the folder name, then the shortcut name, string value "Icon").
People making CABs should be a bit less lousy and direct shortcuts to the correct folder, same for the acompanying icon.
Actually, some people put icon definitions into several registry keys, so they will "follow" the shortcut if you move it. It's actually a satisfying alternative, if you consider it gives the user the ability to put the shortcut wherever he wants (including copying it to several locations) without losing the icon.
But yes, having shortcuts piling up into the Start Menu's first level, or even worse, placing them into dummy folders with a fixed name (sometimes in a foreign language), is pig work, and I saw even worse (yes, it's possible !) : shortcuts landing to a foreign language "Programs" or even "Start menu" folder, so actually not even displaying in the Start Menu !
When you create (or modify) a CAB file, you should heavily use aliases in order to let Windows Mobile translate them to the actual names during installation.
For instance, if you wanted to direct a shortcut to the "Games" folder, whatever its actual name in your own language is, you should NOT put it into "\Windows\StartMenu\Programs\Games" (neither into "%StartMenu_Programs%\Games", though it's still better like that), but you should actually use "%StartMenu_Programs_Games%", which will put the shortcut in the exact correct location.
You can do the same for the program's location itself. For instance, %ProgramFiles_Games% will direct it to the correct folder, according to your system's language, and will even do so, either you choose to install it on the internal memory, or on the SD card.
You can use these aliases inside registry values, too.
Unfortunately, this process may sometimes do it "too much".
It's the case on cooked ROMs, where the author may retain WWE names for some folders and translate others, sometimes using his own syntax. Since the CAB will always translate using the official way, it may still land in an incorrect location...
The ony way to be sure you'll obtain the wanted result, anyway, is to get some CAB editor program and peek inside before copying them to the pocket PC and installing them... And maybe, fix them before using them.
It will be handy each time you'll need to reinstal it, so don't mind inspecting and fixing the CABs you find : it's always better than crashing your system because something wrong or inadequate to your setup was put inside.
One classic case is TouchFlo / Sense tabs, for instance.
Unfortunately, they're all defined inside a unique XML Manila file, so you actually can't just ADD a tab : in fact, this notion does not even exist ; all you can do is overwrite your whole tabs list with another complete one, and pray that you'll end up with the same list, plus the new one... Would you bet your life on that ? I won't.
In real life, you really can NEVER trust a CAB intended to add a tab to your existing setup, as the author most probably don't have the same tabs as you have. In the best case, you'll just loose some tabs (they'll just disappear, even in the tabs list from the settings, and you won't get them back) : the programs and files are still there, but their definition file will have been replaced by the new one. And in the worst case, it will add a definition for a tab whose programs and files are not previously installed on your phone - and you'll crash it once and for all.
That's the reason why now, I never give a tab CAB containing any tabs definitions. I only provide all but the tabs list, and provide separate CABs for all the possible tabs combinations - and you have to choose and use the good one. Or use Maltwater's SenseUtil program to setup your tabs. The good news is my method will setup all the tabs in perfect order as soon as you've soft resetted the device, since my CABs contain the XML file, plus all the registry keys, plus it resets ManiFull.xml.
So, people, whatever I said about good CABs putting the shortcuts where they should... OK, you may be lucky... But the right behaviour should always be to look inside CABs before trying them. You can trust me !

i'm new coming nice to know all

russeini said:
open file explorer. browse to windows/startmenu/programs.....look for ur games shortcuts......cut..... nd paste in windows/startmenu/programs/games. done
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's been a while since I had the need to move icons, so there may be newer versions of this program, but the JWMDIconChanger will move the icons for you.

strange files

so I sync yesterday and notice 3 folders with characters not normally allowed. one contains all "?" while another has / and ?. when I try to delete, system can't since they contain these characters. and I can't find them using total command. any help?

You need to provide more infomation so we can help you .
Which version are you using (WM 6, 6.5, 6.5.3 etc.)? Where are the folders located? Do they contain files?

Sorry. Runninng WM6.5 stock verizon ROM with TF3D 2.0 on my Imagio. And they don't contain any files. I can open, but when I go to delete, it says files cannot contain the following symbols blah blah blah. And I can't seem to find them using TC.

anyone got anything?

Hi Jerry,
JerryA said:
anyone got anything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are the folders on the SD card ? My suggestions below:
1) If they are, try deleting them from the Windows PC side via an ActiveSync connection or in "Disk drive mode".
2) Try renaming the folders with 'proper characters' and then delete.
3) If in "disk drive mode", try removing them via DOS command. You may want to do a "dir /X" to see the 8.3 short file/folder name and remove them.
Regards.
________________________________
* Today is yesterday's tomorrow. Today is also tomorrow's yesterday.
Then is the present the past's future or the present is the future's past. *

Hi Jerry,
JerryA said:
anyone got anything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are the folders on the SD card ? My suggestions below:
1) If they are, try deleting them from the Windows PC side via an ActiveSync connection or in "Disk drive mode".
2) Try renaming the folders with 'proper characters' and then delete.
3) If in "disk drive mode", try removing them via DOS command. You may want to do a "dir /X" to see the 8.3 short file/folder name and remove them.
Regards.
________________________________
* Today is yesterday's tomorrow. Today is also tomorrow's yesterday.
Then is the present the past's future or the present is the future's past. *

No, they aren't on the SD card, they are phone memory. Whenever I try to rename them, I get the same error code, telling me files cannot contain the following..... And as for the last, I don't know anything about DOS, so that would require a level of expertise that I just don't have. I haven't seen any strange behaviour on the phone, and my memory size and usage has not freaked out, nor has my battery life. So what they are or what they are for is beyond me.
The 3 files are names thus:
??????
????Documents
oc????
Very odd.

JerryA said:
No, they aren't on the SD card, they are phone memory. Whenever I try to rename them, I get the same error code, telling me files cannot contain the following..... And as for the last, I don't know anything about DOS, so that would require a level of expertise that I just don't have. I haven't seen any strange behaviour on the phone, and my memory size and usage has not freaked out, nor has my battery life. So what they are or what they are for is beyond me.
The 3 files are names thus:
??????
????Documents
oc????
Very odd.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jerry,
My suggestions are only if the files reside on the SD card.
I believe the ? means the available fonts, on your phone, does not have the correct character set to display it properly.
Base on my belief above, try the following:
a) My apology being a new member, I am not allowed to post clickable link. Go to this link : add a http:// in front first
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=5869460
b) Download and install the "Droid Sans Font.cab" to your phone in post #9. Alternatively, search for the file, arialuni.ttf, (Arial Unicode MS) first on your Windows PC if not then on the web and copy it to your phone, \Windows\Fonts directly. This is a 22Mb file !
c) Restart your phone and see if those files are showing proper characters.
d) If it does, then go ahead, open it and see what's the content like. Rename the file then delete. Uninstall the "Droid Sans Font.cab" if you wish. Personally, I don't like the font as the characters are rasterised.
Regards.

ugh, too much work. My phone isn't acting up, and even though I don't like uninvited strangers, they aren't eating up resources, and my phone is still functioning properly. I will keep these files you suggested handy in case something does start acting up, and see what happens.
yea, I am lazy when it comes to electronic stuff. Thanks for the info!

If you have SK Tools (or a similar app), try scanning the memory. It sounds like you have corrupted files or a corrupted directory. It may not be causing issues now, but it could cause issues sooner rather than later. You may also think about backing up everything now while you can.

JerryA said:
No, they aren't on the SD card, they are phone memory. Whenever I try to rename them, I get the same error code, telling me files cannot contain the following..... And as for the last, I don't know anything about DOS, so that would require a level of expertise that I just don't have. I haven't seen any strange behaviour on the phone, and my memory size and usage has not freaked out, nor has my battery life. So what they are or what they are for is beyond me.
The 3 files are names thus:
??????
????Documents
oc????
Very odd.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh no i have the same problem. but the strange files are on my storage card. i am backing up my storage card them i am going to format.

Need names of default files on htc

I accidentally erased a name of a file using total commander and can't undo myself.
My files show:
//Plugins
Application Data
ConnMgr
Content
Documents and Settings
Music
My Documents
Programs
Storage Card
Temp
Windows
and "wrong name because I deleted it" (in the folder is Manilla_20100401....)
Can someone please let me know what that file name should be? Most of my programs won't fully launch now because of it.
Thank you for your help.
Michael

Just hard reset your phone. That's always an easy fix that's sure to work

I just had this phone replaced due to warranty and had finished reinstalling lots of items but stupidly hadn't made a backup. I was in fact only opening total commander to make certain it was working when I accidentally deleted the file name. I would hate to hard reset when it is just a single file name that needs replaced .... I hope.

Do you have SK Tools? If so, this is a piece of cake. Open the database tool and export Replstor as an .xml. Open it with notepad on your PC and find the name of the file or folder (and its contents) in the list. There could be a few thousand entries, so it may take a while.

Farmer Ted--I don't find any of my file names from my device in this document. Thank you for the suggestion but I am still at a loss for the original names of the folders under My Device.
If only I knew someone with an HTC Fuze, I could just look on their panel under My Device. Unfortunately, most of my folk are Iphone zealots. Their advice usually involves a different purchase!
Michael

Well, I realized after I posted that if you somehow deleted one of the databases, then it won't show up in replstor, because they're all excluded from replstor. Most of them can't be deleted, though. You should have mxip_initdb.vol, mxip_lang.vol, mxip_notify.vol, mxip_swmgmt.vol and mxip_system.vol. If you're missing one of them, then look in the\windows folder and find the rom version and copy it to the root of the device. It may not have everything it needs in it, though. Just post up if you're missing one, and I can probably tell you how to fix it (well, maybe, lol).

Thanks FarmerTed, I'll give it a go as soon as I understand what it means! Just to clarify, I didn't delete any files. I renamed it. Not on purpose. These are just the basic files under My Device.

I've renamed stuff before, too. The best thing to do if you catch yourself is to delete the entire name, then highlight another file. The messed up file will go back to the original name.

shoot. doesn't work. It would have if I would've done that in the first place though, so that is good to know.