Database Info

LNK files useless?

hi,
please advise if i am wrong with my thoughts.
i think it is useless and a waste of performance to use LNK files (at least the ms ones).
lets have a look at the calendar.lnk:
if you want to launch the calendar app, you are launching first the calendar.lnk. the lnk file points to a registry setting (mscalendar). so the launcher (or systemhandler or whatever) needs to lookup there to findout what the programm-name and the required parameters are (in this case "poutlook.exe calendar". now after a while of doing nothing effectively the system finally begins to execute poutlook.exe calendar...
so whats the point of using lnk files?
i see so many launchers, programms even tweak utilities which make use of lnk files.
e.g. if you change one of your softkeys with a tweak utility to "phone", it does the same useless thing: it points to a link file instead directly to cprog.exe.
hopefully i am totally wrong but then please give me some advise.
thx

lnk is shortcut files
same as in windows
in windows if you want to start your program from the desktop
and dont want to copy the tons of files the exe file needs to start
to the desktop too you have a shortcut to the exe file

Some more on the subject:
The use of lnk files does not slow down the loading, in fact it can make it much more officiant.
Take Skype for example: it has a large executable (several MB). If you were to place that exe under "programs" to launch it it will take the system several seconds (quite noticeable period of time) just to find the icon inside the exe so even if you were just scrolling through your programs the device would appear to hang while the icon was loading.
A solution to that (which now became official part of the program installation) was to keep the icon in smaller exe (a resource dll or just plain ico file can also be used) and the lnk will "state" that the icon is not in the main exe.
Another use of the lnk files is the one you mentioned your self:
poutlook.exe calendar
Without lnk files you would be forced to type any parameters manually every time just like in the good old dos days.
By the way, the process you described, lnk-registry-exe does not take that long on current devices.
Just try launching a given exe directly and check if you notice any difference in lag.
If anything, it is the certificate check combined with relatively slow read speeds of flash memory that make WM 5 and 6 devices look sluggish.

levenum,
thanks a lot for your time and explanation.
sure, i was aware that lnk files help you to launch more easily programs with longer command strings when you use the default launcher.
but how about a different launcher (e.g. rltoday), where you setup once your config within that launcher. would you really point to the calendar.lnk file (which points to registry, which points to an exe file) instead of typing "poutlook.exe -calendar" directly into the launching path within rltoday?
anyway, if you say that there is no time lag, the discussion is more or less of "academical nature".
thanks
oliver

I am not familiar with rltoday, but it all comes down to how the programmer implemented the launcher.
There are two different commands, CreateProcess designed specifically to launch executable files and for that purpose only.
SellExecuteEx that acts exactly like a click in file explorer. The writer of the launcher has the option of which to use and I suspect they often use the second command.
The reason is simple: they want to give the user as much options as possible. If you want to bother and look up the exe and its command line, good for you, go for it. But what if you are a regular user who just wants to get that stupid icon on his today screen?
He wouldn't know or care about lnk->registry->exe. He just knows to look under windows\start menu\programs for something familiar.
Also having to interpret input of different types may be extra work so some launcher creators may want to only allow lnk and let the system understand and run their content.
That way they do not need to implement options for different icons, command line parameters and control panel applets.

Creating HTCCPL application shortcuts?

I am struggling a little here and don't know why this isn't working, I was hoping someone has been through this before and knows how to do it
OK, I understand the registry settings needed to add applets to the settings pages for HTC applications. You create two registry keys and increment the 'TotalApplets' registry value to include enough for all the 'applet extensions'. I have backward engineered some existing ones to see this. Now I am trying to add another application without just creating a physical shortcut file. I have created an OEM package that has the following .rgu file:
Code:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Inbox\Settings\OEM]
"SMSInboxThreadingDisabled"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ControlPanel\SMS Mode]
"Group"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\HTCCPL\Applet16]
"CmdLine"=""
"Name"="SMS Mode"
"Path"="SMS.exe"
"Title"="SMS Mode"
I have then built my ROM and the Icon doesn't appear on the Settings, System page. The application is there as I can use file manager to browse to it and then execute it. I have verified that all the registry settings are there, however the Icon is not displayed. I know I could simply create a physical shortcut and put it in Start Menu\Settings, however I would prefer to get it working this way, and it's bugging me now...
Any takers?
Oh, its the 'sms.exe' application from ce4arab.com that allows you to change the WM 6.1 threaded SMS view settings.
Andy

i dont know if you found the solution or not..but did u change the " Total Applets " also..because if u didnt..it would'nt read any other added Entries
its in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\HTCCPL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

ather90 said:
i dont know if you found the solution or not..but did u change the " Total Applets " also..because if u didnt..it would'nt read any other added Entries
its in
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did solve it, however it is a bit of a weird one.... The SMS.exe application I was trying didn't have an Icon embedded in the file so when viewed in Explorer (on a PC or on the Wizard) it just looked like a regular .exe file. I simply swapped the file for another Threaded SMS enabler/disable someone else posted and it all worked.
I am not 100% sure it was just the fact the file didn't have an Icon, however that is all I can put it down to.
I have other issues now though; I can't get .NetCF 2.0 to work in my re-cooked 5.2.19588 ROM The Threaded SMS app is a .Net application so it's there and looks pretty, however it doesn't run.........
Andy

Internet favorites / Bookmarks - file type .url - not working??

Guys,
I have a load of internet shortcuts (bookmarks) on my PPC under Windows\Favorites which are read by PIE and are displayed on QuickMenu however!...
When I try and run one of these files and choose either PIE or Opera, I get in the address bar (url) the location of the file and not the website it supposedly points to.
If I choose the favorite from within PIE then all is well. Strange!!!
I've been looking for an answer for a while now and am drawing a blank.
Please someone help. I'm starting to get a headache
Oh, I should probably tell you I have WM6.1 Pro (HTC Touch HD).
Thanks
Wayne

Windows Mobile doesn't read ".url" file naively. The files you are messing with are resourse files for the browsers (the browsers pull information from the file, you can't push the information by clicking them) There are programs that open your 'internet favorites" (m2d, ultimate launch, and "Interent link launcher")

Thanks for the reply joel2009!
Is there an app that I can install that can handle the .url file type and run the browser with the url from the file?
Anyone able to answer this?...
quickmenu loads as favorites, the contents of the favorites folder inside the windows directory. Now if I delete this favorites folder from the windows directory, on Quickmenu, all I'm left with under favorites is a few Opera shortcuts that load Opera and do work.
Any ideas where these Opera favorites are found so I can manually add to this list?
Thanks for your help!
Wayne

interent link launcher uses mortsript to open internet link files (i'm not sure of the extension, i haven't had time to try it yet)
On the opera favorites, opera asks you where you want to save the bookmark file too when you create one.

Come on guys.....
I've found this and if you go down the list and find \urlfile\Shell\Open\Command : REG_SZ it shows the necessary registry entry that is needed to run a url file from explorer and when run this file opens within IE correctly.
There must be a command switch that follows OPERA9.EXE or OPERAL.EXE that interprets the file correctly and opens the web page.
For now I've got it set to open files in to IE. Not great but nearly what I want.

(I posted about this last night, but it got lost -- apologies if the old one comes back and I look like I've posted twice.)
I worked out a solution to this problem, and posted it up at ppcgeeks. You have to install mortscript, but otherwise it's not too bad, and has been working flawlessly for me.
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=62816
Hope it helps.

How do I setup working file associations for Opera Browser 9

I have SKTools, Total Commander, and Registry Key Editors.
I tried setting up file associations to open URL files, but it doesn't work. Only PIE opens the URL files by default.
Can I get the instructions to open URL files with Opera Browser?

Bump, please help me.
This is my 1st bump.

Bump, please help me.
This is my 2nd bump.

As far as I know you can set up thatparameters typing opera:config on your device
Hope it helped,

So do you mean the file associations parameters should be "opera:config"?

URL associations are set up by the app you're using.
if opera is defined as your default browser any url you'll open will automatically pop opera up.

Okay, I am using File Explorer and Total Commander. I want to Open .url files with Opera, it opens with PIE instead.
How do I open it?
What is a "default calendar"?
When I set URL file association for Total Commander, the link does not go online, instead it brings me to an error page. Under the URL box in Opera Browser, it would not show www.google.com, instead it would show something like: storage card/%mystuff/%20favorite links
So if I copied a google.com url into my phone storage card, I want to open it and GO ONLINE with Opera Browser NOT PIE. How do i do this?
PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE ATTACHMENT, SO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT KIND OF FILE I AM TALKING ABOUT.

meant browser.. not calendar.
when you setup a default browser it will open up all urls in it... automatically

nir36 said:
meant browser.. not calendar.
when you setup a default browser it will open up all urls in it... automatically
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used Xperia Tweak to setup Opera Browser as my default browser, I still open google.url and it opens with PIE.
My basic file program is Total Commander.
BTW I am not talking about Microsoft Windows. I am talkin about Windows Mobile, and the phone I use is the Xperia X1.
Why is everyone giving me confusing answers. I'm getting more and more confused.
I have looked extremely hard for file associations for opera browser, and this is what i got:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1714441
I do not use morthscript though, and I'm afraid digging into will cause me to factory reset my phone again, and I have rest my phone 10 times already.
Please, tell me if there is any other way to Open URLs via Opera Browser.

I have this program which i downloaded ages ago. I cant remember where i got it from, so im just uploading it myself. Just to clarify, this is NOT my program.
You know how on a pc, you can right click and select "Open with"?
Well, this cab brings that to pocket pc's
Hope it helps

Yeah this is exactly what I was looking for. The thread link from one of my posts also talks about "open with" method. But I don't want to use mortscript.
If your cab is not going to work, I guess I will give up searching for a solution.
Anyways thanks, you are my miracle!.

Here is an update:
Nope... it opens Opera Browser but than it doesn't go to the website (the same exact thing happens if I set file associations for Opera, and the same exact thing still happens if I use the registry editor to change association values, xperia tweak doesn't work, total commander built in file associations doesn't work, sk tools file associations doesn't work either).
I GIVE UP

Registry settings
Hi
Registry settings where file defaults are is:
Hot Key Classes Root.
In this directory there are hundreds (or more) keys relating to all the different file extensions that are associated with programmes, etc. You need to look for:
.htm
.html
htmfile
htmlfile
There may be others. Basically if these keys exist the values you're looking for are the ones with the browser executable listed in them, for example opera9.exe/operaL.exe, iexplore.exe.
I hope that helps
andrew-in-woking

poetryrocksalot said:
I have SKTools, Total Commander, and Registry Key Editors.
I tried setting up file associations to open URL files, but it doesn't work. Only PIE opens the URL files by default.
Can I get the instructions to open URL files with Opera Browser?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as i see it you ar not talking of .htm or .html files.
You are talking off .url File's
normaly (xp) they are handled by the protocol handler
in wm6.1 there is no such thing and it is directly handeled by iexplore
opera wil not handle these i gues
you need to find a app that reads the urlfile an launh the app with the correct parrameters
you also need this
\hkcr\http,URL Protocol,
\hkcr\http\shell\open\command, ,"\windows\operaL.exe" %1
\hkcr\https,URL Protocol,
\hkcr\https\shell\open\command, ,"\windows\operaL.exe" %1
or you can try http://sourceforge.net/projects/jzsmartmort

(I posted about this last night, but the message got lost in some backup snafu. So I'll post it again. Apologies if they both end up here.)
I hacked together a solution to this problem, and posted it at ppcgeeks.
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=62816
It involves installing Mortscript, and having it handle passing the links to Opera. Seems to be working perfectly for me so far. Hopefully my instructions are not too convoluted. Enjoy.

Alternatives to Esmertec Jbed with Opera mini 4.2 & 5?

So, since all Esmertec versions seems to have a bug when I use address completion in Opera, making any keypress autorepeaaaaaaaaaaat until backspace is pressed, I'm wondering if there's another Jbed out there without this bug (on Samsung i780, WM 6.1).
I need to be able to make a shortcut for Opera, making it one click to run and I need to be able to not be nagged for internet access for each time I use it. Any alternatives?

I'm not sure about your particular Opera Mini Version, Phone & Esmertec. I've used both Esmertec and Opera Mini on my phone without that particular issue so I can't help on that matter, however as to the other questions:
1) Need to make a shortcut
2) Need not be nagged for permissions
1) To create a shortcut to ANY Java app, simply create a new "Some_App.lnk" (shortcut) file on your phone (You can use Total Commander to do this on your phone, or Notepad on a PC and transfer) then use the following syntax inside the file:
------------
30#"\Windows\jbed.exe" -run s29_
------------
where "s29_" represents the install number of the Java app
that you are making a shortcut too. In other words if Opera Mini is the 5th app installed (and there were no previous installs/deletes of java apps) then it might be "s4_" (since 0 is actually 1). You can change the number easily enough until you launch the right app. Or browse to \windows\appdb on your phone to see the different apps installed and their corresponding suite numbers.
2) On fixing the Java Permission security thing.. just google on "Fix Java Security Selector.utf" there was an app that I had downloaded awhile back that changes the permissions in the Selector.utf file so that they are all set at max perms allowed and gets rid of the nag. I have seen some posts where even this trick didn't work for some people, but it may be worth a try.

Using i780, all opera mini versions, all esmertec versions and windows mobile 6.1 (which -could- have something to do with it, but I think opera has reported phone specific bugs).

Just uncheck the autocomplete address input in settings.
mentalee said:
1) To create a shortcut to ANY Java app, simply create a new "Some_App.lnk" (shortcut) file on your phone (You can use Total Commander to do this on your phone, or Notepad on a PC and transfer) then use the following syntax inside the file:
------------
30#"\Windows\jbed.exe" -run s29_
------------
where "s29_" represents the install number of the Java app
that you are making a shortcut too. In other words if Opera Mini is the 5th app installed (and there were no previous installs/deletes of java apps) then it might be "s4_" (since 0 is actually 1). You can change the number easily enough until you launch the right app. Or browse to \windows\appdb on your phone to see the different apps installed and their corresponding suite numbers.
2) On fixing the Java Permission security thing.. just google on "Fix Java Security Selector.utf" there was an app that I had downloaded awhile back that changes the permissions in the Selector.utf file so that they are all set at max perms allowed and gets rid of the nag. I have seen some posts where even this trick didn't work for some people, but it may be worth a try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the way, for shortcut and avoiding permision ask.
Opera mini 4.2 works great.
Opera mini 5 beta, works even better!

But I want to use autocomplete!!!

well, you just can't on i780

But there must be a fix!

There is no fix..
Not yet!

I created a JBED & Opera Mini install on SD. Links are on my sig.
Recently, my Opera Mini refused to input pswd. Instead of * it shows blank. Any solution other than fresh install both again? Anything I can do?