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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.

Is it possible to change the name of an application?

Hello I was browsing the forums to find the remote desktop application which comes with windows mobile 6.1 since it was not included in my brand new HTC Touch Pro (don't know why HTC decided to remove it in the first place) and I found a cab file in one of the threads. However when I installed the application is listed as "wpctsc" in the programs menu.
Is there a way to rename it (probably through registry) intro something that makes a little more sense?

I don`t know if it works with regular File Explorer, but Total Commander allows you to go in the Windows > Start Menu > and there is a list of applications which you can see in Start Menu and in Programs Menu, just scroll in the application you want to rename and vòila ? Do not remove .Ink from the filename.. >_>

Thank you very much that worked great!!!

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?

free finger-friendly file manager?

Any suggestions for a free finger-friendly file manager?
I'd like to be able to select multiple non-contiguous files for copy/move/delete. I'm thinking that it would be good to have check boxes, so that you could browse through your files, tap the check box for those that you want to copy/move/delete, then tap and hold to copy/move/delete. Is there anything like that.

Hi on freewarepocketpc.net there is a application called The Tool V 1.00 perhaps this one is good for you.
But a application with checkboxes i don´t know...
Other explorers are:
- Total Commander (NOT FINGERFRIENDLY BUT CAN COPY SYSTEM FILES)
- GSlide (FINGERFRIENDLY BUT SLOW- on my OLD 300 Mhz Device)
...

The only file manager with check boxes that is finger-friendly (if you set it that way) that I can think of is the new file managing tool in SK Tools. You have to pay for it, but you may already have it but haven't upgraded recently. I wouldn't say it's a great file manager, but the check boxes do come in handy occasionally. Personally, I use tota commander for almost everything.

Resco File Explorer has checkboxes, but isn't free too.

[Q] Tech explanation as to why TF101 can't natively open multiple docs at same time

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could give me a semi-technical reason as to why you can't open multiple documents natively with the transformer. Natively, it's impossible open up document1.doc and then have document2.doc open at the same time and quickly switch between the 2 documents without having to manually find and reopen the other file.
At first, I thought it was something like the same application couldn't have 2 instances open at once as an OS limitation. However, it IS possible to have the same application with 2 different documents open at once but not without using multiple file managers (theres a vid on transformerforums demonstrating that if you open different files with the same app, but via different file managers, you can switch between multiple docs)
So why isn't it possible just to have 2 instances of the same application opened with different files without having to do multiple file explorer work around?
Also, do you think this will be/is without the work around in ICS?
Thanks in advanced

I don't think there is anything in Android that limits you to only a single document open at a time.. I think rather it is simply a limitation of the app you're using. If the developer had created a tabbed workspace or some other method of navigating through multiple documents opened simultaneously, it should work even with Honeycomb or Gingerbread. There's no reason to think that simply updating to Ice Cream Sandwich will add this feature to the app as it exists.. the developer will need to add in this functionality.
Have you tried a different app for viewing/editing your documents?

That's true, problem would be solved with tabbed browsing. Can you suggest a decent office style suite that supports tabbed browsing?
However, it's not possible to open multiple instances of pretty much any apps from what I can tell - that seems to be a limitation of the operating system does it not? But at the same time, it's not an OS limitation, because it is possible using multiple explorers to do a work around to have multiple instances open, but not without an impractical work around.
I find it strange that when I use the explorer to open a word document in any other app, it still appears on the "multi-task" bit as the explorer application. If I load the explorer app again (say to navigate to a different file) it closes the document I opened.
Thanks in advanced

You say explorer like ur talking about windows lol. Kinda confusing to picture exactly what ur doing, but i think i get it. As far as i know, there arent any word processing apps for android which allow multiple documents to be open side by side. Id bet its NOT an android limitation, as multiple internet browser tabs fit under the same concept(sorta) and probably take up much more memory than multiple text documents. its just an idea that i assume hasnt been ijmplemented yet. Id email the devs of whichever word processing app you use and ask them if its something theyd be interested in adding to their app. The only workaround i can think of for the time being, is to use two or more different word processing apps (for example polaris and quickoffice) simultaneously, and use the task switcher to go back and forth.
Just re-read ur post and saw you mentioned this...
MrGuy said:
At first, I thought it was something like the same application couldn't have 2 instances open at once as an OS limitation. However, it IS possible to have the same application with 2 different documents open at once but not without using multiple file managers (theres a vid on transformerforums demonstrating that if you open different files with the same app, but via different file managers, you can switch between multiple docs)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess that would be another work around, if it really works. that seems almost like a bug to me lol. Just wondering though, how would you switch between the documents if they are open in the same app? Would the task switcher show two instances of the same app open?

Okay, maybe not a "limitation" of the OS, more a "feature" where if you try and open the same application when its' already in the "recent items" it just restores the previous one from previous items rather than opening a new instance simultaneously.
Yeah, it's true, try it. If you have multiple file explorers (e.g. ES explorer and file manager) go into ES explorer, open up document1.doc in DocumentToGo (for example) and then open up file manager and open document2.doc in DocumentsToGo. It seems android opens DTG within the explorer/manager, so if you switch between the 2 different managers using the recent items, you can see DocumentsToGo open twice, once with doc1 and once with doc2. (I can't take credit for this btw, I made a similar request as to if its possible to open 2 docs at once on transformerforums and someone made a video showing that work around - I would post a link, but despite being a member/lurker here for over 5 years, I still can't be trusted)
I may just have to try and put my CS degree to some use and try make a tabbed word processor.
Thanks for the responses

Somewhat relevant to this... whatever happened to Onskreen? I thought they were trying to appeal to Google or something to get some real multitasking on tablets?