[Q] Changing the .exe - file/path behind a shortcut icon in WM6.1 - General Questions and Answers

Hello.
Since being a noob (one of those the video warned you about...) I must post this on general section...
I have the following problem: I would need to change WM6.1Pro registry settings somehow, that an icon (shotcut) in programs list would launch mybestsoftware.exe in location B instead of original location A
The reason is that the software is installed using different cab-files into different locations over the years and I would like to update every device to launch the application from the same directory. My update possibilities are weak, so I can only transfer my .exe - file remotely into a specified directory, but the those idio... I mean customers will launch the application from the same shotcut icon as before and therefore thay are using the old revision instead of the new and shiny latest release.
What I have done so far is dumped a registry after factory reset, installed our software using the cab-file and dumped the registry again. I found following entries:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Security\AppInstall]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Security\AppInstall\Companyname Appname]
"InstallDir"="\\Program Files\\Companyname\\Appname"
"Role"=dword:00000018
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Apps\Companyname Appname]
"Instl"=dword:00000001
"InstallDir"="\\Program Files\\Companyname\\Appname"
"InstlDir"="\\Program Files\\Companyname\\Appname"
But even I changed those paths into registry (\\Program Files\\Companyname\\Appname -> \\Appname, the icon still lauched the original exe
So what a humble support engineer needs to change in WM6.1 registry to tell the shortcut icon to launch the application fron a new location?

Its been a while since I last used WM, but you can create a new shortcut in the start menu using a file explorer, browsing to the exe copying it and then browsing to the start menu folder and pasting a shortcut if thats what your trying to do. I used to always use GSFinder as my file explorer.

Related

Error message with shortcuts re: .lnks files

I am looking for some help with "shortcuts" or ".lnk" files
I am using a HTC Tilt 8925 with WM6, but I think this may be a more universal issue.
I went into Windows > StartMenu and added several new folders, and then moved the .lnks formed from program installations into those folders.
For instance, folder "Refererence" now hold Dictionary, Lexipedia, Thesaurus, etc.
All was OK for a while, but then I started to get error messages about 2 application .lnks that I had moved into a subfolder. The funny thing is, the links actually work! It's just that randomly, I get a WM6 message that there is a problem with " Programs > XXX > AAA "
Does anyone know how to make a "new" link, to replace these old links? I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the program and then moving those 2 .lnks, again, to the subfolder where I want it to be, but it happened again!
Thanks for any and all ideas!
PS: I have SK Tools installed; I thought there was a shortcut tool, but I cannot find it
Go into Program Files then whatever application you want the shorcut for. Copy the exe file then navigate to wherever you want the shortcut and paste shortcut. Rename the shorcut to whatever you want and the link is done!
Having said that if your shortcuts work sometimes but not others I cant see how it is a problem with the actual shortcut. You may need help here from someone more experienced than me.

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 vĂ²ila ? Do not remove .Ink from the filename.. >_>
Thank you very much that worked great!!!

Help removing a program

I know at least one of you have installed a program before on your Smartphone that wasn't able to be found in the "Remove Programs" option under settings.
I'm havin' this problem with a program called "TopOCR-Mobile LE."
It was an .exe file that had to be installed on the device. So I did, and now I can't seem to remove it. I deleted the .exe under program files, but the blank icons still remain (there's two of them 'cause I thought I could be smart and run the .exe twice and it'd ask if I would want to remove the program; it didn't - instead it just installed it TWICE).
Is there a way to remove those icons? I already used Regedit's and Total Commander's search features, but I couldn't find any files with the name "topocr" or "mtopocr" (it's installation name).
What are my options (besides throwing my Kaiser against the wall or hard resetting)?
Where exactly do you see those blank icons that you are talking about
programs icons are located in
\windows\start menu\programs
it it's a program which auto start then
\windows\startup

Shortcut to a folder

Hi all,
I hope somebody can help me here - this has been wrecking my head!
When i create a shortcut to a folder in the startmenu (wm6.5 build 23053) - it appears there i.e: shortcut to business, but when i click on it it comes up with a message box 'the file 'business' cannot be opened. Either it is not signed with a trusted certificate or one of its components cannot be found. If the problem persists etc etc'.
Its like its treating it as a file instead of a folder even though i have set the regkey 'group' as 1 to indicate it being a folder. I have also got sdkcerts installed.
Thanks
Secc
Da_G just answered this the other day in the 6.5 thread. You need to tell the shortcut what to open the folder with. It has to be something like 'fexplore #\business.....' Obviously, I'm not good at shortcut syntax, but that's the basic idea. With 6.1, you could open a folder using the start menu, but the 6.5 menu won't open a folder.

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.

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