Database Info

TUTORIAL: Create links to the programs in your Settings menu

TUTORIAL: Create links to the programs in your Settings menu! A full explanation & never-before-published, full comparison list
An often-asked question concerns how you can set up direct links to the control panel applets (CPL's for short) in Start/Settings.
What's the point in all this, you may ask. Why not simply tap Start and, then, Settings and, finally, the icon you want to execute?
Yes, for a casual user, there's not much need in creating self-standing links to these files. There're, however, cases when this can prove really useful – for example, the case of including them in Today launcher plug-ins that, otherwise, don't let access to any of these applets otherwise. A well-known example of plug-ins like those is Resco File Explorer's excellent Today plug-in or in the free cLaunch. (Please see this (alternatives: iPAQ HQ, AximSite, PPC Magazine, FirstLoox, BrightHand) for more info on these excellent applications and the alternatives.)
Most of these settings are invoked from a central dialog file, \Windows\cplmain.cpl. Some additional, custom settings may have been put in a separate file, \Windows\mycpl.cpl. Finally, third-party applications that install their own settings dialogs create their own .cpl files inside the \Windows directory. For example, SOTi Pocket Controller (see this article on it) creates a file DeviceConfig.cpl, Mad Programmer's FileDialogChanger (see this article on it) uses a file named filedlgchg.cpl to offer the user the File Dialog Changer settings, Mad Programmer's Force Hi-resolution tool (see this article on it) puts a ForceHires.cpl file in there etc. The same stands for Spb Pocket Plus, MS Voice Command (please see this article for a full roundup of all voice controller apps) and XCPUScalar.
What should I do?
It's simple: create a .lnk file with the following contents:
33#ctlpnl.exe cplmain.cpl,X
OR
33#ctlpnl.exe mycpl.cpl,X
where X is a number that I'll promptly elaborate on.
As has already been pointed out, only one file, cplmain.cpl (or, with some device, mycpl.cpl in addition) contains most of the settings accessible in Start/Settings. One file containing many small applets also means that you need to choose a particular one in some way. That's why you must index the file; this numeric index (1, 2 etc.) tells cplmain.cpl which particular applet you'd like to access.
As far as the possible values of this are concerned, there're standardized ones. If you check out the "iPAQ 3660" column in the comparison chart available here (and disregard the 3 - Power record and everything starting with "MyCpl – 0"), you'll see what you can expect from any Pocket PC 2002+ Pocket PC.
Note that WM2003 added the standard 22-Manage Certificates and WM5 the standard 24-Error reporting and, with most WM5 Pocket PC devices, 25-GPS. Also, Pocket PC Phone Edition devices, regardless of their operating system version, also use the 20 - Phone Settings index. Finally, all Pocket PC's with the Microsoft BT stack use 23 – MS Bluetooth too. (Devices with the Widcomm BT stack use the separate \Windows\BTConfigCE.cpl CPL.)
It's also very important to point out that 3 – Power and 6 – Backlight is not necessarily available in all devices. For example, the iPAQ 2210 lacks both, the iPAQ 3660 lacks 6 – Backlight , while all the other listed devices have them all.
Also note the records starting with MyCpl are, as you may have already guessed, non-standard ones. It's there that the two iPAQ's have some essential applets (Backlight and, with the 2210, also Power) and some additional goodies.
Please note that lists compiled by others (for example the XDA-Developers one) are not generic enough and may contain several mistakes. Therefore, it's best not to rely on them at all. Also remember that you can freely test any indexes – you won't crash your Pocket PC if a particular index is unused.
You don't want to manually create .lnk files?
No problem, I've already done it for you! Just download this file and extract the link file(s) you'll need.
Note that the root directry of the ZIP file only contains CPL links that are guaranteed to work on all PPC2k2+ devices. I've put the additional ones in subdirectories – for example, links belonging to later operating systems (directories FromWM2003 and FromWM5), the 3 – Power and 6 – Backlight PCL's, the MS BT stack link and the PPC Phone Edition Phone Settings link.
Also, there's a separate subdirectory 'mycpl' for (unnamed – as you can also see in the comparison chart, indexes are wildly different between different devices) MyCpl link files.
Hope you'll find this information / my files useful. I really hope you'll like the new ability to include all this functionality in the Resco Today plug-in and/or cLaunch – or, for that matter, your operating system-level scripts!

Also a little bit more info on this subject + an icon extractor:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?p=223602#223602
V

When I put the link in my /windows/startmenu folder it's deleted after soft-reset of opening my start menu. What can I do about this and why is it happening?

What icon are you putting in there?
V

vijay555 said:
What icon are you putting in there?
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a file I called Running.lnk with the following line:
Code:
22#ctlpnl cplmain.cpl,4,0?shellres.dll,-13900
I noticed that after soft reset or clicking the start menu this file is moved to the /windows/startmenu/programs folder. And thus appears in my programs list. But what I want is this link in my Start Menu.

Very odd.
Try making the shortcut as you've done, put it in your normal start menu, and then make a lnk to the lnk. Put the lnk to the lnk in your startup, and see if that makes any difference.
You could try my program VJBrisk as well. I can't even think what it does now, but it might help.
V

I tryed making another link to the first one and putting it in the startup but it didn't make any difference.
After this i tryed putting the lnk in the startmenu folder and at the same time removing another lnk file. And voila , it workt. Seems that wm5 keeps track of the amount of lnk files that should be in the startmenu folder. Makes sense because there is a limit to how long your startmenu can be.
Thanks for your help
ps. I changed the line in the link file to the following. This way it has the memory icon.
Code:
22#ctlpnl cplmain.cpl,4,0?shellres.dll,-13900

TUTORIAL: Periodically & automatically backing up an important file to a memcard

I’ve received the following question in the Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine forums:
“I have a HX4700 with a Garmin CF620 Compact Flash GPSr unit.
This unit uses the Garmin QUE software for navigational purposes.
The active track-log is saved in a single file in the installation directory (program files) and on two occasions I've lost the tracklog and almost got myself in an emergancy situation due to either a battery issue or the necessity to do a hard reset.
My question is if you perhaps know of a 3rd party software that I can use to either in real-time or given time intervals mirror / sync the file to the Ipaq file store or external memory .
I'll even be happy if its a program that I have to run to copy the file to another location, then I can at least assign it to a button, and press it every so often.”
The answer to this question is a big YES, you can do this, without having to use a full system backup. What is more, you can do this with a free (!) and fully automatic tool – I’ve custom-written an nScriptm script which does exactly what you want.
I’ve already elaborated a lot on the possible usages of the excellent nScriptm; please see for example this and this article, along with the links. (Search for “nScriptm” with Ctrl-F if you don’t want to read the entire article. I, however, as usual, recommend reading these articles in their entirety if you want to know how Pocket PC screenshots can be taken and how calls can be (automatically) recorded.)
To solve the problem asked by my reader, as I've already stated, I’ve written an nScriptm script. It’s available here for download. After you edit it to point to the source and the target files (they are \Program Files\source.txt and \SD-MMCard\backup.txt by default; you can, in general, leave the latter filename intact and only change the storage card path), you MUST put it in the \Program Files\ns\ directory (you must create it at first) so that the executable link file, which is available here, can find it. You must do the same with the executable file (ns.exe) of nScriptm available here – that is, put it in \Program Files\ns\.
Note that, along with the source and, possibly, the target filenames, you can also modify the interval of the backup. It’s 120 seconds by default. If you want to set it to another value, just modify the parameter in sleep(120).
You can, of course, put the executable link file, PeriodicallyBackupAFile.lnk, to \Windows\Start Menu\Programs for easy access.
Now, just start the backup tool by executing the latter executable link file and minimize nScriptm. It’ll continue running in the background and backing up your file.
Other alternatives
Note that you can also do the same with the excellent SKScheMa, which is another product of the excellent S-K people also written (more precisely, ported) nScriptm and a lot of other, high-quality tools like SKTools. With it, you can for example backup your stuff every, say, hour. The advantage of the SKScheMa-based solution that it doesn’t need to be always run in the background. That way, you can lower the CPU / memory usage.
Also, if you know how you can manually add timed, recurring events with, say, SKTools, you can manually execute a simple filecopy (without periodicity – that is, modify script to the following:
function main() {CopyFile("\\Program Files\\source.txt","\\SD-MMCard\\backup.txt");}
and just configure your event queue to execute the link file it, say, every hour.)
For geeks
For programmers or anyone that would like to know how it works and how easy nScriptm is to use, the script is as follows:
function main()
{
while(1<2)
{CopyFile("\\Program Files\\source.txt","\\SD-MMCard\\backup.txt");
sleep(120);}
}
(Note that there is no “true” symbolic constant in nScriptm and, therefore, I couldn’t use while(true) and you must escape backslash characters as with all C-like languages / regexps; this is why there are "doubled" backslash characters.)

Small tools for WM5

Two small tools I made for WM5:
NewTray adds a menu with all "New" entries (like the New menu in PPC2000 to WM2003SE) to the system tray. The icon's a small yellow star...
(Sadly, not all entries work fine on all devices, since WM5 has no native New menu, nobody seems to check them. For example, new message doesn't work on P525...)
RemapSoftkeys allows to modify the softkey allocation on the Today screen. It only modifies registry entries, so you don't need to keep it installed after you set your new values...
Both ZIP files contain the PPC executeable, i.e. you have to copy the contained file to the PPC and execute it there. For NewTray, it'd be usefull to create a shortcut in the startup folder. To do this, run the file explorer on your PPC, tap&hold on NewTray.exe, select Copy, then go to \Windows\Startup (or localized name, e.g. \Windows\Autostart for German Windows), right softkey, Edit > Paste shortcut.
I plan to show the menu if NewTray.exe is executed again, so you could open the menu with a softkey, currently this is not possible.

Thanks for the apps.. but to burst your bubble, there are already some software that do what yours are doing.
The popular one, a must have for me, is the WM5NewMenu
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=255580&highlight=
And as for the soft key customization, there are a few around
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=260171&highlight=
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=279544&highlight=

hanmin said:
Thanks for the apps.. but to burst your bubble, there are already some software that do what yours are doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, almost...
The popular one, a must have for me, is the WM5NewMenu
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=255580&highlight=
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that, but it's got a quite different approach. It has its own menu, while I read everything from the registry.
This means, that WM5NewMenu has some better features, like sending SMS to given users, but on the other hand requires more memory, isn't international (labels like "Appointment" are read from the registry, too), and (afaik) doesn't realize new/modified "New" entries (e.g. TextMaker or PocketInformant).
Its a matter of taste and needs what you prefer. Some people wished for s.th. like that in another board, and it was only about half an hour to write it, so here it is...
And as for the soft key customization, there are a few around
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=260171&highlight=
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=279544&highlight=
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, didn't know of that one. I just read some queries about how to modify the softkeys in the Today screen, and most of the times the answer was either WM5NewMenu or AE buttons. Since it's not too hard to modify a couple of registry entries, I wrote this small tool...

Thanks Mort. Haven't seen you for a while...
Best regards always.
V

Thanks MORT...

Handling context menu

Hi again, sorry but I've got another silly questions that refrain me from sleeping and I haven't found better place to put it.
Namely, could someone explain how the wince system handles context menu and what is needed (components and registry entries) to display it ? I mean the context menu when you double-click desktop / hold stylus or for example on a file.
Thank You very much Your answers and sorry if the post is in wrong place.

each program handle their own contex menu
if they manage it by reg's or hardcoded or an xml file
depend on the programmer

Yeah, U right, that I know, but I am looking for the mechanism in windows core / mobile - these standard context menu like for desktop and files (that's probably explorer context menu). I am trying to figure out having an "opened" gps device with windows core, some are stripped so much that are lacking the context menu - u hold the stylus, dots are appearing and nothing happens. I am looking for a way to restore the abilty to call / display the context menu (the standard one given us by BIll) So far I guess it must be regulated by explorer, am I right ?

I am not quite sure what you are trying to do, but if you are trying to add some stripped functionality to a PNA (navigation only device) via registry you are wasting your time.
If it is not there you ether need to find and install an app that will replace it or you are out of luck.

Orange Plugin - What goes where?

Just a clarification question...
I found the following files, packaged in a .cab, but don't think I need all of them and don't know where to put the files I do need.
Here's what I have:
4orangeh.dll
HomePage.xml
HomeScreen.dll
HomeScreen_menuF.bmh
HomeScreen_MenuS.bmh
orange.scheme.xml
OrangeHomescreen.home.xml
I'm thinking that the 4orangeh.dll is the only file I need and that it goes in the application data/home directory, and that the other files are associate with a homescreen this particular individual authored. Is that correct or no?
Thanks for the help!

ahhhh
NO.....nononono....thats wrong.
You got the units for ABAXIA (all the files above exept the 4Orangeh.dll)and 4OrangeH.
You may copy the files to /Application Data/Home and register the .dll manually with wm5regsvce.exe.
May not work stable, but you got this: (Link to another Thread by me about the 2 DIFFERENT OrangePlugins called Abaxia and 4OrangeH (4Orangeh includes 10 different Plugins)
ClickMeHard
The Top Image is Abaxia, the second Images are 4Orangeh.Abaxia is poooooor, 4OrangeH really Impressive

Nice arpy!
You wouldn't know where I can find some (English) documentation on how to use this plugin?

erm,no...sorry.Ive created a German Doc with all needed attributes for this Plugin, it was a hard trip and needs a lot of try-and-error-sessions to get nearly all informations about it.
Here is a Howto in German, it includes nearly all Attributes and Parameters needed for 4OrangeH.Not finished yet...there are some more undocumented Features, like FreeMemory,Messages,Ringtone...it is like an OWN HOMESCREEN-PROCESS, so it can Host more than one Plugin in one Line...an REALLY DAMN ****IN **** MISSING FEATURE in my lovely SmartPhone.
the file maybe helpful, if you always create Homescreens...

Thank you. I'll try and see how this comes through a translater.