We cannot respond to all letters or e-mail, but we do read them all. Please send us questions, suggestions for improvements to the magazine, ideas for new software, or general comments. All responses, unless otherwise indicated, are from Rich Hall, Editor of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine. You can reach Rich at Rich@PocketPCmag.com. This column contains e-mail from readers as well as selected messages from the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine forums. The content has been edited for clarity.
Uninstalling programs and removing application icons
I need help figuring out how to uninstall icons on my Pocket PC. I have already removed the programs with ActiveSync, but the icons are still there. I tried using File Explorer to find and delete any left over items, but now some of my others games and programs won't act right.
Veronica Roberts
Most third-party programs include an automatic installer. You simply download the program to your PC, connect your PC to your Pocket PC via ActiveSync, and click on the program file on your PC. The automatic installer finishes the job, copying the appropriate files to your Pocket PC. One of the files it places on your Pocket PC is an application launch icon, which, in most cases, is placed in the Start > Programs folder. (Some programs place the icon in the main Start menu, and third-party games may place the icon in the Start > Programs > Games folder.) You can uninstall these programs using ActiveSync or from the Remove Programs screen on your Pocket PC. (IMPORTANT NOTE: Use these methods to uninstall programs. Do not try to use File Explorer to find the programs various files and delete them piecemeal.)
Uninstall using ActiveSync:
Open AS on your PC, click on Tools > Add/Remove Programs….
This opens the "Add/Remove Programs" dialog box, which displays a list of third party programs you have installed on your Pocket PC (Fig. 1). The items in this list that are checked are currently installed on your Pocket PC. The items that are unchecked were installed on your Pocket PC sometime in the past, but are not currently on the device. (You can reinstall any of the unchecked programs by simply tapping on the check box next to it. ActiveSync will install the program automatically.)
Fig. 1: ActiveSync's "Add/Remove Programs" dialog box.
To uninstall any of the checked programs, simply uncheck the box—ActiveSync will do the rest. (WARNING: DO NOT click on the "Remove" button at the bottom of the screen unless you also want to remove the necessary installation files from your PC.)
Uninstalling from your Pocket PC:
BEFORE you attempt to uninstall a program from your Pocket PC, check to make sure the program is not currently running on your device. The easiest way to do this is to do a soft reset of your device. Alternately, you can go to Start > Settings > System > Memory, and tap on the "Running Programs" tab. If the program you wish to uninstall is listed, tap on it and then hit the "Stop" button. After you are sure the program is not running, follow these steps:
From the "Start" menu go to Settings > System > Remove Programs. This displays a list of third-party programs installed on your Pocket PC (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2: The "Remove Programs" screen on the Pocket PC.
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