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Tip of the Week: The Archives
To Overclock Or Not?
Intel's XScale and TI OMAP processors have spawned a cottage industry in "overclocking" software. Their CPUs are designed to be
able to run at more than one speed. The benefit is that CPU speed can be scaled to the task at hand: higher speeds for
graphics-intensive or multimedia applications, lower speeds for spreadsheets and word-processing. Overclocking software
overrides the built-in governors on the speed, pushing the processor to the max at all times. In theory, this won't hurt
anything, but manufacturers are warning that it may in some cases. Overclocking can also void your warranty.
For a second opinion, we went to Mack Baggette of PocketPCTechs.com. He said "My basic take on overclocking is to
give the option to the users and let them decide, knowing the possible risks involved. In overclocking a handheld
unit, there is almost no risk of physically damaging the unit. The extra power consumption doesn't come close to
the power consumption of things like the screen, backlight, memory chips, etc. In regards to the heat, it is
negligible as there is much more heat generated from the power circuits for things such as charging and backlighting
than anything else. The worst thing that can happen is that you will have to hard reset your unit and lose all your
data and programs. If you are playing with overclocking, just make sure you have good backups."
A number of applications allow you to overclock the CPU. Check out XCPUScalar or Google "Windows Mobile overclock"
for other links. Finally, Samsung CPUs should not be overlooked.
See More about Appointments and Tasks on the Today Screen
If you find yourself constantly opening the Calendar application to check your upcoming appointments for the
day, you can change the settings so that they will appear on the Today screen for quick viewing.
- Tap Start > Settings > Today.
- Tap on the Items tab and select Calendar.
- Tap the Options button and select "Upcoming appointments."
- Tap OK twice to save the change.
All of your upcoming appointments for the current day will now be displayed on the Today screen. (If nothing
is scheduled for the current day, the next scheduled appointment will be displayed.) If you have a large number
of appointments, a scroll bar will appear, in which case you may want to change back to "Next appointment" in the
Today: Calendar Options menu.
You can also display more information about Tasks on the Today screen, specifically whether a Task is due on
the current date or if it is overdue. To activate these options, do the following:
- Tap Start > Settings > Today.
- Tap on the Items tab and select Tasks.
- Tap the Options button and check the box next to "Tasks due today" and/or "Overdue tasks."
- Tap OK twice to save the change.
Note that the "High priority tasks" box is checked by default. Once either or all of these options are checked,
the number of high priority, currently due, and/or overdue tasks will appear under the active Tasks on the Today screen.
Use An Ergonomic Stylus
It's no secret that we lose a lot of ergonomic benefits by using a handheld device. The tiny device designs and
smaller keyboards don't promote good ergonomic techniques. However, there is one way that you can promote better
use: with a third-party stylus. Best of all, you can carry a better stylus around with you without any extra effort!
A third-party stylus promotes better ergonomics by eliminating the need to try to write with a tight, pinched grip.
As an added bonus, you can even buy a "multi-purpose" stylus that includes a pen, pencil, and highlighter tip, in
addition to functioning as a stylus. (I'll provide a list of third-party stylus vendors at the end of this article.)
Once you purchase a larger stylus, you'll need a way to carry it. Unfortunately, each PDA has a silo that is
specifically designed to only accept the stylus that ships with the device. However, most handhelds also come
with a carrying case, and you can easily use that to make sure that your new stylus goes everywhere that your
Windows Mobile device does.
If you have a case with a strap on top, odds are good that the strap is loose enough to fit the stylus inside the
strap (see below). Carrying the stylus in this manner allows you to easily keep the stylus and PDA in one neat
little package. If the strap is too loose (allowing the stylus to slip out), you can use the clip on the stylus to
secure it to the strap on the carrying case.
If the strap on your carrying case is too snug to fit a stylus inside it, you can use the clip on the stylus to
secure it to the outside of the case. Obviously, this method exposes the stylus to impacts that could jar it loose,
so this might not be a good solution for people who lead an active lifestyle or are clumsy (like me).
Of course, the carrying case that you already have may provide additional ways to store a larger stylus, like an
extra space at the bottom of the case, or even a loop for carrying a pen. Take a look at the case you have now and
use a little imagination. After all, the benefits of using a larger stylus might outweigh the inconvenience of
lugging it around. (Dan Hanttula)
Use your Phone Edition on the Plane with Flight Mode
Even when you turn your Pocket PC Phone Edition off, the phone function will continue to stay on. This is important
to remember when boarding planes, which don't allow active wireless communications during flight. In order to use
the non-phone functions of your Pocket PC on planes, you need to set your device to Flight Mode. To do this,
follow these steps:
- Tap on the connection icon in the top menu bar. (It's usually located to the left of the volume control and
looks like a small "x" with arrows above it pointing left and right.) This causes a status bubble to pop up,
with a link labeled "Turn on flight mode" (or "Turn Phone off" on older devices).
- Tap on the link to disable the wireless functions.
- To turn it back on, tap on the connection icon and then the blue link again.
Note that in some Phone Edition devices, the status bubble may have a link labeled "Wireless Manager."
Tap on that link to go to a screen where you can turn the phone on and off. Note also that some devices
have shortcuts that can turn the phone on and off. Check your device user manual for these. One final
note: Some flight attendants will not allow you to use the device even with Flight Mode turned on.
(Based on a tip from spbclub.com)
Use Your Alarm To Wake Up To Music
Many bedside alarms these days include a setting that allows you to wake up to music first thing in the morning.
The Pocket PC is no different. You can use the third-party program The Core Pocket Media Player (TCPMP) and the
built-in Alarms program to wake up to music. Here's how to do it:
- Set up the alarm on your Pocket PC by going to Start >Settings >System tab >Clock & Alarms.
- Enter a description of the alarm (for example, "Daily Wakeup").
- Select the day or days and the time you want the alarm to activate and tap OK.
- Open TCPMP, select the song you want to wake up to, and press Play. (You can download TCPMP here.)
- When the song begins, turn off your Pocket PC. Now at the designated time, the alarm tone with still sound,
but your selected music will also continue to play.
(Based on a tip in the PocketPCmag.com Forums by Spudley112)
Use A Dashboard Or Windshield Mount In Vehicles
If you use your Windows Mobile device in the car to listen to music or to navigate via GPS, get a dashboard or
windshield mount and keep the Pocket PC or Smartphone in the mount while you're driving. It will be easier to see
and you won't have to fumble around to find it. Some device manufacturers offer these as optional accessories. If
yours doesn't, they are available from third-party vendors. Check out the following:
- RAM Mounts
- Arkon
- Mobile Planet
Note also that many vendors of Windows Mobile GPS solutions also carry windshield or dashboard mounts as
accessories.
Search For Contacts By Phone Number
You can use the Search feature on a Pocket PC (or Find in pre-WM5 devices) to search for Contacts by
phone number if you are on the road and are missing calls.
- Go to Start > Programs > Search (pre-WM5 devices: Find).
- Enter any part of the phone number in the "Search for" field (pre-WM5 devices: "Find" field).
- Select Contacts from the Type drop-down menu.
- Tap Search in the lower-left corner of the screen (pre-WM5 devices: tap Go next to the Find and Type fields).
This displays a list of the contacts with the number string you entered anywhere in the contact (phone number,
street address, notes field, etc.). Next to the contact name is the phone number. Tap on any name in the
search list and the details of the contact are displayed. Note that you can use the Search/Find feature to
locate other data on your device. (Based on a tip from Spb Club)
Change The Default Area Code In Contacts
When you're entering information for a new Contact on your Pocket PC, you will probably
notice that whenever you tap on a phone number field, the area code 425 always appears.
(That's the area code of Redmond, Washington-home of Microsoft.) You can change this
default number by doing the following:
- Open Contacts and tap Menu > Options (pre-WM5 devices: Tools > Options).
- Tap on the "Area code" field and enter the desired area code using the soft keyboard or
whatever input method you have selected.
- Tap OK.
The area code you entered will now appear whenever you tap on a phone number field in a new Contact.
(Based on a tip from spbclub.com)
Use An Ergonomic Stylus
It's no secret that we lose a lot of ergonomic benefits by using a handheld device.
The tiny device designs and smaller keyboards don't promote good ergonomic techniques.
However, there is one way that you can promote better use: with a third-party stylus.
Best of all, you can carry a better stylus around with you without any extra effort!
A third-party stylus promotes better ergonomics by eliminating the need to try to
write with a tight, pinched grip. As an added bonus, you can even buy a "multi-purpose"
stylus that includes a pen, pencil, and highlighter tip, in addition to functioning as a
stylus. (I'll provide a list of third-party stylus vendors at the end of this article.)
Once you purchase a larger stylus, you'll need a way to carry it. Unfortunately,
each PDA has a silo that is specifically designed to only accept the stylus that ships
with the device. However, most handhelds also come with a carrying case, and you can
easily use that to make sure that your new stylus goes everywhere that your Windows
Mobile device does.
If you have a case with a strap on top, odds are good that the strap is loose enough
to fit the stylus inside the strap (see below). Carrying the stylus in this manner allows
you to easily keep the stylus and PDA in one neat little package. If the strap is too loose
(allowing the stylus to slip out), you can use the clip on the stylus to secure it to the
strap on the carrying case.
If the strap on your carrying case is too snug to fit a stylus inside it, you can use
the clip on the stylus to secure it to the outside of the case. Obviously, this method
exposes the stylus to impacts that could jar it loose, so this might not be a good solution
for people who lead an active lifestyle or are clumsy (like me).
Of course, the carrying case that you already have may provide additional ways to store a
larger stylus, like an extra space at the bottom of the case, or even a loop for carrying a
pen. Take a look at the case you have now and use a little imagination. After all, the benefits
of using a larger stylus might outweigh the inconvenience of lugging it around. (Dan Hanttula)
Third-party stylus vendors:
PDA Panache
Stylus Plus
Stylus Central
Switch Views Quickly With The Hardware Button In Calendar
To quickly cycle through the day, week, month, and year views in Calendar
on your Pocket PC, press the Calendar hardware button repeatedly. Pressing the
Contacts hardware button in the same fashion will cycle through any categories
that have been set up. (Based on a tip from spbclub.com)
Use A Mouse Pointer On Your Pocket PC
You can use the free third-party program
Pen Irazu to navigate your Pocket PC with the D-Pad using a mouse pointer.
Note that there may be problems with the program if you use Landscape mode,
as it was written before Landscape mode existed.
Creating and Selecting Custom Sounds
You can create and select custom sounds to play under certain circumstances.
To select a sound, go to Start >Settings >Sounds & Notifications (Smartphones:
Start >Settings >Sounds). In the Sounds tab, select any sound enabling options
that you prefer. In the Notifications tab, select the Event textbox and choose
an event that you want a sound to accompany. Then check the "Play sound" check-box
and select a sound from the adjacent drop-down menu. You can test the sound by
selecting the play icon below. (Smartphones: Under the Sounds menu, scroll down
and select the event you want to modify. Then scroll through the list of sounds
until you find one you like. If you don't want any sound to play, select None.)
You can also create your own sound to accompany an event. First, record a sound using
the Notes sound recorder (Smartphones: Voice Notes). After you have saved it,
open File Explorer (or File Manager in some Smartphones) and copy the sound
file anywhere in the Windows folder. Now when you go into Sounds & Notifications
(Smartphones: Sounds), your created sound should appear in the list of sounds.
Adding or Subtracting a Series of Numbers
If you are adding or subtracting a series of numbers on the calculator,
it can be a pain to enter all of them, and the possibility of a typographic
error also increases. An easy way to do such a calculation is to type the
series of numbers with the plus (+) sign or minus (-) sign between them,
and an equal to (=) sign at the end of the series, in a Word document or
in a note. An example of a series and the format it should be typed in
is as following: 224+342+235-100+90+235=
Highlight the series on numbers by dragging the stylus across them,
nd then tap and hold on the numbers and select Copy from the resulting menu.
You can then paste them in the calculator application by tapping Edit >Paste.
The calculator application will perform the necessary calculations and display
the result.
Restore Individual Files From ActiveSync's Backup
ActiveSync has an "all-or-nothing" function that lets you back up all the databases
and other files into a single backup file on your desktop PC. ActiveSync also lets you
restore them to your Windows Mobile device using the backup file you created, but again,
it's an all-or-nothing process. Fortunately, a free third-party desktop PC application
called STGViewer lets you extract and restore individual files from the ActiveSync backup.
STGViewer displays the contents of the backup file in a familiar explorer window. You can
use standard "copy and paste" commands to extract the files and save them to another
directory. Or you can use the "restore files to" command to restore the files to a
given directory. Search for STGViewer on Google to find a download site for this freeware program.
Disable Error Reporting To Get Better Performance (WM5 only)
Error Reporting is a program that automatically sends Microsoft an error report if the device
experiences an error. Many users have reported that they get a huge performance increase and
a more stable device if they turn off this feature. Here's how to do it: Go to Start >Settings >System
tab >Error Reporting (Smartphones: select Start >Settings >Error Reporting). Select the "Disable error
reporting" option (Smartphones: select Disable in the Error Reporting field). Note: Error Reporting is
not available in HP iPAQs.
Synchronizing An E-Mail With An Outlook Item As Attachment
If you are synchronizing e-mail to your Windows Mobile device and an
attachment to one of the e-mails is an Outlook item, such as a contact,
note, appointment, or e-mail, that attachment will not be synchronized to
your device along with the e-mail. To synchronize such an attachment to your
device, you will first have to save it in Outlook on your desktop PC by
dragging it into the respective Outlook area. For example, if you have received
an appointment as an attachment, you can drag that onto your Outlook calendar.
It will then be synchronized as an appointment (not as an attachment) to your device.
The same goes for the other kinds of Outlook attachments mentioned above.
Add Sites To Your Mobile Favorites List
When you install ActiveSync on your desktop PC, it installs a plug-in called
Mobile Favorites in the desktop PC version of Internet Explorer (version 5.0 or
greater). This appears in the toolbar as an icon that looks like a small handheld
device with a gold star covering part of it. While you're browsing, if you come across
a site that you want to place in your Mobile Favorites list, simply click on this icon.
To make sure ActiveSync "knows" to sync your Mobile Favorites list, go to the ActiveSync
window, select Tools >Options, and check the box labeled "Favorites." From then on, every
time you connect your device to your PC, the Mobile Favorites list is synced and you can
access it in Internet Explorer Mobile.
Free Download: Microsoft Money for Pocket PC
Microsoft is offering a Pocket PC version of its popular desktop PC
personal finance software, Microsoft Money. Once installed on your Windows
Mobile device, the program lets you synchronize data with the PC version of
the program, and access it when you're away from the office. You can also get
up-to-date stock quotes when you synchronize your device, or through a live Internet
connection. Finally, you can enter expenses, deposits, and other financial transactions
into the Pocket PC version, and sync them back with your desktop PC program. Microsoft
Money for Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs is available for free. You can download Money
from Microsoft.
View Hidden Files
When you browse a folder on your Windows Mobile device, it does not show
hidden files; however, you can use the following method to view them. Go to
the folder in which you want to view the hidden files using the File Explorer
application (File Manager on some Smartphones). Move the scroll bar down till
you reach the last file in the list that is being displayed on the screen. Tap
and hold on the empty space between the last file name and the bottom taskbar
of the Today screen. (Smartphones: Select Menu >Options.) A new menu will
appear on the screen. Go to the Show All Files option (pre-WM5 Pocket PCs:
View All Files). (Smartphones: Deselect Hide Hidden Files.) You will now be
able to see all the hidden files on your device. This setting will be retained
by your device until you change it.
Back Up Your Data Regularly
You can always replace a lost or damaged Windows Mobile device, but you
may not be able to replace the data on it. Keep your device synchronized
with your desktop PC and back it up regularly. At the very least, use ActiveSync
on a daily basis to synchronize Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks information with
your desktop PC. Do a full system backup at least once a week. Also, it's a good
idea to have multiple backups. If your backup application suggests the same
filename each time it runs, change that to an alternate name so that you don't
wipe out your previous backup.
Close Down Applications Fast With "Task Switchers"
Use a task switching program to completely close down one or all open applications.
A task switcher is a utility program that lets you either switch between open
applications or close them down completely. Most devices have a third-party task switcher
built in. For example, Dell Axim Pocket PCs have a program called Switcher Bar.
When activated, it lets uses switch between opening "tasks" (i.e., applications)
and shutting down open applications completely. This is sometimes necessary if
you notice the performance of your device degrading. If your device does not have one,
check out these free programs:
Use Contacts to Organize More Than Addresses and Phone Numbers
You can store almost any simple information in Contacts, including credit card numbers,
PIN numbers, instructions, product information, and more. For example, you can store
information about your automobiles in Contacts. Put the name of the auto in the Name
field (e.g., Toyota RAV4) and everything else in the Notes field (VIN, insurance numbers,
auto registration number, etc.). Set up all of these entries with "Auto" as the Category
so that you can sort on this.
How to Set an Alarm
- Tap Start >Settings >System tab >Clock & Alarms >Alarms tab.
- (Optional) Tap "Description" and enter a name for the alarm.
- Tap the day(s) of the week for the alarm.
- Tap the time to open a clock and set the time for the alarm.
- (Optional) Tap the bell icon. You can choose the type of sound you want: a flashing light, a single or repeating sound, or on some versions, a message or vibration.
- (Optional) If you choose to play a sound, tap the list next to the "Play sound" check box and tap the sound you want.
How to Change Defaults to Save Documents to Storage Card
Change Word Mobile to save documents to storage card; use "Save to" feature in Menus>Tools>Options screen.
By default, Pocket PCs save Notes, Word, Excel, and other documents to the "My Documents" folder in main
memory. In most Pocket PCs this is located in RAM, but in the new Windows Mobile 5.0 devices it will be in
Persistent Storage (i.e., user-accessible flash ROM). If you prefer to store your documents on a storage
card, you can change the defaults in each application to do so. You change this default setting in the
Options menu. For example, here's how you do it in Pocket Word. The process is similar in other applications.
- Open Word on your Pocket PC.
- Tap on "Menus," select "Tools," then "Options." (On pre-Windows Mobile 5.0 devices select "Tools" and
the "Options.") By default, the window labeled "Save to" will indicate that you are saving
documents to "Main memory."
- In the "Save to:" pull down menu select "SD Card" or "CF Card." (You must have a storage card in the
slot or these options will not appear.)
- Tap on "OK."
Now, when you save a Word document, the Pocket PC will
automatically save it in the "My Documents" folder
of the storage card you selected. If the storage card does not have a "My Documents" folder, create one.
Do this using File Explorer and make sure it is two words separated by a blank space (not a dash or underscore
character).
The steps above do not change the location of files you've already saved to
main memory. You'll need to use
File Explorer to move those files to the "My Documents" folder on the storage card. Finally, you cannot set
things up to automatically save documents to a sub-folder of My Documents. If you want to do this, you have
to use File Explorer to move the document after you have saved it. Documents in sub-folders of My Documents
will show up in the applications file list. If they are in a sub-folder and you open and edit them, when you
save them they are saved to the sub-folder.
Can't Sync Files Saved On Storage Card With ActiveSync
ActiveSync has a feature that lets you sync files placed in the My Documents folder with those in a
similar folder on your PC. If you change the "Save to" settings in Word (or another application) so
that you save documents to the My Documents folder on a storage card, you cannot automatically sync
those files with your PC. You must use the File Explorer to copy them to your PC. Only files stored
in My Documents in main memory can be synchronized.
Unzip ZIP Files Before Installing
In some cases, the third-party program you downloaded will be in a ZIP file.
This is a single, compressed archive file that reduces the size of the program
to make it quicker and easier to download. After you download this file to your PC,
use the PC's Explorer to find it; double click on it. If you have a ZIP utility
on your PC, it will pop up, allowing you to uncompress the file. (If you don't have
a ZIP utility, you'll have to get one from the Web). Unzip the file. In the case of
WinZip (shown above) you do this by clicking on the "Extract" button. Then use File
Explorer to find the installer portion of the program (it will be an .exe file,
usually named "Setup.exe" or "Install.exe"). Double click on that file to install
the program.
How To Select A JPEG As Your Today Screen Background
In addition to using Themes to change the appearance of your Today screen,
you can use a JPEG image as its background. The easiest way to do this--and
one that produces better results--is by using the Pictures application built
into Pocket PCs (Pictures & Videos on WM5 devices). Follow these steps:
- Open the Pictures application and find the JPEG image you want to use.
- Tap on the thumbnail view of the picture to display it in full view.
- Pop up the Tools menu and select the “Set as Today Wallpaper…” option.
- A set up screen will appear, allowing you to set the transparency level
of the image. High settings produce a faint image and low settings produce a more
solid image. A window in this screen will show you what the image will look like
as you adjust the transparency level.
- When you like what you see, tap on OK and the image will be set as the background
to your Today screen.
How To Find Folders and Files on a Pocket PC
Here's how to use File Explorer:
- Run (open) File Explorer. By default, it's found in the Start > Programs folder.
(You can use the Start > Settings > Menus screen to have it appear in the Start
menu.)
- The folder that is currently open is listed in the upper left part of the
screen, next to the Pocket PC icon and below the words "File Explorer." The next
screen shows File Explorer open in the My Documents folder.
- To see everything that's on your device tap on the Pocket PC icon in the upper
left corner and then select My Device. This will display a list of the folders in
main memory and any storage cards you're using. To see what's in any storage card
or folder, tap on it in this list.
- Tap once on any data or document file and it will open in the appropriate
application. For example, tap on a note document file and Notes will
automatically open and display the document.
- If you place the stylus tip on a file or folder and hold down on it,
an edit menu pops up, allowing you to Cut, Copy, Rename, or Delete the item.
(This menu also give you the option of sending the file to another user
via e-mail or infrared "beaming.")
- Be very careful using these edit functions. If you Rename and Delete an
application or configuration file, you might not be able to access the
application associated with it.
- Finally, you can change the way File Explorer orders the file/folder list.
By default, it displays the list in alphebetical order by name. (This is
indicated in the upper right corner of the display by the word "Name" with
a small down arrow next to it.) Tap on the down arrow to chage this to Date,
Size or Type. (Type refers to the type of file, such as Notes, Word, Excel,
graphics, etc.
Tip: You can have multiple folders with the same name on your device.
For example, you can have a My Documents folder in main memory and a
My Documents folder on a storage card. To determine which My Documents folder
you're looking at, tap on "My Documents" in the upper left corner, below
"File Explorer." This displays a summary of the file structure, beginning
with "My Device" at the top. You'll quickly see whether the My Documents is
on "My Device" (internal memory) or on a CF (or other) storage card.
How To Avoid Being Disappointed: Try Before You Buy!
Most software vendors offer free demo versions of their programs, which lets you try out
the program before you buy it to make sure it works properly on your device and meets your needs.
Go to one of the Web sites that sell Windows Mobile Software such as Handango
or PocketGear.
Download the "demo" or "trial" version of the software. Install it on your Windows Mobile device
via ActiveSync. Try out the software and see if it's all it's cracked up to be.
How To Customize the Start Menu
The Pocket PC's Start menu is divided into three sections. The top section of the Start
menu can be customized to display the applications of your choice. After you've used your
Pocket PC for a while and know which programs you access the most, go to the Start > Settings
folder and tap on the Menu icon. The Menus setup screen displays a scroll-down list of the
programs installed on your Pocket PC (both the built-in programs from Microsoft and any
third-party programs you have installed).
First, uncheck the programs that you don't use very much and/or don't want to appear in the
Start menu. Then, check any programs you do want to appear. If you select an application to
appear in the Start menu, its icon disappears from the Programs folder. If you uncheck an
application in the Start menu setup screen, its icon will appear in the Programs folder.
You can select up to seven programs to appear in the Start menu, but this includes the Help
wizard (which, if checked, appears in the bottom section). The Menus setup screen will not
allow you to check more than seven applications. (If you want to get around this, create a
new folder, copy program launch icons to that folder, and select the new folders to appear
in the Start menu.) Finally, a number of third party applications are available that let you
add program launch icons to the Today screen (circumventing the limits associated with the
Start menu). Check out Battery Pack Pro,
Dashboard, or
Spb Pocket Plus.
How to Password-Protect a Pocket PC
How to do it:
- Turn on your device.
- Tap on Start (in the upper left).
- Tap on Settings (at the bottom of the resulting menu).
- Tap on the Password icon.
- Tap on check box to left of "Prompt if device unused for". In the drop-down box you can specify any time from 0 minutes,
up to 24 hours. (Once this period expires, the password protection begins).
- Tap on the Password Type drop-down box. You can select "Simple 4-digit" code (4 numbers; it's easy to type,
but it's susceptible to brute-force solving).
- Or, you can pick "Strong Alphanumeric" (harder to type and remember, but much more resistant to being cracked).
The password must be at least 7 characters long (and as long as 20!), and must be a combination of numbers, letters
(both upper and lower case), and punctuation. The program will prompt you to do better if you try to enter a Strong
Alpha password of, say, "dddd", which lacks any uppercase letters, numbers or punctuation, and which is shorter than
the seven-character minimum.
- Once you've entered your password, hit OK. You'll be asked to confirm your changes to Password.
- Now, in order to access your device (after the time delay you specified), you must type in the password.
Don't forget it--short of guessing the password, you would have to Hard Reset your device in order to be able
to use the device again. That means losing access to installed programs and data and having to resort to backups of your device.
TIP: If you have critical programs or private data on your Pocket PC from your business or from your personal life,
the password protection outlined above is not sufficient to completely prevent that data from falling into the wrong hands.
While a Hard Reset will wipe out programs installed in memory (on pre WM5.0 devices), it does not wipe out the contents of
storage cards, where most data and programs are installed. A sufficiently determined person would be able to access your data
and/or programs. For complete protection you (or your company's IT department) need to look to encryption software and
enterprise security solutions.
Change System Text Size
(Note: In Smartphones, there is no built-in application to change text size.)
You can change the size of the text displayed on Pocket PCs. For example, you can set it smaller to display more
information, or larger to make the info displayed easier to read.
- From the Start menu, go to Settings > System tab.
- Tap on the Screen icon to launch the Screen configuration utility.
- Tap on the tab labeled "Text Size."
- Move the sliding bar from Smallest to Largest to adjust your text size.
- Tap on OK when you're finished and the change will be applied to your system.
How to Backup a Pocket PC using ActiveSync
- Turn on your Pocket PC.
- Connect your Pocket PC to your PC via the Sync cradle or cable.
The ActiveSync dialog box will appear on your PC's screen.
- On your PC, in the ActiveSync dialog box, select Tools >Backup/Restore.
- Generally you'll want to select "Full Backup", then click on the Back up Now button.
- Your backup will commence. Don't do anything else on your Pocket PC while the backup occurs.
- When the backup finishes, click "OK" in the dialog box that appears.
TIP: If you have a Windows Mobile 5.0 device, the above backup instructions
will not work for you. Microsoft removed the backup functionality from WM 5.0/ActiveSync
4.x. So, you'll have to backup using a program that comes with your Pocket PC, or that you purchase.
How to Install Today Screen Themes
Beginning with the 2002 version of the OS, Pocket PCs allow you to change the look of the Today screen using
"Themes". You can create your own theme files with desktop PC applications like ThemeMaker. Themes files are also available from a number of Web sites
(see the "Media" subsection of Pocket PC magazine's
Best Sites Web page. Once you've created or downloaded a
theme, copy it to your Pocket PC's \My Documents or \Windows folders. You can also place them in the
My Documents folder of a storage card to conserve internal storage space.
To change the Theme on your Pocket PC, follow these steps:
- Tap on the Start menu, go to the Settings folder, and tap on the Today icon.
- The Today "Appearance" screen will appear, with the available themes listed in the window.
- Select a theme in the list and tap on OK.
How to Create Shortcuts
Most third party programs automatically create a program launch shortcut when you
install the program on your Pocket PC. However, a few shareware and freeware programs
do not. In addition, it's possible to accidentally delete shortcut files if you're not
careful. Finally, you can create shortcuts to important documents and put them in a
folder that appears in the Start menu, for quick access. In each of these cases, you
need to know how to create a shortcut. Follow these steps:
- Open File Explorer on your Pocket PC and navigate to the game or program which you want
to create a short cut for.
- Tap and hold the desired program file until the edit menu pops up and select the Copy option.
- Navigate to My Device/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/Games
- Tap and hold on the white space below Solitaire or anywhere in the Games folder. When the edit
menu pops up, select the Paste Shortcut option.
Why Some Web Sites Don't Work in Internet Explorer Mobile
You're having fun surfing the Web with your Windows Mobile device, but you find that you can't
access some of the sites that you're used to visiting on your desktop PC. Why not? Most likely,
these sites are checking for the browser version and are turning you away if you
have a version of Internet Explorer that is earlier then 4.0. To get around this, use a registry
tweaker such as RegKing (free) to change your device's registry settings so that Internet Explorer
will announce itself as IE 5.5 instead.
Password Protect Your Device
The Password function built into your Windows Mobile device is a way to protect the information on
your device from casual access should you lose or misplace it. (For industrial-strength protection,
you'll have to look into encryption and stronger password protection.)
To enable passwords:
- Turn on your device.
- Tap on Start (in the upper left).
- Tap on Settings (at the bottom of the resulting menu).
- Tap on the Password icon.
- Tap on check box to left of "Prompt if device unused for". In the drop-down box you can specify
any time from 0 minutes, up to 24 hours. (Once this period expires, the password protection begins).
- Tap on the Password Type drop-down box. You can select "Simple 4-digit" code (4 numbers; it's
easy to type, but it's susceptible to brute-force solving).
- Or, you can pick "Strong Alphanumeric" (harder to type and remember, but much more resistant to
being cracked). The password must be at least 7 characters long (and as long as 20!), and must be a
combination of numbers, letters (both upper and lower case), and punctuation. The program will prompt
you to do better if you try to enter a Strong Alpha password of, say, "dddd", which lacks any
uppercase letters, numbers or punctuation, and which is shorter than the seven-character minimum.
- Once you've entered your password, hit OK. You'll be asked to confirm your changes to Password.
- Now, in order to access your device (after the time delay you specified), you must type in the
password. Don't forget it--short of guessing the password, you would have to Hard Reset your device
in order to be able to use the device again. That means losing access to installed programs and data
and having to resort to backups of your device.
Microsoft Money Not For WM5; Use SPB Finance Instead
If you've loved your Microsoft Money on your Pocket PC, you will be disappointed when upgrading to Windows
Mobile 5.0. Microsoft has dropped support for Microsoft Money, and you won't be able to sync Money any more
to your desktop once you're running on WM5. But, the folks at SPB Software House have a product, SPB Finance,
which has been crafted to work on WM5 and which will sync with your desktop computer via ActiveSync. It's $24,95.
(Tip from Robert Verriotto)
How to Customize a Pocket PC's Today Screen
- Tap on Start >Settings >Today. This displays the Today setup screen.
- By default, the "Appearance" tap is displayed, which allows you to select and install new themes,
select a picture as the Today screen background, or beam a theme to another Pocket PC.
- The second tab is labeled "Items." Tap on this to select the information you want to display on the Today screen,
including the the current Date, Owner Information, Calendar appointments, Inbox e-mail, and Tasks.
(On Windows Mobile 5 devices, you can also display Messaging, Pocket MSN messages, and a Device Lock
icon on the Today screen). If you select Calendar and Tasks, the Options button on the left side of the
screen allows you to further customize what you display. For example, with Calendar, you can choose to
display the next appointment or multiple upcoming appointments.
Tip: Keep the Today screen uncluttered by unchecking the items you don't use.
For example, if you never use Tasks or Messaging, it doesn't make sense to display them on the Today screen.
How to Take Good Care of Your Battery
Windows Mobile devices come with rechargeable batteries using lithium-ion battery technology. Most devices
ship with the battery at least partially charged, but to be safe, you should fully charge the battery before
using your Pocket PC or Smartphone the first time. (The device manufacturer may specify a suggested charge time
in the quick start guide or user manual.) Note that lithium-ion batteries are extremely sensitive to temperature.
Do not leave your Windows Mobile device outside or in a vehicle overnight in freezing climates, or during the day
in hot climates. Exposing the batteries to extreme temperatures may permanently decrease the amount of charge the
battery can hold.
How to Make National Holidays Show Up in Calendar
Adding your country's traditional holidays to Calendar manually would be a time-consuming process.
Fortunately, the desktop PC version of Outlook has a built-in feature to add holidays from different
countries and religions to your default Calendar folder. Once you do this on your PC, you can sync
them with your Windows Mobile device. Here's how you do it:
- Open Outlook's Calendar application on your desktop or laptop PC.
- Select Tools > Options, and then click the Calendar Options button.
- On the Calendar Options dialog box, click on the Add Holidays button.
- In the Add Holidays to Calendar dialog box check the countries or religions
whose holidays you want to add to Calendar and then click OK.
- At this point, you can go through the list in Calendar and delete the holidays
that you don't want to appear.
- Sync your Windows Mobile device with your PC to transfer the holidays.
(Based on a post on Pocket PC magazine forums, by Sooner Al)
How to Uninstall Programs From Your Device
You should uninstall programs using ActiveSync (Tools >Add/Remove Programs), or from the
Remove Programs screen (Start >Settings >System >Remove Programs) on your Pocket PC.
Do not try to use File Explorer to find the programs various files and delete them piecemeal.
You may wind up leaving icons and other portions of the program on your device.
How To Completely Shut Down Applications on Your Devices
When you tap on the (X) button in the upper right corner of an application it doesn't really shut the application down. All it does is take you back to the previously opened application. For example, if you are in Contacts checking a phone number and then go to Calendar to check an appointment, when you tap on the (X) in Calendar, you go back to Contacts. The point here is that Calendar is still open--you just can't see it! It's running in the background, occupying some of your RAM and using some of your CPU power to do so.
In most cases, you shouldn't have to worry about this. The Pocket PC is designed to monitor RAM usage and to automatically shut down programs running in the background if it needs some more RAM. (For example, if you want to start a new program and have too many previously opened programs running in the background.)
In addition to occupying RAM, background programs use some of the CPU's computing power. Having too many of these background programs reduces your Pocket PC's performance. If you notice a degradation of performance, don't wait for the Pocket PC to shut down programs; do it yourself:
- The quickest way to shut down all open applications is to do a soft reset.
- The Memory configuration utility built into the Pocket PC will allow you to select and close down open applications. From the Start menu go to Settings > System > Memory and then select the Running Programs tab. This takes you to the Running Programs list . Select any program in the list and tap on the Stop button to close it down, or tap on Stop All to shut down everything.
- You can also shut down applications completely by popping up the soft keyboard and pressing the Ctrl-Q key combination (press the "Ctl" key (extreme lower left) first and then press the "q" key.
Save Money on Accessories
As soon as you buy your new handheld, you'll be tempted to accessorize it. There's no doubt that
the best place to start looking for accessories is your device manufacturer's Web site. The site
will usually point you to add-ons that specifically connect to your handheld and, sometimes, they're
actually built, tested and certified by the hardware manufacturer to work flawlessly. However,
this convenience comes at a price. You'll pay more when you buy accessories directly from the
maker of your PDA. Instead, use the manufacturer's Web site for research, make a note of the name and product number
of the item you want to buy, and look for it on PriceGrabber or a similar site. PriceGrabber indexes
the product lists of thousands of online retailers. Search for a product and it will display a list
of the retailers that have the product, along with price and shipping costs. If you enter your ZIP
code, the site will even calculate shipping and tax charges, then display the best "BottomLinePrice"
for your location. Using PriceGrabber will help ensure you get your accessories for a great price. In addition, you
should consider searching for the products on Amazon.com and Epinions.com to read reviews
from other users before you buy.
Try Software Before You Buy
Most software vendors offer free demo versions of their programs, which lets you try out the program before you buy
it to make sure it works properly on your device and meets your needs. Go to one of the Web sites that sell Windows
Mobile Software such as Handango or PocketGear. Download the "demo" or "trial" version of the software. Install
it on your Windows Mobile device via ActiveSync. Try out the software and see if it's all it's cracked up to be.
Put Your Name on your Today Screen
It's important to put your name on your Pocket PC's Today screen. That way, if you happen to misplace your Pocket PC,
the person finding it will know who it belongs to if they turn it on. Enter in your name and phone number into Owner
Information within Settings > Owner Information. Then go in to Settings > Today, select the Items tab and put a checkmark
next to Owner Information. This will display your name and phone number on the Today screen.
As an extra bit of protection, in Owner Information, put in REWARD! for the first address line. Then tap on Options
and put a check next to the option that says "When the device is turned on, display Identification information."
Now, when you turn on your Pocket PC it will have your name, address, phone number, and REWARD! displayed.
Notes—A Great Place to Store Important Information
Notes are a great, somewhat un-organized collection of information. You can keep various important
lists at your fingertips: shopping lists, book lists, CD lists, DVD movie lists, etc. You can add
recipes you've just learned from a friend. You can keep a list of various important information
for your car including recommended tire pressure, engine oil brand and grade, etc. You can also
paste in a list of movies names and show times in the vicinity of your house (you just have to find
an online source from which to copy the information into a note.) Since notes are synchronized
between your Pocket PC and your PC, you'll be able to access them easily at your computer or on the run.
Things you shouldn't store in notes: credit card account numbers and information,
User IDs and Passwords (i.e., any information that should remain absolutely private).
How to Create Shortcuts
Most third party programs automatically create a program launch shortcut when you install the program on your Pocket PC.
However, a few shareware and freeware programs do not. In addition, it's possible to accidentally delete shortcut files
if you're not careful. Finally, you can create shortcuts to important documents and put them in a folder that appears
in the Start menu, for quick access. In each of these cases, you need to know how to create a shortcut. Follow these steps:
Open File Explorer on your Pocket PC and navigate to the game or program which you want to create a short cut for.
- Tap and hold the desired program file until the edit menu pops up and select the Copy option.
- Navigate to My Device/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/Games/
- Tap and hold on the white space below Solitaire or anywhere in the Games folder.
When the edit menu pops up, select the Paste Shortcut option.
Free Up Memory on Your Device
Your Windows Mobile device doesn't automatically shut down programs when you exit them using the "OK"
or "X" in the upper right corner; they're still active in memory though you don't see them. If too many are
active, your device will slow down, and some programs may not even be able to load until more memory is available.
To see what's open you can go to Start >Settings >System >Memory, and tap on the Running Programs tab. It's
possible to stop all the running programs by tapping on Stop All.
Or, you can soft-reset your device (generally by poking your stylus into a little hole market "soft reset";
see you device's manual for where your soft reset hole is located.
A Soft Reset won't wipe your device clean (that's a "hard reset"), but it will clear all running programs
out of memory and give you a fresh start.
Back Up Your Device Regularly
If your device loses power, you will lose all your data, plus the programs installed on your device
(unless you have a Windows Mobile 5.0 device). While your Outlook data is safe on your PC (assuming
that you ActiveSync regularly), it's a good idea to run the Backup utility in ActiveSync (assuming
you don't have a Windows Mobile 5.0 device, which lacks the ActiveSync backup capability).
The Backup utility will place a backup of your Pocket PC on the PC that you sync with,
so that you'll be safe against a loss of power.
How to Delete a Partnership in ActiveSync
- Disconnect your device from your PC.
- Open up the ActiveSync program on your PC.
- Click on File in the ActiveSync menu bar.
- Go to Mobile Device. Click on the partnership you want to delete.
- Again click on File. Now click on "Delete Partnership" in order to delete the partnership your previously selected.
- ActiveSync will ask you if you're sure you want to delete the partnership.
- You'll be given the option to delete files synchronized through the partnership. Say Yes if you want these files deleted on your PC. They are located in the My Documents\[Device Name] My Documents folder on your PC. (You can always delete them later if you need to check to be sure there's nothing important among them.)
Protect Your Device From Damage
Your Pocket PC is vulnerable to rough handling. Drop it too far, or bang it against something hard, and it
can suffer a sudden failure. The glass touch screen on your unit is particularly at risk; once it cracks,
your unit is inoperable. Then you'll have to go to a company like
Pocket PC Techs
for a replacement screen. So, buy a case for your Pocket PC. Keep your unit in the case. Vendors who sell cases include
E&B Cases,
Sena Cases, and
Vaja Cases.
Check Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine's
Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories for more choices.
Protect Your Device's Screen
Your device's screen, though glass, will gradually get scratched and degraded over time if you do not protect it:
you need to install a screen protector. This is a thin plastic overlay which protects your screen from scratches,
dust and moisture. Several types are available. Some are just anti-scratch. Others are anti-glare as well.
You can purchase screen protectors from accessory vendors such as Pocket PC Techs and Boxwave
(www.boxwave.com). See the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine Encyclopedia
of Software and Accessories for further choices.
Once you have the screen protector, install it on your device, carefully following the directions from the
screen protector manufacturer.
Resolve Synchronization Conflicts
Occasionally, ActiveSync has a problem which of two versions of a document is the correct one.
For example, if you make changes to two versions of the same document, one on your Pocket PC
and the other on your PC, and if you make these changes when your Pocket PC is NOT connected
to the PC, ActiveSync may not be able to figure out which version takes precedence.
By default, ActiveSync is set up to expect the data on the PC to be correct. You can change
this to favor the Pocket PC version of the document as follows:
- Open ActiveSync on your PC, click on the Tools menu, and select Options.
- Click on the Settings button to display the Desktop Computer Settings screen. The
second data field on this screen is labeled "If there is a conflict:" By default, it
should say "Replace Item on Device."
- Click on the down arrow next to this field and select "Replace Item on Desktop."
If ActiveSync encounters a conflict, it will favor the Pocket PC version of the document and
synchronize that with your PC.
How to Customize the "Soft Keyboard" Input Panel
The soft keyboard built into all Pocket PCs lets you enter text, characters, and symbols by tapping on the image of a QWERTY keyboard displayed in the bottom third of the display. You can customize this in a couple of ways to make it work better for you. By default, a complete QWERTY keyboard is displayed. However, the individual keys are rather small. You can make them a little larger as follows:
1. Go to the Start > Settings folder and tap on the Input icon.
2. Make sure "Keyboard" is displayed in the Input method box at the top of the screen.
3. Tap on the radial button labeled "Large keys" immediately below the Input method box.
4. Tap on the OK button in the upper right corner of the screen.
The next time you open the virtual keyboard you'll notice that the individual keys are a little bigger (and easier to tap with your stylus). You'll also notice that the up/down/right/left arrow keys are missing, along with a few of the symbol keys and the top row of number keys. To access those, you have to tap on the key labeled "123" in the upper left corner of the keyboard.
Check the "Large keys" button to make the keys on the soft keyboard bigger. Once checked, you can also check the "Use gestures." button below it, allowing you to draw line motions on the screen to enter a space, backspace, an "Enter," or the uppercase version of the key you tap.
When the "Large keys" option is selected, your are also allowed to check the box labeled "Use gestures for the following keys." This option lets you use a "gesture" to enter a space, backspace, an "Enter" (carriage return for old timers), and the shifted (upper case) version of the key you tap. These gestures (short lines) must be drawn on the keyboard portion of the screen. They will not work if you attempt to enter them on the document portion of the screen.
If the keys are still not large enough for you, there are a number of third-party soft keyboards that will fix this, including Blimkeys (http://sala.sallala.hu/pda/blimkeys/blimkeys_en.html) or Spb Full Screen Keyboard (www.spbsoftwarehouse.com).
Creating Shortcuts
Most third party programs automatically create a program launch shortcut when you install the program on your Pocket PC. However, a few shareware and freeware programs do not. In addition, it's possible to accidentally delete shortcut files if you're not careful. Finally, you can create shortcuts to important documents and put them in a folder that appears in the Start menu, for quick access. In each of these cases, you need to know how to create a shortcut. Follow these steps:
- Open File Explorer on your Pocket PC and navigate to the game or program which you want to create a short cut for.
- Tap and hold the desired program file until the edit menu pops up and select the Copy option.
- Navigate to My Device/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/Games/
- Tap and hold on the white space below Solitaire or anywhere in the Games folder. When the edit menu pops up, select the Paste Shortcut option.
Spell Check and Count Words in Word Mobile Documents
The version of Word built into Pocket PCs will let you spell check a document and count the words in it. The process is simple:
- Open Word Mobile ("Pocket Word" in pre-WM5 devices) and select the document you want to check from the file list.
- On Windows Mobile 5 devices, tap on Menu (bottom right) and select Tools from the pop up menu. (On pre-WM5 devices, tap the Tool menu at the bottom of the screen.)
- On Windows Mobile 5 devices, select the Spelling option from the pop-up menu. (On pre-WM5 devices, select Spell Check from the pop-up list.)
- The spell checker will stop and highlight each word it doesn't recognize, and display a list of alternatives. Tap on a word in this list and spell checker will replace the highlighted word with it. You are also given the opportunity to ignore the highlighted word or add it to the spell checker dictionary.
You can also do a quick count of the words in a Word document. Open the document in Word Mobile. Then, tap on Menu, then Tools, and select Word Count. On pre-WM5 devices, open the document, tap on Tools, and select Word Count.
It's Easy to Re-install Some Applications
It's a bother to restore a Pocket PC that you've had to hard reset it.
We don't always remember to make backups either through ActiveSync or
through backup software. And, some software requires the input of
unlocking codes. (Make sure you put in your name in Owner Information
exactly like you had it in there before; some unlock codes use your name
as part of the process.) Then you need the unlocking code itself.
It's a good idea to keep those codes in a safe place, like in a Note
on your Pocket PC titled "software codes", or in an Outlook Mail folder
titled "Pocket PC Software Codes."
Also, be aware that you can re-install software that you had previously
installed through ActiveSync. ActiveSync keeps the files necessary to
re-install a program onto your Pocket PC. In ActiveSync on your desktop
PC, go in to Tools>Add/Remove Programs.
You'll see a list of all the programs you've ever installed onto your
Pocket PC. Those with a check mark are already installed; to install
a program, have your Pocket PC in its Sync cradle, then check the
program you want to install. ActiveSync will then install it on your Pocket PC.
(Conversely, if you want to uninstall a piece of software, you can uncheck it
in ActiveSync, and it will be uninstalled from your Pocket PC.)
Word and Excel Attachments
One of the advantages of having a Windows Mobile Pocket PC is that a friend or associate can e-mail you a Word or Excel document
as an attachment, for your review or comments. Likewise, you can create Word and Excel documents and e-mail them to associates.
However, the versions of Word and Excel on the Pocket PC have fewer features than their desktop PC siblings. That means that
you'll either loose or won't be able to see some of the formatting and other elements of the full Word and Excel documents.
On pre-Windows Mobile 5.0 devices, Pocket Word and Pocket Excel save their documents (by default) in "Pocket" document formats,
which are different than regular Word and Excel document formats. If you are creating (or editing) a document on your Pocket PC
and intend on sending it to someone using the desktop PC version of Word and Excel, be sure and save it in the desktop PC Word
and Excel formats. Otherwise, they may not be able to read them on the desktop PC. Here's how you do it:
1. Make sure the new or edited document is open in Pocket Word or Pocket Excel.
2. Tap on the "Tools" menu at the bottom of the screen and select "Save Document As." or "Save Workbook As."
from the pop-up menu. This displays the "Save As" screen, which allows you to give the document a name and
select the location (main memory or storage card) and file folder in which you want to store the document.
It also has a field labeled "Type:" that allows you specify the document format.
3. Pocket Word: Tap on "Type:" and select the "Word 97/2000 Document" option from the drop-down list.
(You can also save the document in Rich Text or Plain Text formats. The only thing you don't want to do
is save the document in Pocket Word Document. Pocket Excel: Tap on "Type:" and select "Excel 97/2000 Workbook"
from the drop-down list. (Do not save it as a Pocket Excel Workbook.)
4. When you've selected the document type, tap on "OK" to save the document.
Note: You don't have to worry about this on a Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC. Word Mobile and Excel Mobile automatically
save their documents in the standard Word document format. If fact, you are no longer even given the option of saving
documents in Pocket Word or Pocket Excel formats.
Spell Check and Count Words in Word Mobile Documents
The version of Word built into Pocket PCs will let you spell check a document and count the words in it. The process is simple:
1. Open Word Mobile (or Pocket Word) and select the document you want to check from the file list.
2. On Windows Mobile 5 devices, tap on Menu (bottom right) and select Tools from the pop up menu. (On pre-WM5 devices, tap the
Tool menu at the bottom of the screen.)
3. On Windows Mobile 5 devices, select the Spelling option from the pop-up menu. (On pre-WM5 devices, select Spell Check from
the pop-up list.)
The spell checker will stop and highlight each word it doesn't recognize, and display a list of alternatives. Tap on a word in
this list and spell checker will replace the highlighted word with it. You are also given the opportunity to ignore the
highlighted word or add it to the spell checker dictionary.
How to Uninstall programs Using ActiveSync
If you used ActiveSync to install a third party program to your Windows Mobile device,
you can uninstall the program quickly from your PC. Here's how:
1. Make sure your Windows Mobile device is connected to your PC and ActiveSync is running.
2. From the PC's ActiveSync Windows, click on Tools > Add/Remove Programs.
3. This opens the "Add/Remove Programs" dialog box, which displays a list of third party programs
you have installed on your Pocket PC. To uninstall any of the checked programs, simply uncheck the
box-ActiveSync will do the rest.
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. WARNING: DO NOT select an item and click on the "Remove" button at
the bottom of the screen unless you also want to remove the necessary installation files from your PC.
If you click on "Remove" you will have to go through the complete installation process to put the
third-party program back on your Windows Mobile device.)
Test Free Demos Before Buying Software
The vast majority of software programs written for Pocket PCs and Smartphones are available as free demos.
Usually, free demos are fully-functional versions of the program that will stop working after a week or two,
but some have a limited set of features or are limited in other ways. They are offered to allow you to test
the program to see if you like it. They also let you see if the program works properly on your device.
If you are interested in a program and a free demo is available, you should always download and install
the demo first, before you spend cash on the full version. This is particularly important right now,
for users of devices running the new Windows Mobile 5.0 OS. There have been numerous reports of WM5
users having problems with programs written for Windows Mobile 2003 or previous versions of the OS.
For the few programs that do not have free demos available, make sure the vendor has a return policy
that lets you send the program back if you are dissatisfied for any reason.
Free download: Microsoft Money for Pocket PC
Microsoft offers a Pocket PC version of its popular desktop PC personal finance software, Microsoft Money.
Once installed on your Windows Mobile handheld, the program lets you synchronize data with the PC version
of the program, and access it when you're away from the office. You can also get up-do-date stock quotes
when you synchronize your device, or through a live Internet connection. Finally, you can enter expenses,
deposits, and other financial transactions into the Pocket PC version, and sync them back with your desktop
PC program. Microsoft Money for Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs is available for free. You
can download
Money from Microsoft.
Install ActiveSync first—Then Connect Your Windows Mobile Device
ActiveSync is a desktop PC program that allows you to synchronize Calendar, Contacts,
and Tasks databases, e-mail, Notes documents, Windows Media player content, and files
between your PC and your Windows Mobile Pocket PC or Smartphone. A user-installable version
of ActiveSync ships with your device on a "Companion CD." Alternately, you can download a
copy of the program from Microsoft's Windows Mobile Web site.
WARNING: Install ActiveSync on your PC first, and then connect your Windows Mobile
device to the PC via the sync cable or cradle that came with the device. If you connect
the device and then install ActiveSync, ActiveSync may not be able to locate the device
when is searches for it.
Remove Password Protection from Word and Excel Docs
You can password protect Word and Excel documents you create on a desktop PC. Unfortunately, Word and Excel Mobile on the Pocket PC cannot handle password
protection set by the desktop PC version of the programs. If you e-mail or copy a password protected document to your Windows Mobile device, you will not be
able to open it on the Pocket PC. If you are sending a document to a Pocket PC, first remove password protection from the documents on your PC. To set and
remove password protection on the PC, follow these steps:
Word documents: Open the document in Word on your PC, click on File > Save As > Tools > Security Options. From this screen you can set or delete the password.
Excel documents: Open the document in Excel on your PC, click on File > Save As > Tools > General Options. From this screen you can set or delete the password.
Free Alternate Media Player for Pocket PC
Want to watch AVIs or listen to MP4s on your Pocket PC or Smartphone? Check out The Core Pocket Media Player (TCPMP).
This free audio/video player supports a variety of audio and video codecs not supported by Media Player Mobile,
including DivX , XVid, or MPEG video, and Ogg Vorbis and MP4 audio formats. Best of all, it's free. The program
is available for Windows Mobile and Palm OS devices. You can download it from the
TCPMP Web site.
Mysterious problems caused by third-party programs
If you find that your Pocket PC is doing a soft reset all by itself or exhibiting other strange behavior
the problem may be associated with a third-party program you have installed. Go to the "Remove Programs"
screen (Start > Settings > System > Remove Programs) and you'll see a list of all the third-party
applications you have installed on your device. Remove them one at a time, do a soft reset, and see
if the problem disappears. If it does, you've found the culprit. Report the problem to the developer
of the program and see if they have a fix for the problem or a newer version of the program that
solves the problem. Do not reinstall the program until you have a fix.
(Note: Begin by removing the most recently installed third-party programs.)
Selecting Text with Transcriber
Transcribe, the handwriting recognition program built into all Windows Mobile Pocket PCs, allows you to
enter and edit text by "writing" numbers, characters, and symbols on the touch screen. You can activate
Transcriber from within any application or setup utility that accepts text input by first tapping on the
up-arrow next to the soft input panel icon located in the task bar at the bottom of the screen, and then
selecting "Transcriber" from the pop-up menu.
Entering text and numbers is pretty straightforward, but selecting text to delete, copy, etc., is a bit
trickier. Fortunately, there are three ways to select text-one of them should work for you.
Tap and hold: In the first method, you place the tip of your stylus on the word you want to select and
hold it there until the text is selected. This usually about two seconds and the text will appear
highlighted to show that it is selected. The tap and hold method is fine for selecting text in Calendar
or Contacts, but it doesn't work in applications like Notes and Word Mobile. In the latter two applications,
tapping and holding down on the screen pops up editing menu.
Consult Calendar and Tasks Every Morning and Evening
Check your Pocket PC in the morning to get an overview of your day, before you start your activities.
If you see you have time free during the day, turn some of your Tasks into Calendar appointments.
When you're finished with an appointment, don't delete it. Instead, enter comments about the outcome
of the appointment into the Notes field of the appointment, especially if you made some commitments
to an associate. At the end of the day, review the day's Calendar appointments, especially the Notes
field. Enter the commitments into Tasks or Calendar so you can follow through on them.
Stop Using Paper Notes
Whenever someone gives you a phone number or some other important bit of information, resist the urge to write it
on a piece of paper that you'll stuff in your pocket or briefcase. Paper notes are hard to organize and are easily
lost. Take the extra 45 seconds to enter the information into Calendar, Contacts, or Tasks. If you're really in a
hurry, hold down the voice record button and make a brief recording of the information. Then, when you get some time,
transcribe the voice recording and enter the information into the appropriate application. If you don't think
something is important enough to enter into your Pocket PC or Smartphone, it's probably not important enough to save
in the first place. A related tip: Stop making mental notes. It's a sure fire way to forget something. Instead, put
it in Tasks. You can categorize it, prioritize it, and assign a date to it.
Don't Put Off Entering Contact Information
Get in the habit of entering new contact information into your Pocket PC or Smartphone every day. If you have time,
do it immediately upon receiving the new contact. If not, pick a point during the day, usually in the morning or at
the end of the day. (I start spacing out around 3:30 p.m. and schedule that time of do to do all of the low-effort
work I have to do—the stuff that requires the least focus and creativity.) If you get the contact info in the form
of a business card, you can wait till you're back in the office, enter it into Outlook on your desktop PC, and then
sync it with your Pocket PC. If you're on the road a lot, you might want to invest in an external keyboard and enter
contact information directly into your Windows Mobile device in the evening, in your hotel room. Transcriber, which
is built into all Pocket PCs, and the latest version (8.0) includes major improvements that may change the way you
enter information into your Pocket PC.
Protect Your Device's Screen from Bumps
You may have heard about the importance of a screen protector to prevent your Windows Mobile device's screen from
accumulating scratches and scuffs in frequently-used areas.
While this is important, also consider that your touch screen itself is relatively delicate. You don't want to subject it
to impacts or bumps. Otherwise, you could wind up with a cracked screen. A good case is the solution for protecting your
Pocket PC from bumps and impacts. (It will also offer protection from spilled liquids, etc.) The kind with flip-up covers
and cutouts for controls and buttons and interfaces are handy; with many of them, you don't even have to take your device
out of the case in order to sync and charge it. If you should crack your touch screen, you can at least take some comfort
knowing that you can get a new screen for many devices (for a price) from Pocket PC Techs
(www.pocketpctechs.com).
Installing programs with CAB Files
Sometimes A CAB ("Cabinet") file, a single compressed file that holds the configuration information and files,
is needed to install an application on a computer running one of Microsoft's operating systems. Generally,
when you purchase or download a user-installable program for your Pocket PC, Handheld PC, or Smartphone,
you download a single "installer" file to your desktop PC. Usually, this file has the .EXE file extension
on the end, but sometimes it is a compressed ZIP file, which you must un-zip to access the .EXE file.
You then connect your Windows Mobile device to your desktop PC via ActiveSync and run the installer program.
This .EXE file contains within it the necessary CAB file, which it copies to your Windows Mobile device
and causes the CAB file to execute. The CAB file completes the installation process.
Note that some online software vendors now offer third party programs as standalone CAB files. You can
download this directly to your Windows Mobile devices, locate them with File Explorer, and tap on them
to install the program in question. This bypasses ActiveSync and the desktop PC completely.
If you use CAB files (instead of ActiveSync) to load software on your Windows Mobile device, you need
to keep in mind that the original CAB file disappears after you install the program. If you ever want to
re-install the program, you need to make a copy of the CAB file before you install the program. For
example, if you do a hard reset of your Windows Mobile device or if you buy a new device and want to
install the program on it.
Use File Explorer to make a copy of the CAB file and store it somewhere safe, like on a CompactFlash or
Secure Digital storage card. You might also keep a copy of the CAB file in a special folder on your
desktop PC. If you store it on your PC, you might want to left-click on the CAB file, select the Properties option,
and set Attributes to Read-only. This keeps the original CAB file from self-destructing after the activation process.
(Based on a tip by John Ottini: www.hpcnec.com/hpcnl.htm.)
Customize the Virtual Keyboard
Sometimes called the "soft keyboard," the virtual keyboard built into all Pocket PCs lets you enter text,
characters, and symbols by tapping on the image of a QWERTY keyboard displayed in the bottom third of the
display. You can customize this in a couple of ways to make it work better for you.
By default, a complete QWERTY keyboard is displayed. However, the individual keys are rather small.
You can make them a little larger by going Settings folder in the Start menu and tapping on the Input
icon. Make sure "Keyboard" is displayed in the Input method box at the top of the screen. Then, tap
on the radial button labeled "Large keys" immediately below the Input method box. The next time you open
the virtual keyboard you'll notice that the individual keys are a little bigger (and easier to tap
with your stylus). You'll also notice that the up/down/right/left arrow keys are missing, along with
a few of the symbol keys and the top row of number keys. To access those, you have to tap on the key
labeled "123" in the upper left corner of the keyboard.
When the "Large keys" option is selected, your are also allowed to check the box labeled "Use gestures
for the following keys." This option lets you use a "gesture" to enter a space, backspace, an "Enter"
(carriage return for old timers), and the shifted (upper case) version of the key you tap. These gestures
(short lines) must be drawn on the keyboard portion of the screen. They will not work if you attempt to
enter them on the document portion of the screen.
Customize Word Completion
The Pocket PC's Word Completion feature displays a list of possible words based on the first couple of characters you enter.
By default, Word Completion is configured to suggest one word after you have entered two letters. For example, if you enter
"no" a box will pop-up displaying the word "notice." Tap on "notice" and the final four letters in the word are entered
automatically, followed by a single space. If "notice" is not the word you are looking for, enter the next letter and Word
Completion will suggest another word. As you can imagine, this can speed up text entry considerably.
You can change Word Completion to suggest 1 to 4 words after you have entered 1 to 7 letters. To do this, open the Start menu, select
the Settings option, and tap on the Input icon. Finally, select the Word Completion tab at the bottom of the screen
to display the appropriate configuration screen. The rest of the process is self evident.
The advantage of increasing the number of words suggested is that you have more choices and it's less likely that
you'll have to enter another letter. For that reason, we suggest you set the feature to display 4 words. We also
suggest you increase the number of letters entered to 3 or 4. Accurately predicting a word after entering only
2 words is difficult.
Customizing the Start menu
The Pocket PC’s Start menu is divided into three sections. The bottom section displays icons for the Programs folder, Settings folder,
and the Pocket PC’s built-in Help wizard. The middle section displays icons for the programs you have most recently launched, but
only if they are not already listed in the bottom or top sections. The top section of the Start menu
displays the icons for up to seven programs of your choice.
To customize the top section of the Start menu, go to the Settings folder and tap on the Menus icon. The Menus setup screen displays
a scroll-down list of the programs installed on your Pocket PC (both the built-in programs from Microsoft and any third-party
programs you have installed). First, uncheck the programs you do not want to appear in the Start menu. Then, check any additional
rograms you do want to appear. If you select an application to appear in the Start menu, its icon disappears from the Programs folder.
If you uncheck an application in the Start menu setup screen, its icon will appear in the Programs folder.
As mentioned, you can select up to seven programs to appear in the Start menu, but this includes the Help wizard (which, if checked,
appears in the bottom section). The Menus setup screen will not allow you to check more than seven applications. (If you want to get around this,
create a new folder, copy program launch icons to that folder, and select the new folders to appear in the Start menu.)
Finally, a number of third party applications are available that let you add program launch icons to the Today screen (circumventing
the limits associated with the Start menu). Check out Battery Pack Pro, Dashboard, or Spb Pocket Plus.
Transcriber tip: Don't write too small!
Transcriber, along with Block Recognizer, Letter Recognizer, and the soft Keyboard are the input methods built into the Pocket PC.
Transcriber lets you enter text and characters into the device by writing on the screen in print, cursive, or mixed handwriting style.
When using Transcriber, don't write your characters too small. The larger your text is, the more likely it is that Transcriber will
translate it correctly. You don't have to go overboard with this advice and fill the screen with a single letter. Just try writing a
little bigger if you notice that you are getting a lot of translation mistakes. Remember that you can write anywhere on the screen.
Note also that you can double back and write on top of writing that has not yet been translated—you won't confuse Transcriber. Final
advice: remember that when you pause for a couple seconds, Transcriber thinks you're finished and translates the words you've written—
don't pause in the middle of a word!
Don't use plastic screen covers to protect your Pocket PC
When you first pull your Pocket PC out of the box, there may be a thin plastic sheet covering the screen.
This sheet protects the screen during shipping and should be removed before using the Pocket PC. Note that
this sheet is not intended to be used to protect the screen from wear and tear that can be caused by the
stylus over a period of time. Most Pocket PC manufacturers offer packets of screen overlays as an optional
accessory. You can purchase these directly from your Pocket PC manufacturer. They are also available as screen
“overlays” or “protectors” from online vendors like Mobile Planet (www.mobileplanet.com)
and Expansys (www.expansys.com). One commonly recommended third-party product is WriteShields,
available from Pocket PC Techs (www.PocketPCTechs.com).
Viewing file extensions on the Pocket PC
A file extension is the set of three letters that come after the period in a file name and tell you what type of file
you're dealing with. For example, the file extension in FILENAME.DOC tells you that it is a document file for Word or
another word processing program. The extension in FILENAME.EXE tells you that it is an "executable" file for a program.
For example, PocketTV.exe is the main program file for the MPEG video player Pocket TV.
The File Explorer program built into the Pocket PC does not display file extensions. Instead, it displays an icon
indicating the type of file you are dealing with. This is fine for most file types, but you may occasionally run into
a file type that File Explorer does not recognize. In that case File Explorer will display a generic icon indicating
that it does not recognize the file type. There are two ways to see the file extension.
The first ways are free. Connect your Pocket PC to your desktop PC via ActiveSync and then, from the ActiveSync screen
on your desktop PC, click on the Explore option. This launches the desktop PC's File Explorer application, which will
display a list of drives you can access. Click on the "Mobile Device" drive to display the files on your Pocket PC.
If the file extensions are not displaying in, click on the Tools menu and select the Folder Options from the drop-down
menu. Go to the View tab and make sure you un-check the box labeled "Hide extensions for known file types." Tap on OK
and the file extensions should display on your desktop PC.
Or, you can install Total Commander (www.ghisler.com), which displays file extensions
on your Pocket PC. It's freeware (though you have to pay for the PC (desktop) shareware version after 30 days.
The second way lets you view file extensions on your Pocket PC, but will cost you a little. Purchase and install one of
the third-party file explorers that will display file extensions. The following are available for both the Pocket PC and
Smartphone: Resco Explorer (www.resco.net), and ALL-Explorer (
www.all-locations.com).
Customize the Solitaire Card Deck
All Pocket PCs and Smartphones have the Solitaire card game built into them. It's a simple diversion and a great time waster.
You can play the standard (Klondike) version of the game. You can also change the background image of the cards.
Open Solitaire and select Options from the Tools menu. (On newer Windows Mobile 5.0 devices, tap on Menu in the
lower right of the screen and select Options.) Then, tap on the tab labeled "Card Back" and select the background image you prefer.
You can change other options. For instance, you can have the draw deck available 3 cards at a time, or 1 card at a time.
Also, you can specify Las Vegas rules (these only allow you to go through the deck once, and keep track of how much money
you've won (or, more likely, lost), or Standard rules (these let you go through the deck over and over, and keep track of
a point score for you). Bonus tip: You can have Solitaire deal you a perfect hand by following these instructions.
From Solitaire's main screen, pop up the soft keyboard and tap on Ctl and Shift. Then, deal a brand new game.
The cards are arranged in order, guaranteeing that you'll run through the deck in an amazing display of good fortune.
Impress your friends!
Set Calendar appointments with appropriate lead time
If a project is due at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, then setting a reminder for 3:00 p.m. on Friday doesn’t do you much good.
You have to give yourself the necessary lead time so you can complete the project. If you estimate that the project will
take you two hours to complete, set your Calendar appointment for 3:00 p.m., but set it to remind you about it two hours
earlier. To do this, open a New appointment screen in Calendar. Enter the subject of the appointment, start and end times,
and any other information you like. Then, make sure the Reminder field is set to “Remind me.” Next, go to the data field
immediately below “Remind me” and tap on the word “minute(s)” to expose the drop-down menu. Select “hour(s)” from the menu.
Finally, tap on the field to the left of “hour(s)” and enter the number of hours prior to the event that you want to
receive the notification. Tap on OK and your appointment is set. (Note: If you have a complicated project, break it up
into smaller, achievable goals and set separate appointments for each goal.)
Make more storage memory available
Pocket PCs have a limited amount of storage memory built into it. If you store a lot of data or music files on your device,
you can run out quickly. One solution is to buy a storage card for your device. High-capacity storage cards are relatively
inexpensive. For example, as of August 2005, a 1GB SD card or a 1GB CF card cost around $80. If you do have a storage card,
you should save your data and install third-party applications on it. This will keep the internal RAM and flash ROM as free
as possible. Here are some other suggestions:
1. If you use your Pocket PC to read e-mail, and if you get a lot of attachments to your messages, you can run out of memory
fast. Be sure to delete the e-mail messages you no longer need. Again, if you have a storage card, you can configure your
Pocket PC to save attachments to the card. To do this, open Inbox on your Pocket PC, pop up the Tools menu, select Options,
and go to the tab labeled "Storage". Finally, tap on the check box labeled "Store attachments on storage card."
2. If you browse the Web from your Pocket PC, temporary Internet files can build up on your device. Delete them periodically
to conserve storage space. To do this, open Pocket Internet Explorer, pop up the Tools menu, select Options, and go to the
tab labeled "Memory." Then, tap on the Delete Files button. You can save a little more memory by tapping on the Clear History
button, and by going to the tab labeled "Security" and taping on the Clear Cookies button.
3. Uninstall third party applications that you no longer use. Third party, user-installable applications are usually
available as free demos. This makes it easy to download and try them before you buy. But it's easy to install and forget
about them. Periodically, go through your list of installed applications and delete the ones you no longer use. From the
Start menu, go to the Settings folder and select the tab labeled "System." Tap on the Memory icon and go to the tab
labeled "Remove Programs." This displays a list of all the programs you have installed. One by one, tap on the applications
you want to delete and hit the Remove button. (Note: You will only be able to delete programs you have installed.
You will not be able to delete Pocket Word, Excel, Contacts, and other built-in applications.)
Put new fonts on the Pocket PC
You can copy any TrueType (.ttf) font file from your desktop PC's \Windows\Fonts directory to your Pocket PC's \Windows\Fonts
directory. They will be recognized by the system at once. You might also consider using Fonts on Storage, a free utility that
lets you use TrueType fonts saved to a storage card, instead of in main memory. It's available on the Pocket PC Freewares Web site.
(From a Pocket PC magazine Forum post by Menneisyys.)
Save documents by default to storage card
By default, Pocket PCs save Notes, Word, Excel, and other documents to the “My Documents” folder in main memory. In most Pocket PCs
this is located in RAM, but in the new Windows Mobile 5 devices it will be in “Persistent Storage” (flash ROM). If you prefer to
store your documents on a storage card, you can change the defaults in each application to do so. You change this default setting
in the Options menu. For example, here’s how you do it in Pocket Word. The process is similar in other applications.
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