If you have a Cingular 8125, aka, HTC Wizard, or the Cingular 8525, Sprint PPC6700, or any Pocket PC running Windows Mobile, these are some programs you should definitely check out. I have the 8125, so any observations are based on that model. I can't guarantee that these will work on every PPC.
Similar to built in File Explorer, but with more advanced features. Edit registry values, access ftp folders, change file properties. This one's at the top for a reason. Install it first and it will make your life alot easier. If you plan on installing programs, you'll see that they come in 2 varieties. One kind, a cab or arm file, is downloaded to your pocket pc and installed directly. The other, an exe or msi file, is installed on your pc and then ActiveSync will transfer the cab file the next time you sync your phone. If you choose to install via a pc and ActiveSync, it will be very easy to reinstall should you have to delete the program, or perform a hard reset.
If you install using a cab file, you will find that after installation, the original file will be gone. So you won't be able to reinstall without downloading the cab file back to your phone or sd card. There are 2 ways to remedy this.
- Set the cab files as read only. This can only be done from your phone. If you set a cab file as read only on your pc and then transfer it to your phone, guess what, it isn't read only anymore. Using Total Commander and right-clicking (OK, I know there's no such thing as right clicking. Hold down on the item until the little circle spins around and turns into a contextual menu. But right-click sounds a lot better.) on the cab file and tapping Properties. In the Properties Menu you can make the file Read-Only.
- Edit the registry so that WM5 does not delete the install cab after it has been installed. To edit the registry in Total Commander, make sure that you are all the way to the top of the file tree. You can do this by tapping the backslash at the very top. You will see at the top of the folders:
Double tap the double backslash and double tap registry.
Navigate to this key and change the value to 0. The default is 2.
HKLMSoftwareappsMicrosoft Application InstallernDynamicDelete = 0 (DWORD decimal)
To find some cool registry hacks, check out this website. Registry edits are considered advanced, but if you own a PC that you carry around in your pocket, it's a safe assumption that you're gonna want to play with settings and features. Maybe you're even browsing this page on your phone right now. Total Commander also has an FTP client and LAN browser built in.
This comes in very handy to easily close all applications. One of the first things I wondered when I got my phone was how do I close applications. Windows mobile works on the assumption that it can manage memory better than you can. It leaves applications open so that when you go back to them, they reopen quickly. Once in a while saving a programs state and actually closing it. However, when you use a lot of apps, this doesn't work so well. Programs will run slow and with the limited memory that the 8125 has, you run the risk of freezing your phone.
So to close programs individually, you have to go to Settings->System->Memory, and then click the Running Programs tab. This will show you exactly what is open, and you can highlight any program and click Stop, or simply click Stop All to close everything. CloseAll simplifies this process. It is a small program that will close all applications other than ActiveSync and Comm Manager. It can be located in your program menu, or you can have it show up on your Start Menu, as seen to the right. Clicking it is a good idea if you plan on opening up something that takes up a lot of memory. I will also use it if I plan on restarting my phone, syncing with my PC, or when I go to sleep at night and don't want to wake up to a frozen phone.
There are other ways to use this, and to access the running programs menu, but we'll get into that in a few minutes.
So when you get bored text messaging and sending pictures to everyone you know, installing this will let you connect with your friends on AIM. There isn't a version of AIM for WM5, don't ask me why... This version was found on AOL's UK site, and is designed for Windows CE. Functionally, it works just fine. There are some kinks with the display when switching from Landscape to Portrait mode. But since you'll most likely be using the keyboard to type, it isn't really that big of an issue. There are alot of messenger programs out there. I've tried several of them. All that I have found either didn't work very well, or weren't free. Or both.
