WM2003 GUIDE- Moving “Stuff” from RAM to a Storage Card
This guide is for those of us who want to put programs and data on a storage card to free up main memory. Also, how to free up main memory by cleaning.
About the only thing that applies to WM5 is the odyssey trick (#5d), because it keeps ~2MB from being loaded into RAM each reset.
(1) PROGRAM INSTALL LOCATION
(1a) Active-Sync method- When the installer program is an EXE you run on your Desktop PC.
<1> On initial install, you will be prompted when installing files from your desktop where to store the file. Do not accept the default location. You will be prompted where, use the drop-down menu to select a memory card.
<2> Also, uncheck the default location in the add/remove programs dialog page. This disables programs from going to main memory automatically when you reinstall programs using the add/remove dialog.
(1b) CABinstall method- When the installer program is a CAB file meant to copy to the device to install.
<1> Download CABinstall and install it on your device (copy to device and add the shortcut.) ALL PROGRAMS REFERENCED ARE LINKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST
<2> Make a folder on the storage card where you want to install the new program.
<3> Copy the program's installation CAB file to your storage card.
<4> Use CAB install, browsing to both locations from step #3 and #2 (Use the OK button at the bottom, not the top!), Install the program.
<5> The CAB file will disappear, you won't need to delete it.
(1c) Manual method - when installation overrides your installation folder.
During install, you select a storage card using (1a) or (1b). However, you look in the new folder created by the install, and nothing is there! You will find the files were installed to /Program Files/ instead. Find the folder with the content you wanted on the storage card, and move it from /Program Files/ to the empty storage card directory where you wanted it. Also, you must replace the Start Menu shortcut to reference the *.EXE file on the storage card. You can do this through ActiveSync or a File Explorer on the device.
(1e) Help files
Help files (.HTM) and their pictures (.2BP, .BMP) can be huge!
<1> Copy the program install's .UNLOAD file from the device's /Windows directory to your PC desktop.
<2> Open the document in Notepad.
<3> Search through the UNLOAD text and find all .HTM, .2BP, and .BMP files that were installed to the /Windows directory of the device.
<4> Using activesync, move all the files from #3 to your install directory.
<5> If you have not already done so, add a "App Help" subdirectory in your /Windows/Favorites/ directory on the device.
<6> From your device, use File Explorer to browse to the install directory.
<7> Click on the *.htm file you moved. The help file and all the pictures will open in PIE.
<8> Using PIE, add this to your favorites in the sub-folder created in step #5.
<9> Close PIE.
<10> From active sync, browse your device to /Windows/Help/
<11> Delete the link to the help file you moved. From the PC file explorer, it will have a different icon because the shortcut is no longer valid.
<12> Anytime you need to reference an application's help document that you moved, you will need to open PIE and access it from the App Help folder. You will not be able to access help directly from the program or from Window's standard help. A small price to pay for lots of saved memory if you ask me!!!
(2) OUTLOOK DATA and MY DOCUMENTS
(2a) Email attachments- (Courtesy of KPDUTY)
<1> Enable "Store Attachments on Storage Card" in the Start>Inbox>Tools>Options>Storage dialog. This will create a unique inbox.mst###..# folder on Built-in Storage, and transfer all existing attachments there.
<2> Copy the entire folder created in built-in storage to the desired card’s main directory,
<3> Edit the registry HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\MAPI\ from Built-in Storage to “SD Card” or “CF Card” in the "AttachPath" key, keeping all other content the same.
(2b) Note, Task, Word, Excel file’s default storage location-
<1>Start the application (Pocket Word, Notes, etc.)
<2> If a new file is opened, close the new file to go to folders view. Otherwise, you may not be able to open options?
<3> Tools>Options> Save To: Change location where you want it.
NOTE: Items placed on storage card will NOT be syncronized with ActiveSync.
(2c) My Documents
Simply transfer existing files from My Documents to a folder on your storage card called “My Documents”. However, don't move documents that are associated with installed programs (high scores, etc). Any files moved to storage card will NOT be synchronized with your desktop anymore!
Note: You will need to remove a file called REMOVE_MY_DOCS on your storage card if you have not done so already. This file is automatically created if you do not have a My Documents folder on your storage card when using the device. It needs to be deleted, or programs will not look there for programs. You can do this from your desktop, a card reader, or a file explorer on your device. Just make sure the file explorer has the option "show all files" turned on.
(2d) Today Themes
Did you know you can move TSK files from /Windows to any /My Documents directory, including storage cards, and they will still work? This is a very cool trick :)
(3) PIE and AVANTGO FILE STORAGE FOLDERS
(3a) Tweaks2K2 Method- Changing location of cache folders to a storage card.
Tweaks>Internet Tricks> Follow instructions for both PIE and AVANTGO.
Note: Your favorites will still be in the /Windows folder.
(4) SYSTEM FILES (ADVANCED)
(4a) Tweaks2K2 method- Moving a few system DLL's to storage card.
(Questionable benefit if you ask me.)
Tweaks>SYstem Tricks>Collection4>Move Shared Dlls to: Follow instructions.
(4b) Installation Method - DLL files (Very useful, track with each programs install)
When a program is installed, it may put DLL files in your /Windows directory, as listed in the /Windows/*.UNLOAD file. Some of these may be moved to the install directory instead. For instance GD###.DLL, FMODCE.DLL.
Many times these may be moved to your installation folder, the program looks there first, then the windows directory. Move them to see if it works, if not move it back.
CAUTION: If you aren't moving DLL files as practice from a wiped machine (hard reset), there may be other apps or games depending on that DLL file, and it may not be a good idea to move it. This is because a program will skip installing the DLL file if there is already a newer DLL file in RAM, and it won't show up in the program's UNLOAD file.
(4c) Unwanted Plugins- "Disable only" method. Decreases used Program RAM only.
Start>Settings>Today>Items>, uncheck anything you don't want loaded.
Note: RAM may not be recovered until a soft reset.
(4d) Unwanted Plugins- "Permanantly remove (or move*)" method. Decreases both Program & Storage RAM usage.
<1> Run SKTools>Today Plugins
<2> In the list, you will see the status, registry key, and plug-in module for each today plugin.
<3> Write down the plug-in module, usually a DLL file.
<4-1> Action>Remove Registry Key to delete the today plug-in from Window's list of today plug-ins.
<5> Move the DLL you wrote down to the storage card install directory for the program. The program might still need it, even though it's not a plugin anymore.
<4-2> *Alternately, instead of deleting the key, you might be able to re-assign the registry key to point to the storage card location from step 5. I have never tried this, but I assume it might work!
(4e) Installation files- Not needed until remove programs
Everytime you install a program, an .UNLOAD file is placed in /Windows/. Also, many programs also put a .DLL file in /Windows/AppMgr/. Install a lot of programs, and the memory these take really adds up. You may move/archive these files to another place (like a storage card), for safe keeping until you need to remove or update an installed program. Just put them back beforehand.
(5) CLEANING RAM
(5a.) Deleting TEMP files, PIE data, etc.
Option #1- Use MemMaid
Option #2- Browse to /Temp and /Windows/Temp, delete all files. In PIE or AVANTGO, choose options and delete files. And so on.
(5b.) Cleaning Registry data
Several utility programs do the trick, Pocket Mechanic is probably the most efficient. Double-click registry cleanup, select all keys, and delete.
(5c.) Deleting Duplicates
Again, there are several third party that can do this. SKTools has many options for deleting duplicate appointments, contacts, alarms, files, etc.
Some programs, SPB Pocket Plus for instance, fix the WM2003 bug where alarms aren't properly deleted. It cleans them up every soft reset. [maybe more info later]
<1> Download a small executable file that does nothing then quits, such as DoNothing.
<2> Rename it "odClientCE.exe"
<3> Browse to your device \Program Files\Funk Software\Odyssey Client\ .
<4> Replace the odClientCE.exe file with the renamed DoNothing executable of the same name. Say yes, OK to overwrite when prompted.
<5> If you find you want to use Odyssey client sometime in the future, simply delete the "fake" odClientCE.exe, do a soft reset, and the original file will reappear!
(6) AVOID PROGRAMS THAT DON'T WORK FROM STORAGE CARD
Simply stated, some programs require additional operating system files, or they themselves will not run from storage card. If you have a couple choices of programs, I would suggest you choose the one that doesn't take up RAM. If the program is unique, think about whether or not you really need to have it. Upgrades cannot replace files in ROM, so these also take up main memory RAM.
Here are some examples of RAM-eating applications that can't be relocated to storage card: :realmad:
Microsoft Visual Basic
Microsoft Flash Plugin ***UPDATE, v7 allows installation to storage card.
.NET Compact Framework upgrades
: v2.0 takes lots of RAM ***UPDATE, 2.0 SP1 can be mostly installed on storage card.
: v1.0 SP3 is smaller, but may not be reversible if uninstalled.
ADOCE (database?) upgrades
AppForge Booster
AvantGo (see section 7a)
Microsoft Money
(7) HOW TO UNINSTALL PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT LISTED IN ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS
(7a) AvantGo, PIE-based version (Not the newer Client version)
Archive (or delete) the following files found on your device:
On final word, the contents of main memory Storage RAM is compressed. This means that when you delete a 500kB file, your freed-up RAM might only be 300kB. This is because the 500kB file actually occupied 300kB of Storage RAM.
If you find these tips as helpful as I did (collected over months of learning), you may want to do a hard reset and re-install everything from scratch. Just be sure to back up your important documents first!
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I updated the guide today by adding section 6 & 7.
If my grammer or instructions are hard to follow, please send me a PM and I will do my best to clear things up.
If you want to make your own copy of this guide, click-drag across the entire post with your mouse to highlight what you want to copy, press CTRL-C, open Microsoft Word, and press CTRL-V.
__________________
"I'm a perfectionist, but not very good at it yet."
__________________
Got my first PPC when I was 12:approve:
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Acer n10 > x50v > x51v :approve:
2200mah secondary To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
3 year warranty
Dopod Bluetooth Keyboard- NOW WORKS WITH WM5 THANKS TO WIDCOMM PROJECT!! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Big thanks to Solsie, Shsmith, Beemer, Menneisyys, and many others who provided various tweaks/fixes :approve:
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Thank you for these valuable tricks, they would take you lots of time and efforts.
I know most of the above mentioned tricks, however you made a very systemtic and clear presentation, easy to understand and follow. It must be "sticky"
I am very interested on tweaking "UNINSTALL PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT LISTED IN ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS". However, I cannot find:
If you never activated AvantGo from your device, you don't have to worry about these files. They are only there if you decided to start using AvantGo directly from PIE, without installing AvantGo Client.
Originally Posted by vithudu
Thank you for these valuable tricks, they would take you lots of time and efforts.
I know most of the above mentioned tricks, however you made a very systemtic and clear presentation, easy to understand and follow. It must be "sticky"
I am very interested on tweaking "UNINSTALL PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT LISTED IN ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS". However, I cannot find:
I used Resco FileExplorer/Advance Find. I wonder if you can tell me more how to " delete"/uninstall program that are not listed.
Thanks again
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"I'm a perfectionist, but not very good at it yet."
Great guide indeed, but there is something I was unable to do with Active Sync nor File Explorer:
" Also, you must replace the Start Menu shortcut to reference the *.EXE file on the storage card. You can do this through ActiveSync or a File Explorer on the device."
I cannot replace the old .lnk file to point to the SD card, I copied it to my PC and opened it and it says for example: 53#"Program Files\Skype for Pocket PC\Skype.exe". I presume the 53# is the directive to the PPC to know that the "Drive" is the RAM, but what should I write to let the PPC knows that the program is now in the SD card? or is there any way to create shortcut in Windows PPC 2003, I cannot find the way to do that.
From activesync exploring to the new install folder, right click the *.EXE file and choose create shortcut. Rename the shortcut if you wish. Then move this new shortcut from the install folder to your start menu, replacing the shortcut that points to the old location.
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WM2003 GUIDE- Moving “Stuff” from RAM to a Storage Card
