apps installed on card can be used on another pda?

[peacemf]

hi

ive installed a lot of programs on an SD card, i was wondering if i use the card on another pda, will the programs be useable?

[dgoldring]

The short answer is yes, but...the longer answer is maybe.

This is actually a somewhat complicated question as there are a few things going on at once here.

First, registration. Once you register a product, it is typically linked to your owner name on your device. So, in order for it to be used you must have the same owner name (or, in some cases, it could run as a trial).

Second, when you install a program, it leaves a piece of itself in the windows directory on your device. This is how it is able to be included in your programs directory. If you put it on a different device, you will not be able to see the programs under your start menu programs directory.

You should, however, be able to find the program using a file explorer to view the contents of your card.

Hope this helps.

Doug

It also depends on the program. Some programs make registry changes or load .dll or other files on the device. These programs will not be able to be run on another device.

I've tried this with my machines- I took the CF and SD cards out of my Axim and put them in my iPAQ, and all of the apps that I tried would run. I had to navigate to the folders where the programs were installed and execute the actual .exe file.

I haven't tried to add shortcuts to the programs screen but at least on the surface it looks like you could copy and paste a shortcut in the right folder and get it to work.

I've wondered about this before, partially because the future is uncertain. With new versions of Windows and new versions of Activesync coming out, will there be a time when we cannot sync our old Axims with new computers? We might have to rely on memory cards and card readers to communicate with the Axim.