Does WM5 provide support for x50/x51 to act as Mass Storage Device?

paul_loren · 11-08-05, 11:54 AM

For those using x51 or Upgraded x50, does your Axim act as a Mass Storage Device. When WM5 was announced earlier in the year there were reports that it now offered native support for Mass Storage and that programs like CardExport would no longer be needed.

Did this turn out to reality or fodder?

I have not come across a single review or user comment mentioning this feature at all.

Anybody know what happened to this important feature?

Thanks

Hobbbbit · 11-08-05, 12:36 PM

Unfortunately it doesn't:-(

UnLoGiC · 11-08-05, 02:05 PM

Good question, I also remember reading about this feature!

JeffFlowerday · 11-08-05, 02:31 PM

I assume you weren't able to get at the SD and CF directly through the Axim before.

I'm able to get at the ROM, CF and SD cards directly from Windows Explorer when my X51V is docked.

They show up under a Mobile Device -> My Windows Mobile-Based Device. Folder called SD Card and CF Card.

UnLoGiC · 11-08-05, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by JeffFlowerday

I assume you weren't able to get at the SD and CF directly through the Axim before.

I'm able to get at the ROM, CF and SD cards directly from Windows Explorer when my X51V is docked.

They show up under a Mobile Device -> My Windows Mobile-Based Device. Folder called SD Card and CF Card.

No,no,no you've always been able to that on computers that have activesync installed but thats NOT what a USB mass storage device is all about!

To find out more about what a mass storage device means have a look at this page...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_mas...e_device_class

dennisma · 11-08-05, 05:01 PM

According to the MSDN web site: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...onwhatsnew.asp the feature exists:

"USB Mass Storage Function Driver
Windows CE 5.0 adds a USB Mass Storage Function driver that enables a Windows CE-based device to expose a native storage device to a USB host. For example, the Windows CE-based device can expose internal CompactFlash, hard disk, or USB Mass Storage components. The storage then appears as a USB Mass Storage device to a USB host. This enables the USB host to transfer files to and from the native storage device on the Windows CE-based device by means of USB.

For information about USB mass storage function driver registry settings, see USB Mass Storage Class Driver Registry Settings.

For information about the USB function controller driver, see USB Function Controller Drivers."

But it sure is elusive when it comes to finding this anywhere else. Good luck.

UnLoGiC · 11-09-05, 02:27 AM

Well it's clearly not enabled or present on the X50/X51...

11-09-05, 03:53 AM

just wait for a cardexport update :p

UnLoGiC · 11-09-05, 06:24 AM

Yea but cardexport aint free...

Jigsaw · 11-09-05, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by UnLoGiC

Well it's clearly not enabled or present on the X50/X51...

It could be a feature that also needs hardware support, so it exists in the OS but not in the current Axim range.

Gordon

UnLoGiC · 11-09-05, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by Jigsaw

It could be a feature that also needs hardware support, so it exists in the OS but not in the current Axim range.

Gordon

It's all software since it works with Cardexport...which is a software :approve:

mjag17 · 11-09-05, 02:51 PM

In response to the original post, I also remember reading stuff about mass storage being built into WM5. It seems to still be there; I've been doing some searching and playing around. So far I've only gotten my x50v to be unrecognisable (to the PC). I what's needed is to compile a driver for the x50 (a 'usbmsfn.dll' or so -- dunno if this is generic or it needs to be compiled for the x50's hardware?), haven't read too much into the docs but from where I am net connectivity isn't so ubiquitous (at least when it comes to dl'ing massively large files) and so I can't be bothered to dl the required psdk for WM5 (a couple of gigs I think)...

Maybe if we pester Dell enough they'll build/release a driver for us? Anyway gonna go play with a few more things I downloaded...

Mj

gillius · 11-09-05, 04:32 PM

I haven't heard how to get the x51v to act as a USB mass storage device, and when I tried it by just connecting it up it didn't work. What was strange is that after that happened ActiveSync stopped working until a reboot of both mobile device and PC. Maybe this was a coincidence but it was the only time that AS stopped working for me that I thought the cable (although new) was going bad or something.