I had a reader telling me recently that he had no idea how to install software on his Pocket PC phone. This might not be obvious when you’re new to Windows Mobile. So I decided to write two articles about this. Part one will be devoted to the different methods of installation and Part 2 will be about removing software on your device.
Before you attempt to install software to your device, a partnership must be created with a PC using Activesync. The latter comes with the device companion CD or can be downloaded for free directly from Microsoft website. Once Activesync is installed on your desktop, connect the device using a USB cable or through the cradle. Activesync will automatically sync your mobile with the computer. After synchronization is complete, we can now start installing software. Note that it is not always necessary to perform sync. It is also possible to connect as guest and still install applications to the device. But this is another topic.
Now that the device and PC are connected, let’s get started with the installation. Most programs come in the form of an .exe file that you run on the PC. The file will execute and install to the Activesync folder on your PC. At least most well written software will do so. When that part is done, a message will tell you to check your mobile to continue setup.
A message will indeed appear on your device asking permission to install a file (“The program is from an unknown publisher. You should install it only if you trust its publisher. Do you want to continue?). Click yes and another message pops up asking for the location where the files will be copied to. There are two proposed locations: Device and Storage Card. To save memory space, it is recommended to install to the memory card. However, not all programs will run from the card. The Readme file that comes with the programs usually provides details about this or check the developer’s website. After you made your choice, click Install. When setup is complete, another notification will appear with confirmation that the software was successfully installed on your device. Click Done to complete setup. This is it. The program is accessible on the device through the Start Menu – Programs folder.
It may occur that you download an .exe file for your device and running the file from the PC gives an error saying something like: This file is not a valid Win32 application. If you get this error, simply copy the file to your device and run it there. This happens, I think, when the developer does not create an installer package for the software.
Another way to install software onto your device is by copying .cab files from the PC directly to your device or downloading over-the-air from the internet. >cab files are installed directly on the device. Click on them to execute and the process will be the same as explained above (Paragraph 3). It is possible to use installers on the desktop to install .cab files to your device.
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