I am an experienced .NET developer but new to the Compact framework
and the windows mobile platform.

I have a requirement to develop a windows mobile application (or
service) in .NET compact framework 2.0 with the following
requirements:
· Application runs in the background with no UI
· Start automatically when the device boots/restarts (soft and hard)
· Must run on both Pocket PC and Smartphone devices

I have tried searching through Google and on MSDN for a way to
implement both of my above requirements; however, I could find a
definitive way to implement both.

Please can anyone give me some pointers on how I can achieve this?

TIA,
Hitesh

· Application runs in the background with no UI

A Console application woul dlikely do this, though some things require a
windows message pump for dispatching.

· Start automatically when the device boots/restarts (soft and hard)

Put a shortcut in \Windows\Startup for soft reset. Hard reset is far more
difficult - in fact nearly impossible if you want to target *all* devices,
as you have to install the CF and then the app on some devices, and a hard
reset by definition returns the device to a factory state. You can use an
Autorun feature to run the installer off of a storage volume, but that
requires that you have a storage volume inserted and that all devices follow
the same autorun rules (and that's not necessarily true).

· Must run on both Pocket PC and Smartphone devices

You'll need to get the app signed, but otherwise that should be a given for
an app with no UI.


--

Chris Tacke, eMVP
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