How can I make my application persist after a Hard reset

[avanza]

Hi all,
I want to know if its possible to persist my application on the PPC
through a hard reset?

 

[sabine.ackerbauer]

Hello,

I've got the same problem. At the moment I'm doing the following:
I've got a FlashDisk, where I've saved the CAB-File for installing my
application (the CAB-Files for the DotNetFramework and SQL-Mobile,
too). On starting Windows CE I call a batch file (for doing this some
registry entries are necesary). This batch-files copies all CAB-files
to a temp-Directory, installs them (other possiblity is to set the
registry key to keep CAB-Files after installation) and starts my
application. All peristant data is saved in a sql-mobile-Database on
the FlashDisk.

Does anyone has another idea?

 

[chris-s]

The very nature of a hard/cold reset is to restore the device to
factory condition it will not persist your application.

There are a couple of options, firstly, keep a copy of the cab files on
either the flash drive or other persistent media that the device may
have. Following the reset the app should automatically be re-installed
tho some devices may also need to have some additional 'startup' config
files tweaked.

Secondly, build the app into the OS release and re-flash the devices,
however, depending on the details of your scenarios this may not be
feasible.

Chris

 

[avanza]

thanx guys i building the OS again is out of our current scpoe; but we
already are storing the files on flash... the question is hopw can we
automatically invoke our setup following a Hard reset?

 

[sabine.ackerbauer]

The batch-file for reinstalling could look like following:
copy \"Hard Disk"\Install\* \temp
wceload /noui \temp\NETCFV2.wce5.x86.cab
wceload /noui \temp\ProgrammToInstall.CAB
Start \"Program Files"\YourProgram.exe
exit

For automatically starting this batchfile, you have to modify the
registry. you could also try to use the "Autostart-Folder" of the
flashDisk

 

[Guest]

An alternative solution is to build a PDA installer using our app,
PocketPC Installer.
http://www.pocketpcinstaller.com

This compresses your suite of .cab file and data files into one,
standalone, PocketPC "autorun.exe" file.

The most common use for this file is to put it onto a memory
card. The user just needs to insert the card to start the
installer going, complete with your own chosen background image.
Very cool.

One option you can set for this installer is to make sure that it
only runs *once* on your PDA.

Why would you do that ?

If you put any kind of autorun.exe file in either your memory
card or permenant memory store directory, then, on *some*
devices, that autorun.exe will kick off each time the device
comes out of the Idle state.

Or, to put it another way, you turn on your PDA in the morning
to check your email, and the first thing you see is a mountain
of dialogs as it attempts to reinstall everything.

The PDA installers created using PocketPC Installer have
logic to prevent this from happening. It also allows you to
continue installing your suite of .cabs, if one of them
soft-resets at the end of installing.

Give it a go, the 30-day eval lets you see it all in action, and
it will save you a huge amount of time.


James
http://www.pocketpcinstaller.com