install apps on storage card

[dresen]

Hi

Is there a way to control where apps will be placed if installed on to storage card. Currently they are placed in the root of the card, and I find that very messy after 15+ installeations. I have heard of CabInstl but that only works with cab files.

regards

[mrkablooey]

ActiveSync.

When installing through ActiveSync, it asks if you want to install in the default location. Say NO and then choose your storage card(s).

[ironguy]

Selectinf the NO option does indeed store them on the card, but I think the question is, "How do I load them into something like a Program Files folder on my storage card?"

I wish I had an answer for you. My cards are a mess too. 8O

[dresen]

Hi.

The thing I want to do is precisely the thing you describe Ironguy.

Through active sync it was possible to move the program to another destination on the card. Afterwards I made a shortcut and moved that to the Programs folder under Windows>>StartMenu.

The only problem now is, that I can't remove the program with the "remove program" option. Does anyone have a solution?

cheers :)

[jonathanchoo]

Install to PPC, uninstall it. Go to your ActiveSync folder on PC (or whatever folder the program keeps) copy CAB file to PPC and use CabInstl. Another way is most programs can be moved around. For example the other day I installed Flux Challenge to my default installation, then I moved it to Storage Card/Programs/Games/Flux Challenge. Once I moved it there I just 'uninstall it'. So all the installation files on Flux Challenge is deleted but the program still resides because the uninstallation process did not know that I moved the program folder to a different sub-folder. Create a short cut and viola.

Not all programs can be done that way such as those that hides registration stuff in the registry or Today programs.

[Sven Johannsen]

You don't have to install then uninstall. If you cancel at the point that AS has come up and asks where you want it, the cabs will have allready been extracted onto your PC. In many cases you can just extract the cab out of the install .exe with WinZip. From there the CabInstall stuff is what you want.

[dresen]

Sven >> i dont understand. Could you explain again ?!

[jonathanchoo]

The point is to extract CAB files from Windows installers. Some are able through WinZip or WinRAR while others have to go through the whole actual installation and some programs do not even keep CAB files on PC and manually move files through ActiveSync (eg. SmartGSM and PocketPresence).

The point is so far the only way I know of choosing installation path on your PPC is to obtain the CAB file and install using Cabinstl.

[Sven Johannsen]

The normal process of running an executable installer for the PPC program goes like this. You launch the installer, and it unpacks it's files (including the cab) into a directory it creates on your PC. Then it launches the file add/remove function in Active Sync. First thing it asks is, do you want to install in the default directory, Yes, No, Cancel. If you say Cancel at this point the installation files are left on you PC and you can go get the cab to use with CabInstall as jonathanchoo suggested. That just saves the install and uninstall bit.

You'll notice that if you cancel, the program will still show up in the add/remove programs list in ActiveSync, but with no check. That says it's on your PC ready to load, but not yet installed.

Back up to the question, if you say Yes, the cab is copied to your PPC my docs directory and it is run. That installs the program and the cab is deleted. If you said No, you can pick some other location, Built -in-storage, a flash card. The cab is copied there and run. And then it is deleted.

They don't all work this way, but that's pretty typical. Does that help?

[Jason Dunn]

Maybe I'm missing something, but he's asking if there's any way to specify an exact folder when installing to a storage card, and the answer to that is no. ActiveSync will only allow you to specify the storage card as the location, not a folder on the storage card.

[Sven Johannsen]

True, you can't specify folders with AS, but you can with CabInstall. http://www.geocities.com/s_k_s_k_s_kru/util.html#ci
The discussion was more around how do you get the cabs.

[Menneisyys]

Just posted a generic overview of all these questions to http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&title=how_do_i_install_all_my_applications_on&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#trackbacks