Did I Delete MS Reader?

[Lex]

I tried upgrading MS Reader even though MS website instructions said delete the old version first. But you can't because Reader exists in ROM, right? Thinking I shouldn't have installed it I uninstalled it (it was listed in 'Remove Programs' since my fresh installation).

There is no longer any reference to MS Reader AFAIK using Resco File Explorer with no files hidden and ROM files displayed. There's no longer a MS Reader icon in 'Programs' and I can't find a reader.exe file anywhere.

Wha happened? P.S. I hope it is gone for good. :mrgreen:

[Janak Parekh]

Here's what happened: the RAM install of Reader "shadowed" over the one in ROM, and then when you uninstalled it the file was deleted, but the ROM one won't show back through until you do a hard reset.

The "uninstall" tip is only for versions of Reader already in RAM. If it's in ROM, don't worry, just install it. So, just reinstall and you should be fine.

--janak

[Menneisyys]

MS Reader (even the latest version) should be installed in RAM because, otherwise (if you install it on any kind of storage media), it won't find its fonts / will have serious speed & other problems.

If you install it in RAM, it'll 'shadow' the old version in ROM because it copies itself to /Windows/msreader.exe; this means no separate 'uninstall' (which, with a ROM-based program, is impossible, except for removing its Registry settings) is needed to remove the old one.

[Menneisyys]

MS Reader (even the latest version) should be installed in RAM because, otherwise (if you install it on any kind of storage media), it won't find its fonts / will have serious speed & other problems.

If you install it in RAM, it'll 'shadow' the old version in ROM because it copies itself to /Windows/msreader.exe; this means no separate 'uninstall' (which, with a ROM-based program, is impossible, except for removing its Registry settings) is needed to remove the old one.

I've just tested installing Reader on my freshly hard reseted, version 1.10 ROM iPAQ 2210, in main RAM (as is recommended with MS Reader). Works great - it indeed shadowed the old, ROM version. No previous "uninstall" was needed.

If you still have programs with the PC-based installer, after starting MSReaderPPCUSASetup.exe, just copy the newly-created "C:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC\msreader_arm.cab" to the PPC and execute the CAB there. Everything will go fine.

[Islanti]

FYI, you can install Reader to a storage card successfully. You can even do this with activation. I haven't tried it from SD card, but it works fine from the internal storage (Built-in Storage on my Dell and IPAQ File Store on my HP). Here are step by step instructions.

1. Install Reader to main memory.
2. Activate it.
3. Activate it again, say "Yes" when prompted on your PC to re-install "Microsoft Activation" and say "No" on the PocketPC when prompted for the same.
4. Copy secrep.cab from \ on PPC to your PC.
5. Uninstall Reader.
6. Soft reset.
7. Delete *.old files from \Windows (font files that were in use that uninstall never cleans up :().
8. Install Reader to the Storage Card.
9. Copy secrep.cab to \ on your PPC.
10. Run secrep.cab from your PPC.
11. Move *.ttf files from \(storage card)\Microsoft Reader\ to \Windows\Fonts\.

OPTIONAL - Update .lit file association to point to \(storage card)\Microsoft Reader\ with Resco Explorer or other tool (if you want to be able to open .lit files by double-tapping them). Resco won't fix the icon association, so you may want to download the free PocketTweak instead.

I read a LOT of Reader ebooks (encrypted and unencrypted) fine with this method. I am unable to listen to Audible content with Reader, but I'm not sure if that's the Reader configuration, Audible, or some combination of the two.

[Menneisyys]

11. Move *.ttf files from \(storage card)\Microsoft Reader\ to \Windows\Fonts\.

BTW, this isn't needed if you use Fonts on Storage. The fonts only occupy 260k (not much), but even that can be essential in low-end machines like the rx1715 (a.k.a. 15M free RAM). See also http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=36231 for more info on Fonts on Storage.