HP to Customers: iPAQs Don't Save Attachments to Memory Cards - It's MS's Fault

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c00613037' target='_blank'>http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsuppor...ectID=c00613037</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The HP iPAQ Pocket PC series h2200, hx2000, and hx4700 do not recognize the naming conventions "Secure Digital" (SD) and "Compact Flash" (CF) as storage cards for saving Inbox items such as e-mail and e-mail attachments. Instead of saving these files to the storage cards, the Pocket PC saves them to the HP File Store. This issue occurs because of a Microsoft Inbox limitation that recognizes only "Storage Card" as the single file name for SD and CF cards. This issue is not attributable to the Pocket PC but to the Microsoft Windows Pocket PC Operating System."</i><br /><br />If you have an hx4700 series and want to be rid of this pesky problem, HP has a Softpaq ready to rename your storage card, however they are still working on a fix for the 2200 and 2000. Oh the wonder that is the Pocket PC OS.

[Menneisyys]

Huh... the people at HP don't seem to lurking around over at forums and reading user bug reports/solutions to them, do they ;)

I've published a MUCH better solution to this problem almost a year ago (http://www.firstloox.org/forums/showthread.php?t=3483); it was, later, also implemented in Tweaks2k2 (http://pocketpcmag.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17734). The solution does not involve the really-really-really lame renaming of the storage card.

Think of it: if you rename the card, you will most probably have to reinstall all your apps on the card. If you're lucky enough, simply changing the file paths in all the storage card-related paths will suffice.

EDIT: the above post may need to be ignored - I may have been referring to another problem, also caused by attempts to store attachments on memory cards. Will later re-edit this message when I am absolutely sure about it.

EDIT 2: yeah, I was right with the original message. EDIT1 may be ignored :)

[DaleReeck]

The other option is to use a registry editor that supports find/replace and replace all references of the old name with the new one. The Tweaks fix doesn't work on all devices due to timing issues of the storage card. I remember the Tweaks trick didn't work when I had my 4700 a while back.

[Menneisyys]

The other option is to use a registry editor that supports find/replace and replace all references of the old name with the new one.

It would only update the Registry - not \Windows\Start Menu in the File System.

The Tweaks fix doesn't work on all devices due to timing issues of the storage card. I remember the Tweaks trick didn't work when I had my 4700 a while back.

Did you try a pre-3.10.1 version? Previous versions indeed didn't correctly work because of the boot-time cards-are-slow-to-initialize issues. Later versions (which do implement the fix I've published) are supposed to.

[buzz1317]

I noticed this same utility for my 6515.
Seems it has effected almost all of the devices with 2003SE on them.
See this link
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/HandheldiPAQ/us/locate/1127_6222.html

Seems like such a stupid error on both parties by not thinking!
Whats in a name?

[Menneisyys]

Seems it has effected almost all of the devices with 2003SE on them.

Yup, it affects all devices - not just iPAQ's.

Still, HP's (quite late - given that the exact solution was published almost a year ago...) answer to it, renaming storage cards to a much less meaningful name (which also includes a lot of postprocessing because of the changed filepaths) is really lame.

[DaleReeck]

The other option is to use a registry editor that supports find/replace and replace all references of the old name with the new one.

It would only update the Registry - not \Windows\Start Menu in the File System.

The Tweaks fix doesn't work on all devices due to timing issues of the storage card. I remember the Tweaks trick didn't work when I had my 4700 a while back.

Did you try a pre-3.10.1 version? Previous versions indeed didn't correctly work because of the boot-time cards-are-slow-to-initialize issues. Later versions (which do implement the fix I've published) are supposed to.

True, icons owuld have to be recreated.

Its been about nine months now since I had the 4700, so I never had a Tweaks version that worked. Good to see it got fixed.

[Menneisyys]

Its been about nine months now since I had the 4700, so I never had a Tweaks version that worked. Good to see it got fixed.

You mean the Tweaks fix didn't work even then when the Today Messaging plug-in was disabled?

[delfuhd]

is anyone else ecstatic that their ppc (mine as well), the h2200, was actually mentioned in the news!? and that (gasp!) HP is providing some sort of upgrade/fix for it?!

[DaleReeck]

Its been about nine months now since I had the 4700, so I never had a Tweaks version that worked. Good to see it got fixed.

You mean the Tweaks fix didn't work even then when the Today Messaging plug-in was disabled?

To be honest, I do not remember what I tried as it was a while back. Maybe even longer than nine months ago.

[ctmagnus]

is anyone else ecstatic that their ppc (mine as well), the h2200, was actually mentioned in the news!? and that (gasp!) HP is providing some sort of upgrade/fix for it?!

I'm surprised they're still working on devices that old! The h2200 is approaching three years old.

[ctitanic]

The trick of disabling the messaging in the today screen if it does not fix fully the problem at least it makes it desappear.
And yes, I checked the code just to be sure that I still disabling the messaging in the Today screen if the Attachment to Storage Card hack is applied and Yes, the code is there.
Like I said, since I added to my code this tip from Menneisyys I almost have not seen any body complaining about problems.

[Menneisyys]

The trick of disabling the messaging in the today screen if it does not fix fully the problem at least it makes it desappear.
And yes, I checked the code just to be sure that I still disabling the messaging in the Today screen if the Attachment to Storage Card hack is applied and Yes, the code is there.
Like I said, since I added to my code this tip from Menneisyys I almost have not seen any body complaining about problems.

Thanks. That is, we were (again) much more thorough and smarter than HP :)

(A big anti-kudos for HP for not monitoring the forums / third party applications like Tweaks2k2 for such stuff.)

[ctitanic]

The trick of disabling the messaging in the today screen if it does not fix fully the problem at least it makes it desappear.
And yes, I checked the code just to be sure that I still disabling the messaging in the Today screen if the Attachment to Storage Card hack is applied and Yes, the code is there.
Like I said, since I added to my code this tip from Menneisyys I almost have not seen any body complaining about problems.

Thanks. That is, we were (again) much more thorough and smarter than HP :)

(A big anti-kudos for HP for not monitoring the forums / third party applications like Tweaks2k2 for such stuff.)

Thanks! This reminds me a conversation that I had with one of the Microsoft guys that asked me why current security "feature" in WM5 devices (I'm talking about "Application Lock") affects us developers, consumers (users) and affects them as well. And my answer was something like "if you lock the registry and I can't change it how I'm supposed to cover your a$$?"

I hope that MVPs take note of these issues and tell MS how wrong they are with this Security Implementation. (I know that these MS guys have been Monitoring this forum so I hope they read my lines too ;))

[Menneisyys]

I hope that MVPs take note of these issues and tell MS how wrong they are with this Security Implementation. (I know that these MS guys have been Monitoring this forum so I hope they read my lines too ;))

It's not just a hope ;) (Check out my sig. :) )

BTW, I'm working on a biiig article on everything related to WM5 security. I'll also discuss this question in it.

[ctitanic]

I hope that MVPs take note of these issues and tell MS how wrong they are with this Security Implementation. (I know that these MS guys have been Monitoring this forum so I hope they read my lines too ;))

It's not just a hope ;) (Check out my sig. :) )

BTW, I'm working on a biiig article on everything related to WM5 security. I'll also discuss this question in it.

Then you may want to check my x51v blog

http://x51v.blogspot.com/2006/03/more-about-ms-security-implementation.html

I have been writing a lot about these issues there. Also you may check SP forums, and learn a little bit about i930 owners experiences with Nextel and this Security implementation. Sorry guys, we are going OFF Topic but it's a good time for some people to understand that by locking a Phone or a PPC they cause more problems than benefits.

[Menneisyys]

I hope that MVPs take note of these issues and tell MS how wrong they are with this Security Implementation. (I know that these MS guys have been Monitoring this forum so I hope they read my lines too ;))

It's not just a hope ;) (Check out my sig. :) )

BTW, I'm working on a biiig article on everything related to WM5 security. I'll also discuss this question in it.

Them you may want to check my x51v blog

http://x51v.blogspot.com/2006/03/more-about-ms-security-implementation.html

I have been writing a lot about these issues there. Also you may check SP forums, and learn a little bit about i930 owners experiences with Nextel and this Security implementation. Sorry guys, we are going OFF Topic but it's a good time for some people to understand that by locking a Phone or a PPC they cause more problems than benefits.

Thanks for the links; I'll link all this stuff from the article and also summarize everything. Dunno when it's ready - I have a lot of other article ideas in mind too. I'll also make sure the WM MS people will be pointed to the article :)

[ctitanic]

All help that we can get on this matter is appretiated. This whole Security Implementation benefits crackers and virus creators and kills the Freelancers and small developers that are the majority and the force that can make any community to grow and be healthy.

[Pony99CA]

The other option is to use a registry editor that supports find/replace and replace all references of the old name with the new one.
It would only update the Registry - not \Windows\Start Menu in the File System.
It also won't work for paths stored in files, like Media Player playlists.

One tweak I always do on my sleeve-compatible iPAQs is renaming the SD and PCMCIA drive names from "Storage Card" to "SD Card" and "CF Card". That eliminates the problem with cards getting different file paths depending on the order of their insertion (unless you have three slots, but that's another issue). However, the first time I did that, all of my Media Player playlists broke because they have the fully-qualified path to each file in them. I had to use Windows Notepad to edit the playlists and put the correct paths in them (which was much faster than trying to use the lame playlist control in Media Player to recreate the playlists).

I've tried to convince Frank to add drive renaming to Tweaks, but he thought that would cause more problems than it solved. I still think it's a useful addition, especially if the tweak changes the registry paths, shortcuts and playlists automatically. At least implement the tweak and pop up a message warning that drive renaming can affect any programs that access files on those drives and confirm that the user wants to continue. Just my two cents worth. :D

Steve

[Menneisyys]

All help that we can get on this matter is appretiated. This whole Security Implementation benefits crackers and virus creators and kills the Freelancers and small developers that are the majority and the force that can make any community to grow and be healthy.


Just returned from a C/E European/African/Asian MVP summit; spoken to some (influental) MS WM folks. Hope they will also understand the concern and help in refining it in future OS versions. I will also publish the article as soon as I have some time.