02-20-2006, 08:20 PM
|
|
Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
|
|
Doing Battle To Uninstall Or Upgrade On Windows Mobile 5
As I wrote a few months ago, the installation process on Windows Mobile 5 has greatly improved over Pocket PC 2003SE and earlier as you always can control the destination file store to install to - either directly on the device or any number of storage cards you may have available. However, the uninstall process, for me at least, is horrible, and upgrading is an even worse process. Here is how it worked for me under Windows Mobile 2003SE.
1: Start|Settings|System|Remove Programs
2: Select the program and tap Remove.
That was it. You might have to soft reset before doing this to ensure the app isn't running, or manually close it with a task killer, but beyond that, very trouble free. Not so Windows Mobile 5. I have had a Windows Mobile 5 device since November. Two in fact, a JasJar and K-Jam. In those four months, I have never successfully upgraded an application and have never had a smooth uninstallation. I always have to soft reset to get an uninstall to work, and even then it doesn't always help. I have the Think Outside Stowaway 4.3 bluetooth driver installed on my K-Jam and it will not come off! The uninstall always fails no matter what I try. 4.4 won't install over it either. For that matter, 4.3 won't install over itself. If fails every single time. So, I have a nice $99 keyboard that is useless to me until Think Outside either gives me the steps to manually remove it (all registry keys, DLL's, etc. that the driver uses) or I hard reset. :evil:
This is not a Think Outside issue though. I have had the same problem with Ilium Software's ListPro and eWallet, Resco's File Explorer and Laridian's Pocket Bible. Apparently Windows Mobile 5 has an upgrade logic that first removes the existing version of the app before installing the new version. I have no clue how effective that is because it never works for me. My upgrade process goes like this.
1: Dock the device and install the upgrade from the desktop.
2: Tell the device to upgrade, answering YES to the "remove previous version" prompt.
3: Answer OK when it fails.
4: Mumble under my breath
5: Undock the device
6: Try the "Remove Programs" utility to remove the app myself.
7: Answer OK when that fails. (more mumbling goes here, usually at a slightly higher decibel level)
8: Soft reset
9: Try "Remove Programs" again. This usually works, but not always, as I discussed above.
10: If #9 worked, dock the device and install the app again from the desktop.
Steps 11-n involve reconfiguring all my preferences for the app, because step 9 removed them all! :roll: It gets worse too. Let's say you have an app that usually is just a CAB file and you just want to install the app on your new device to the storage card. The executable is already there because the storage card either came from a previous device or you have done a hard reset for some reason. The install will fail if you install to the same folder with absolutely no no explanation. It took several tries before I figured out if I manually removed the application .exe file or the folder itself that it would then work.
But wait! There's even more goodness. Resco has this cool little app called "Resco Update" that it puts in the Start|Programs folder. Tap it and it scans your device for all Resco apps, collects version numbers then compares that to what is online and lets you download and install the latest versions. Well, guess what happened the first time I ran it? The "Resco Update" utility itself needed an update. Are you with me here? It downloads, starts to install, tries to remove itself, fails. I have to manually remove it. Now guess what? I have no "Resco Update" on my device to upgrade! Pretty much out of luck until I get back to my desktop. :evil:
It is extremely frustrating. I know I am behind on my free updates too. Resco has a new version of Resco File Explorer that I haven't bothered with because the frustration of steps 1-10 above, plus all of the manual tweaking, just aren't worth it. :? What about you? Is it just me or are others of you with WM5 seeing this?
|
| |
|
|
|
02-20-2006, 08:51 PM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 127
|
|
I wonder if...
I wonder if some other application you have installed is causing the problem?
I have a PPC-6700 (Sprint) w/WM-5 and have been downright calous to it.
I've installed several of the ISWebMail products and removed them forgetting to soft reset first. Getting the error reinstalling (to get clean uninstall) soft resetting then uninstalling.
I've had a nightmare with SPB Pocket Weather, Pocket Diary (until the released their latest WM-5 compatible weather) and did horrible uninstall/reinstall of SPBWeatherB.exe (I think that was the name from the SPB FAQ).
Anyway, I've completely been STOOOOPID with my device and it's been very forgiving. I've upgraded Pocket Vehicle Manager and installed right over the top of it. I've definitely upgraded Pocket Controller Pro like ... 3 times I think.
I've had no issues at all like what you describe. But then I don't use Bluetooth. I've never tried to uninstall something that had a direct link to hardware...
If I was you though I'd do a full backup then hard reset then start adding applications and see if one of them makes it hard to upgrade. Yes, this is painful and tedious but I don't know you'll get an answer or visibility to the problem without doing so.
Anyway, if this was helpful at all...
- Rex
|
| |
|
|
|
02-20-2006, 09:07 PM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
|
|
I have no problems uninstalling apps on a Sprint 6700. But upgrading software is another matter. Even if you are upgrading in place, you are forced to uninstall the old version first, which in 75% of the cases, wipes out saved settings, configurations and serial number info. Didn't it occur to anyone at MS that people would like to upgrade existing software on their PPC without having to reconfigure anything? WM5/AS4 is a step back in so many ways.
But app makers share some blame too. Software uninstalls never have removed registry entires, just files. This goes back to the orignal PPC 2000. I don't think I've ever seen an app uninstall where I didn't have to go in and delete unneeded registry keys myself. Very sloppy.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-20-2006, 09:13 PM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 10
|
|
WM5
I tried for 5 days to get WM5 to work on a Dell X51v. (Wonderful device, horrible software!) Lock-ups, computer reboots during syncs, etc. I returned it to Dell.
I have read some posts that say WM5 is worth it if you can get through the necesssary tweaks. Sorry, but I don't have the time. I ended up with a refurbished 2755 with WM2003se. The previous generation WM is stable and I can use WiFi to synchronize.
After all I've read about WM5, I'll wait for another generation.
If the likes of Ed Hansberry has trouble, what does that say about the software?
Craig.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-20-2006, 09:32 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 68
|
|
Maybe that's why HP has taken so long with the hx4700 WM 5.0 upgrade - they're getting all bugs like that out of it. *crosses fingers*
:?
|
| |
|
|
|
02-20-2006, 10:24 PM
|
|
Neophyte
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 2
|
|
Re: Doing Battle To Uninstall Or Upgrade On Windows Mobile 5
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
What about you? Is it just me or are others of you with WM5 seeing this?
|
This is what happened to me yesterday. Sounds very similar to your story.
1) Tried to Install Splashphoto 4.41 on top of 4.32
2) Failed, failed and failed again
3) Tried to remove 4.32 - failed. Asked me if I wanted to remove from the remove list, I said Yes (big mistake!)
4) Tried to remove with SKTools, I can't because it is not on the list...
5) I check and it is still in my Programs, and it is still functionning. But now I cannot upgrade, and I cannot uninstall...
6) Installed 4.32 on top of 4.32...
7) Program now shows in the "remove" list again
8) Standard uninstall: Success!!
9) Installed 4.41: Success!
That was way harder than it should have been...
|
| |
|
|
|
02-20-2006, 10:28 PM
|
|
Neophyte
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 2
|
|
Re: WM5
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by ccharris1
I tried for 5 days to get WM5 to work on a Dell X51v. (Wonderful device, horrible software!) Lock-ups, computer reboots during syncs, etc. I returned it to Dell.
I have read some posts that say WM5 is worth it if you can get through the necesssary tweaks. Sorry, but I don't have the time. I ended up with a refurbished 2755 with WM2003se. The previous generation WM is stable and I can use WiFi to synchronize.
After all I've read about WM5, I'll wait for another generation.
If the likes of Ed Hansberry has trouble, what does that say about the software?
Craig.
|
It's funny guys, because I am relatively new to PPCs, and I have a different experience w/ WM5. I was a big Palm Addict, and I had tried Compaq w/ 2002, a Dell 50v w/ 2003, and I did not like them at all. But when my TX died on me, I bought an Axim51v, and I love it. It is not a horrible OS. It's not perfect, but it is very usable, and I put a bunch of programs on mine. Yes, I had a probelm with install/upgarde/uninstall yesterday, but otherwise things have been smooth. I like it better than 2002 and 2003, definitely.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-20-2006, 10:30 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 70
|
|
It gets worse. Sometimes the tracking of installed programs fails and every program you install after doesn't make it onto the add/remove list. So if you're trialling a complex program like SPB Plus and decide its no good - tough. It won't uninstall, because its not there! Backups do not fix this - Hard reset time...
|
| |
|
|
|
02-20-2006, 11:20 PM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 601
|
|
In light of these reports I have zero use for a WM5 device. Sounds like an OS not ready for market. Thanks Microsoft, for letting the public beta test for you.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-21-2006, 12:36 AM
|
|
Thinker
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 312
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Lex
In light of these reports I have zero use for a WM5 device. Sounds like an OS not ready for market. Thanks Microsoft, for letting the public beta test for you.
|
Your loss. WM5 works just fine for my personal and professional needs. If I want to uninstall an application, I use SKTools. Previous versions of the OS also did a poor job of true uninstalls.
WM5 may have its bug-a-boos, but it is certainly an improvement over 2k3SE .
__________________
PDA Lineage:HS Visor->Visor Prism->Casio EM-500->Casio E-200->HP Jornada 568->Ipaq 1910->IPAQ 4150->IPAQ 2750 with Motorola RAZR V3->Imate K-JAM->Treo 750->HTC Touch Cruise
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
