Vanishing Themes

[dhoward]

Need some help, trying to use the themes I have downloaded.

I have my iPAQ themes on my CF Card #1 in the My Documents folder. No problems seeing them in my iPAQ Today setup window. Yeah!

I copied the same themes to my CF Card #2 in the My Documents folder. I cannot see them in my iPAQ Today setup window. Hmmmm?

Rebooted. Same results. I can see them in File Explorer. Proper icons and size. My Documents folder is spelled correctly--I fixed that typo.

Swap to CF #1-No Problem. Swap to CF #2--I still cannot see the themes in the Today setup window.

Suggestions? I'm confused and don't know what to do next.

Thanks. I appreciate your kindness.

Have a Blessed Day.
david
dallas

[Jason Dunn]

You'll need a desktop PC/laptop for this, but look for a hidden file call "ignoremydocuments" - that's what's causing the problem. I can't remember what creates that file, but this is a known issue.

[dhoward]

Mr. Jason,

What a great guy you are. No one else has been able to pickup on this.

The file you indicated does exist on my troubled CF Card #2:
ignore_my_docs 0kb

I was only able to see it from a duplicate copy of the CF Card on my laptop HD that I synch with and make ghost copies of the various cards for B/U.

I cannot see the file using File Explorer on my iPAQ.

So comes the question. How would you recommend dealing with this file? to see it? need to delete it?

I would guess that removing this 0kb file would allow me to see my themes in the My Documents folder on the CF card. Right?

I appreciate it. You are a great knowlege base of helpful info.

david
dallas

[Jason Dunn]

Just delete it - nothing bad will happen. :-)

Ed is the expert on this issue, look for a post by him on it later today or tomorrow.

[Brad Adrian]

So comes the question. How would you recommend dealing with this file? to see it? need to delete it?

With your device in its cradle, you should be able to see/delete the file using the Explore button on your desktop's Activesync screen. Or...

With your device in its cradle, you can use Windows Explorer to navigate to the Mobile Device directory and see/delete the file. Or...

If you've got a PC with a PCMCIA slot and a CF-to-PCMCIA adapter, you can pop the card into the PC and see/delete the file using Window Explorer.

[dhoward]

Thanks Brad and Jason,

I wanted to be sure that deleting that file would not cause other added problems--aka Windows got 'ya.

I did find the following discussion answer from Frank McPherson posted on PocketPCHow2.com. Might be helpful for someone else with the same problem.

"With the help of fellow MVP Ed Hansberry, I have figured out how to get rid of the "ignore_my_docs" file in the iPAQ File Store, which I wrote about last week. The problem was that I could not delete the file no matter what I did. Since the file was there, all the files and subfolders in the iPAQ File Store appear along with all My Documents files and folders in the file list views of Pocket Word and Excel. To delete the file from the iPAQ File Store I had to create a My Documents folder.

So here is what appears to be happening. When you save a Pocket Word or Excel file to a storage card and do not put it in a My Documents folder, these programs write a hidden, zero byte file in the Storage Card folder named ignore_my_docs. That file acts as a flag to these applications, causing them to treat the Storage Card folder as a My Documents folder. I'll probably write all this up into a How To."
posted by Frank McPherson

http://www.pocketpchow2.com/log/archive/2002_02_03_log.html

Following both Brad's and Frank's suggestions, the Vanishing Themes have now magically appeared by deleting the file on the suspect CF card.

Thanks to everyone. What a great resource of information.

Amazing!!!!!!!

david
dallas

[Dave Beauvais]

There's also a way to see hidden files such as this without having a PC handy using File Explorer. Simply tap and hold in an empty part of a file listing in File Explorer. (Typically the very bottom of the list is the best place to do this.) From the menu, select the "View All Files" option. Now, the ignore_my_docs file, as well as any other hidden files, will be shown and can be deleted directly from the Pocket PC, itself.

http://www.beauvais1.com/images/ppc/view_all_files.gif

--Dave

[dhoward]

Decius,

Another Dave? My mom thought she had the market cornered back in 1953 in Memphis, TN.

Please share with me how you are able to provide the screen shots for posting. I see it often and would like to know how.

Thanks for your tip. Note is made.

david
dallas

[Dave Beauvais]

Please share with me how you are able to provide the screen shots for posting. I see it often and would like to know how.
I've been a user of Developer One's Pocket ScreenSnap since the days of the Palm-size PC a few years ago. (Developer One is currently best known for Agenda Fusion.) For a time, I switched over to the Palm platform :? since that was the standard where I worked at the time. Finally, I got sick of it and bought a new Pocket PC 2002.

Shortly thereafter, I had to document some things and needed to make screenshots. I went to Developer One's site (http://www.developerone.com/) and downloaded a copy of Pocket ScreenSnap v5 (http://www.developerone.com/pocketpc/screensnap/).

It's inexpensive, at US$9.95, but there are also free screenshot programs available that work just as well. (I'm sorry, but I can't remember the name of one at the moment, but hopefully someone else will.)

--Dave

[Rod3]

Magicss or something like that......

[Martin I Pettinger]

Hi

I have been experimenting with customising the today screen and discovered that Gigabar has a screen capture utility. I think Gigabar is also freeware.

Martin

[paqman_lover]

Hi

I have been experimenting with customising the today screen and discovered that Gigabar has a screen capture utility. I think Gigabar is also freeware.

Martin

That's correct. There's 2 options capture and delayed capture. I like delayed capture since i use it from the pop-down menu and i can exit from the menu before it takes the screenshot. It saves it uses a .bmp file.

I really love gigabar, it's free. the website is www.gigabar.com

[NetDragon]

You can also use "Resco File Explorer" I would highly reccomend it. It is good for getting around the very limited file manager that comes with PPC2002.

:wink:

[Rod3]

Does Resco File Explorer take screenshots? I didn't know that! 8O