How Long Does It Take You To Set Up A New Device?

[Ed Hansberry]

Having just received my HTC TyTN II via UPS, I had mixed emotions. Sure, the device flat smokes my old Wizard, but my Wizard is set up just so, and I knew I had <i>hours</i> of installations and configurations to do to get my TyTN usable. Of course most of your data comes over on that first sync to Outlook or Exchange, and even if you can just check off a few boxes in the ActiveSync/WMDC application manager to install your apps on your device, you still may have tweaked each app. In fact, I don't think I have a single third party app on my device that I haven't changed the default settings on.<br /><br />So, am I in the minority, or do you have hours or even days of tweaking before the device is considered usable - not perfect mind you as that is an ongoing process - but usable?

[Kevin Jackson]

I'm like that with every kind of device I own. I just got a new dumb phone through work and the first thing I have to do is go out and buy the USB cable so I can delve in and find all the things I can tweak. Not to mention porting over my ringtones, wallpapers, pictures, music, etc. I got a new laptop about a month or so ago and it took me a couple weeks to get it all set up.

This is one of the reasons I hate to do a hard reset/total wipe of any device (desktop, laptop, PPC, etc). The prospect of spending days setting everything up again is daunting to say the least.

[paschott]

And lest we forget - firmware upgrades for existing devices. I've flashed the firmware several times on my Wizard, mostly to try out a new ROM from the cooks at the site which shall not be named (here at least) :). I imagine I'll do the same before too long, but each time requires re-installing, re-entering keys that aren't saved by ActiveSync, re-configuring settings, trying out different ringtones, etc. Then I'll finally get it all set and often forget a backup right before I need to hard-reset the device or some similar thing. :(

You're not alone in the time it takes to set up a device. It would be a lot more convenient if settings were stored with the app rather than in the registry, just because you can't take a registry backup with you across firmware differences or worse, a complete OS upgrade (for the more fortunate users out there). Anyone have any thoughts on what makes the registry so desirable for settings over local files that can be saved across versions?

-Pete

[adamz]

I made a CAB file that automatically installs my custom Media Player skins, ring-tone/message WAV files, and registry tweaks. At one point I had it in the Ext-ROM on some older devices so even a hard reset would automatically put it back to the way I want it. I even edited some of my program CAB files to automatically enter my registration/serial number information so that I wouldn't have to.

'Cause that's how I roll. ;)

[piperpilot]

I received a TyTN II for Christmas and couldn't wait for all the company to leave so that I could go to work and spend pretty much a full workday getting all my software installed, settings tweaked, etc. I am a very happy camper now!

[Joelacrane]

I do this with every device i own too. Today I've been installing Windows on a computer that I am giving to a friend. It's taken me a good 2 hours and I haven't even started installing Windows yet. Everything has to be just so.

My computers, my Axim, and my dumbphone all got lots of attention when I first got them. Several days to set up my Axim sounds about right.

[Hx4700]

Me too...
Are we all just Type "A"s here???
Ron...

[Phronetix]

I completely agree that it takes hours, but when my MDA vario came in 2006, the joy of setting it up was not realized, and it shifted my mental paradigm about which future devices I would buy.

I was a new dad for the third time, my career was taking off in a near out of control fashion and I had decided my lifestyle was terrible and needed a change, or else. (exercise, better diet, plastic surgery... well, ok not plastic surgery).

So, after only being able to spend an hour or two here or there with my vario, and having so much trouble with what I consider to be the worst Mac software in existence (that I own), Missing Sync for Windows Mobile, it took me a couple months to have my vario where I wanted it. And it continued to be a major PITA to use, in my opinion. From a purely phone and messenging device it functioned quite well. Anything else was a chore. I did over time become happy with how I had the calendar set up; I never got used to the random way it changed displaying calendar category colors in PI, or the WM2005 alarm handling. Made no sense, and it was a deal breaker. WindowsMobile and I were divorced in October. My new love is an iPhone, and while it is certainly not the answer for a good number of power users here, it is absolutely everything I ever wanted in a device, except for tasks and cut&amp;paste. Everything else works perfectly. And yes, I did still spend a couple hours setting things up for that.

Okay, back to topic, as this is not an iPhone ad.... Here is my one sentence theme statement to this post: It is disappointing that this is a question that is worth asking as I believe it takes far too long to get this job done, and I believe that it is inexcusable for this to take as long as it does, and I would not doubt if it is the single reason that stops WM users from using their device to its potential.

There... it is said. I also get why people still get these devices. The TyTN II is a sweet device.

[DaleReeck]

I'm surprised at the number of "a few days" users there are. I thought *I* was the only loser who had so much configuring to do on a new PPC :D

But I also like a clean PPC, so in addition to the pain of basic installing, I also have to make sure all the program icons are set just right and that all junk or duplicate files are deleted too. Plus, there's the apps that require serial numbers tied to the device, which requires you to contact the software maker and go through all that too. It definitely takes a while to get a new device up and running for me.

[Darren Behan]

The answer for me is it all depends (speaking only of device changes). If everything goes well, I can use Sprite Backup and be up and running 95 to 98 percent exactly the way I want it inside of ten minutes. If things don't go well, whole other story most likely days. Usually though, it's something like 80% - 85% functionality from Sprite within 10 min. An hour or so of tinkering with the important things than minor adjustments as I get it 'just so' over a few days.

Like others here, it's totally OCD. I have a PPC clean install checklist spreadsheet, how crazy is that? Crazy like a fox! All my apps &amp; keys in one place in logical order, brilliant. (But very, very geeky)

Of course this assumes that there is such think as a perfectly configured PPC. I don't think I'd know what to do with myself.


db

[aquanaut]

Congrats on your new device!

After installing Resco Explorer, I run cabs and inf files from the flash memory card. After naming the device and adding owner info, an activesync installs most programs, then add Chinese language and it's good to go, just under half-an-hour.

Nice thing with the TyTN II ROM, it's nearly flawless out-of-the box. Compared to the original TyTN, this thing is rock solid and tweaking can be done more for amusement rather than out of necessity.

One note of advice -- careful where you stick the stylus -- many reports of having damaged the USB port by accidently trying to replace the stylus or affecting a soft-reset in the dark.

[Knocksock]

Why don't you get a decent an account with an decent device management supplier ? This would at least help you to install the apps, settings and so on. Not to much help to configure apps with previously used settings, but all in all so many functions that its worth it. For instance loosing your device - buy a new one and get your apps and settings directly from the DM server. Stolen ? Secure it with sending a delete or lock command + much more..

[Jason Lee]

I am much in the same boat as everyone else. Except that my process is really never ending. :)

I got a TyTN II the week they came out and also upgraded from a wizard (8125). I was truly dreading switching devices. I has tweaked the 8125 for almost 2 years. It was exactly how I wanted it. :)

As with most new devices I get I start with the bare minimum. I installed Resco file explorer, Spb Finance, Spb backup, and flex wallet. Entered all the reg codes copied my My Documents folder which I had backup up to my SD card and synced my outlook data.

From there I ever so slowly add apps back in ONLY when I need them. It is part of my ongoing effort to not install so much crap on my device. :lol:

Of course being a brand new device I also spent a few weeks hanging out in the xda developers forum looking for tweaks while searching every key in the registry on my own. I found several tweaks myself and posted them in the thread.

While the device was very near perfect out of the box there are always a few little changes I like to make. :)

My new device process is very long and drawn out. More like a purging ritual. :D

[vicott]

So I am not alone... :lol:

I even take quite a bit of time to draft out a "To Do" list:
Registry Tweaks to be done
Device Settings
Software to install
Software to configure
Software to run (e.g. Tweaks2k2, etc)
Data, Media, Alarms, Ringtones, etc
Compare the list above with old devices
Oops....that sounds like a "To Do" list for the real "To Do" list... :lol: :lol:

So, I can easily take half a week or more to get my device setup to the standard I am satisfied with. My last attempt was more than a week for my HTC TyTN II, which included several days spent on finding the nasty registry tweak which "killed" the Storage Card slot. :roll: 8O :|

[piperpilot]

I keep an Excel spreadsheet in my device that lists all the applications that are installed on the device, grouped according to the lines of icons in BatteryPack. It works well and comes in very handy in the event of a new device or hard reset.

[markvan]

I keep a directory with all my install cab files in it, and have created a MortScript script to automatically install them for me. Takes about 15 minutes.

I have also written a program in C# to import registry settings of my device/program setup, and registration codes too.

This kind of setup allows me to keep my device setup correctly across ROM updates and even different devices too. But I have to be careful with the registry settings on new devices though.

[Cybrid]

For hard resets: Why not make a build backup? Throw everything on there, tweak and back up. After which sync data.

Need to hard reset? sure, backup has same error? restore from build backup and put the data back on. No fuss no muss.

For cross/ new device: Build as above and use sprites cross device upgrade mode to transfer data only.

[TOCA]

Glad to be part of a big community :D

For normal hard resets, I use the Spb Backup, so that only takes about 10 min. to get every thing back in place 8)

But for a new device or ROM changes, there's no help in eaven the best backup program, so for that, it's a lot of work, and recalling from memory, what has to go where, not to mention all the activation codes, that has to be re entered.

I've made a folder on the PC, wich contains all the programs I use, and they all have a *.txt file added, containing codes and descriptions of what tweaks it needs to run like I want it to, wich helps a lot.

The biggest downside about having such a pile of addons, and tweaks is, that when someone asks, how to do a speciffic task, I'm lost, because I don't remember how a non tweaked PPC is working, and wich tasks needs wich addon, to be doable :roll:

My verry first Windows PPC was one week old, when I discovered Spb Pocket Plus, and since then, nothing has been standard on my devices :?

Thanks for letting me know, that I'm not a freak geek over teckie gadgeteer 8)

[Russ Smith]

I put down "around an hour", but the reason that's so is that I've become quite adept at doing it. I know what I want to install and to where and even the order I want to install it. It still takes some time because I set up my device name an such first, install the essentiall applications, then do a backup. Then I install the other apps I want and do another backup. To restore a device, if it's lost, stolen, or fried, all it takes is one restore. I used to do that in case of spontaneous hard-resets, but WM6 has solved that little issue.

To be honest, I'm constantly tweaking here and there. A new device is never set up quite like the one previous because even I don't remember all the little tweaks here and there. When each thing comes up, I'll change it to suit my tastes.

What would be great is if Microsoft would separate "system" registry settings from "program" registry settings. Then a program could be installed on a new device with all the "program" registry settings copied over and the "system" ones set up from scratch. They don't do this for Windows either :(

[Brad Adrian]

I still do a complete, fresh re-install with new devices.

In December I migrated from a Wizard to the TyTN II and have loved it ever since. After one week, though, my original simply died and had to be replaced, so I ended up doing two complete rebuilds within a few days. Still weighs a little too much to be perfect, but pretty darn close!

[Omegajb]

I bought the TyTNII and it has been by far the easiest phone I've ever setup. Just the auto network settings saved me so much time. I think I had the phone up and running just how I like it in less than a hour.

[Thinkingmandavid]

I typically sync it right when I get home. Afterwards, I look at what I was using on my last device to see if there is anyway I can run "leaner" on software. I do not like to have a lot of different programs installed on my device if I am not using it on a regular bases, which for me would be weekly.

I use a couple of days as "tinkering" days so I can get a feel for my new device. By day three I may be up and running on all that needed changing. After a week of use it is for the most part going to stay the same unless I decide to do a "spring cleaning" for my device. :)

[sofene]

It would have been an easy task if the backup apps just backs up installed apps and leaves the system specific files. As it is backups are only good for hard resets not for upgrades or new devices. And once you re-install you have to re-enter each apps unlock code all over again. Quite a pain in the neck, literally.

[Jonthepom]

[quote="markvan"]I keep a directory with all my install cab files in it,

So do I. I have a very old iMate which I love. The USB connector has broken and I cant charge it with the battery in. So I rebuild it after every battery charge. It takes 2 minutes.... :wink: