Running with an unlocked, visible extended_rom

[schettj]

EDIT: Belongs in tweeks. Duh. Sorry, thought I was in tweeks.

Running with an unlocked, visible extended_rom

This works, but with some qualifications, and I don't suggest you do it. There, now all the disclaimers are out of the way.

What you need (found "out there on the web" - google for it, or if people care I can attach them to this post)

unlock_ext_rom_wizard_105.cab
APA_ext_rom_unlock.rar

HowTo:
Unrar APA, copy the exe to your ppc
copy unlock_ext... to your ppc

(1) run APA exe, small window pops up with "success". Close it, soft-reset
(2) launch unlock_ext... cab. Install it, soft-reset

Now you should have a new storage card/folder named extended_Rom2 - it should be read/writable. It's 10mb of storage, with (in my case) about 1mb free.

Note, when I say soft-reset, I mean using some application to reset, not pressing the reset button. If you must rest via the reset button you may need to wait a couple minutes after each step, before pressing reset, to allow the registry changes (if any) to actually get written out to storage memory. I don't know if that's needed or not.

Problems
If you find your Storage Card is now named Storage Card2, you're running something at startup that immediately writes to the storage card, before its loaded - as it loads a bit later now that extended_rom2 loads first, you get this funky behavior. In my case, it's the email client, with the 'store attachments on storage card' option enabled. For now, I just disabled that option. To fix the booboo and get the card named right,

(1) eject the card
(2) delete the Storage Card folder - if you can't delete it, just rename it
(3) insert the card.

That should get it named 'Storage Card' again. If you fix whatever is writing to the card right away, then you can soft-reset and the card will be correctly named 'Storage Card' - you can delete the renamed bogus storage card folder after a reset, if you needed to rename it.

What Next
I copied everything out of extended_rom2 to the storage card, deleted it, and now have 10MB more internal store available. It shows up as a choice when installing programs, so you can install stuff there.

I need to find a way to delay pocket outlook from starting up on boot so I can turn back on 'store attachments on card'. Looks like poutlook is launched at boot, so probably a mortscript can take its place that has a delay in it before launching poutlook.

Undoing It
A hard reset will undo this, and there is a registry key somewhere that will re-hide the extended_rom2 store. I can track that one down if anyone wants it.

Anyway, interesting stuff - culled from various sites, nothing original here. I'm going to try installing .NET 2.0 into it, and maybe the widcom BT stack, but not for a couple weeks (holidays, need a working phone )

One nice side-effect is a hard-reset won't actually install any junkware now. You'd have to run the necessary CABs from your copy on the storage card, but otherwise its more or less like hitting a soft-reset after a hard boot

[hamsup1o]

You may want to put what device this works on as it will not work for the Treo 700w/wx.

[schettj]

Right, sorry!

ppc6700/apache - maybe it goes in that heading. Sigh.

[fibrolan]

HI,

Will this work on a Ipaq 6955 ?

will this allow me to get more main memory ?

Fibrolan

[Wideawake]

Nice write up! I dont know how I missed this, but it does work on some devices, so hmmm were to put it, I think I will move to general discussion as of now.
~Mike

[xmind2006]

Just an FYI, but I have tried to install the widcomm bt stack to the extended rom (after cutting the contents to my storage card), but it won't install there, it always installs to the main storage memory even though I select to install to Extended_ROM2. However, after moving Skype, TI emulator, FoxIt PDF reader, and a couple of other misc programs to the extended rom (which run fine from there) I had enough room to comfortably install the widcomm stack. Man, amazing how just another 10 megs gives you so much "breathing" room for programs since I hate installing anything other than games to the storage card.

[Maxx134]

Originally Posted by schettj

One nice side-effect is a hard-reset won't actually install any junkware now. You'd have to run the necessary CABs from your copy on the storage card, but otherwise its more or less like hitting a soft-reset after a hard boot

Not shure but I believe if you select "autorun" from the Extrom folder, it should run all your cabs for you according to the config txt file...