MRailing Samsung i730/i830 Setup Guide V.2003 - (updated 1:20 AM EST - Feb. 27)
WELCOME: It has been requested that I update my "Setup of the i730 after a Hard Reset or Fresh from the factory" and I agree. Some of the things could be explained better, so this is my updated list of everything I do, including the additional software I install. This Guide will remain locked to keep it clean from comments and question, but if you have questions or comments, please refer to the Questions and Comments Thread.
DISCLAIMER: This is how I, let me repeat that, I, setup my i730 (and should also work for the i830). You might choose to skip some of these steps, do more, who knows. This is how I like mine, I don't have problems with lockups, I don't miss calls, I don't soft reset each day, it just works (maybe an occasional flutter, but only around one soft reset a week). I also find that this collection of software works VERY well for me and the tasks I throw at it. I also want to say I take no responsibility for any of your information you might loose by Hard Resetting your i730/i830, so make sure you backup EVERYTHING that you want, and in fact, do a FULL Sprite Backup to make sure. Also do not redistribute, post/copy this information in any other thread/forum, or steal this guide without written permission of myself or pdaphonehome.com. You are welcome to link to this thread or to it's placement in the i730/i830 FAQ, but do not reproduce it other than for your own personal use in a non-public domain.
PAYING: Although this guide is completely free, if you really want to make me feel special and want to keep me doing things like this (although I probably will anyway) feel free to PayPal me with whatever you want. I don't get paid for helping/moderating/contributing at pdaphonehome.com, I do it because I like to do it. But if this really helps you, then feel free to drop me a few dollars (or $5, or $10, or $20, or $50, or $100, depending on your tax bracket). A lot of work is going in to this guide to compile my information, and a lot of my free time has gone/will go towards it's creation, and future updates.
INSTRUCTIONS: I am going to try to make these instructions NEWBIE friendly. I will try to explain things in as much detail as possible so that ANYONE should be able to follow this list. The instructions will be listed in Multiple Sections/Posts for easier following, and each area will have both short steps and extended length steps, the short being first for those that know and understand what I am doing, and the LONG for those that are new, or might want to understand more and why I am doing that step. Because I hate reading guides that are straight forward, some mild attempts at humor might be thrown in to make this less serious and more fun. These will most likely only be funny to me, but I really don't care because hey, this is my guide and I can do what I want.
Well I have a huge collection of software for a Pocket PC. Some are free, many I have purchased, many I no longer use, and some were just a waste of money. As a recommendation when getting ready to purchase Pocket PC software, use the Trial of that software first. I have plenty of apps that I purchased based upon a magazine, another user, or a review that I never used because they flat out sucked, I mean like a Hoover sucks. Many Pocket PC apps are just plain horrible, they don't work right and they just cause problems. Other apps just seem like they don't work right, but in reality you just have to configure them correctly, and then they make life easy (phoneAlarm anyone....). And yet some apps are so nice that you would be willing to pay more for it because of the amount it helps. So load the trail, test the software for the WHOLE trial, and then purchase. You will be happy you did, and probably save hundreds of dollars (I know I would have...). If you are worried about using a trial, do a Sprite Backup first, then load it, this way you can always revert to when you didn't have it loaded, or you can do a Hard Reset to get that fresh phone feeling...
So this list is a list of software that I use on my i730/i830. This list is divided in to two sections, purchased software and free software. I currently use Handango.com to purchase my software, just because I have been using them for years, and I like the way it works. There are other sites to use, but that's just my preference since it keeps a history of my software, as well as the registration keys.
Also when downloading the software, backup both the install file, and a copy of the registration key. This is important if you ever want to hard reset your i730/i830, as this guide is explaining. Also you will want to make sure your name is correct on the i730/i830, as many applications use your name in the registration process, and the serial number is linked to your name. This is also why I like Handango.com, they keep the registration keys and let me re-download an install file. I still keep them on my computer, and burned to a CD, just in case, but this gives me plenty of options to get the software I paid for back on my Pocket PC.
So when looking through my purchased list, don't PM me or post that I could have not bought the software because a free version exists, I don't want to hear that. I have already bought these software packages and grown to like them. If there are replacements that are free, so be it. I know these work for me, otherwise they would not be on the list. Also I have no affiliation with any of these software vendors, I am not paid by them, I have not gotten the software for free for recommending them, I paid for them out of my own pocket. Now if you know of any developers that want to pay to recommend them, let me know and I will change this statement...
This list gives a quick overview, to see more about them, click the link, or search for them on Handango.com to see a full description.
PURCHASED SOFTWARE (alphabetical - Only the ones I use):
abcDB 6.39 - This is a database application for the i730/i830. You can link Access Database files, and sync them using ActiveSync. Currently I use this to interact with my billing database so I can easily bill customers and keep track of my billable hours while on the go.
abcDB Desktop Studio 1.0 - This is an expensive application, but well worth it if you are designing database applications for a Pocket PC. I purchased it after spending a few hours trying to create a linking database on the Pocket PC and didn't get very far. After loading this Desktop Studio I was able to create the form screens and reports I needed for my Pocket PC. Was worth every penny.
Bejeweled 2 - You have to have a few games, and I can only take so much Solitare. This is an addictive game, and version 2 has a never ending game mode and puzzle mode. Right now I am on level 33 on the never ending game and normally play it when I have 5 - 10 minutes to kill.
eWallet 4.1 Professional Edition - This program keeps track of your serial numbers, passwords, credit card numbers, frequent flyer numbers, etc. I use this both for personal and work. I deal with many customers and must keep track of many passwords for different systems, and this allows me a secure way to keep track of them. This also loads a version on your computer, allowing syncing to it, and easier entry.
EZDial for WM2003SE V. 3.04SE - This program is loaded in the Phone App. It allows you to use the Phone App Screen to look up contacts by typing on the keys instead of pulling out the keyboard. So you want contact Michael, you would dial 6-4-2-4-2-3-5 on the screen, and then on the right side of the screen a list of corresponding contacts appears. This is similar to the way Smartphones work with no keyboards. I like the app, and use it occasionally as I still miss my Samsung i600, and the way it used to dial contacts instead of having to bring up the contacts program.
SBSH iLauncher 2.3.01 - I don't use the Today Screen App for this, just the tray launcher. I prefer to keep my Today Screen clear, and like the quick launching capabilities of this program, and easy setup and use.
IM+ - This is just like Trillian on the PC. You can access AIM, MSN, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber, and Google Talk with this app and communicate with people on the go. I used to use Agile Messenger, but they have started the, we are going to change monthly speech, and I decided to buy this app, which I think works much better.
phoneAlarm 1.30.03 - What can I say about this that I haven't said numerous times in the forum. This program is bar far the most useful program I have ever loaded on my i730/i830. People complain all the time, but I stand by it because, I know it works. Many people complain because they don't take the time to go through the configuration of the software, which makes it stable. So when you download my configuration file, you will see what I change. To use this, you HAVE to go through every setting to make sure they are set correct, or it can be unstable. Also the versions on this change all the time, so be aware that my config file will match the version here.
Photo Contacts Pro 4.01 - This program allows assigning of ringtones to individual contacts/groups. It lets you put a photo for the contact and replaces the incoming call screen with a full screen app. Each portion is configurable, and works very well.
PIEPlus V1.31 - This is an application that modifies the way Pocket IE works. Multiple windows, modifies the page, navigate with the D-Pad, etc.
Pocket Quicken V2.03 - Well it's name speaks for itself. It syncs with Quicken on the desktop and allows you to make entries and see what's happening with your finances.
Pocket DVD Studio 3.6 - Desktop utility that converts DVDs to a format for the Pocket PC. Each DVD has options, but roughly it's 100 MBs per hour of video. There are other converters, but this is the one I started with and still enjoy.
SPB Pocket Plus 3.0.4.1 - I don't use the Today Screen Plugin for this app, basically I have it for the battery status bar and for the close button control, as well as some Pocket IE enhancements. I am slowly leaning towards potentially using the today app, but am not right now.
FREE/DONATIONWARE SOFTWARE (alphabetical - Only the ones I use):
These applications will be included at the end of this guide, as well as a link to those software applications main pages. Once this section is up, I will link each of these to that post, until then, do a search for them, on here, or Google it.
MRailing Tools Pack V1.0 - You will see listed in the instructions of some of these free/donationware apps that it is a part of the MRailing Tools Pack. I have combined these apps in to one downloadable zip file for easy install on the i730/i830. Instructions for placing both downloading and placing this Tools Pack on your i730/i830 can be found at the bottom of this Setup Guide or by clicking the link of this title. Detailed instructions about how to use this Tools Pack will be provided in the Setup Guide.
ActiveSync 3.8 - This of course allows your computer to communicate with your i730/i830. Verison 3.8 is the latest build for Windows Mobile 2003SE, and I would suggest sticking with this version over 4.1. 4.1 is meant for Windows Mobile 5, and the 4.1 version removes some feature that 3.8 still has, namely Syncing across a network, or with WiFi. So stick with 3.8
Clean Mail - This is a utility released by the makers of Sprite Backup. Occasionally when you restore a backup your Text Message box, Outlook Mail box, or other POP/IMAP mail boxes on the phone are messed up and contain weird messages you can't delete. This application rebuilds your mail store, and resets it. You loose all of your mail on the device, and text messages, but it fixes the problem. This is part of the "MRailing i730/i830 Tools Pack".
PHM Regedit - This is a free registry editor provided by PHM. Currently their website is down (see the site), but their software is amazing stuff for being free. They really should be charging for this stuff. The registry editor is small and free, and you don't even have to install it. This is part of the "MRailing i730/i830 Tools Pack".
PhoneHelper 1.05 - Created by one of our own users "Dimension". This does a few things, one gives you a Num Lock (NumLocker) for the i730/i830, something that was missed. Another thing it does is a Double Press Caps. Meaning you quickly double press a key and it caps the letter. It also assigns a Close Dialog box (Dialog Killer) to the center d-pad (blue) button. All these settings are configurable in the PhoneHelper Configuration Utility. This utility replaces NumLocker and Dialog Killer and those apps should NOT be used. There also seems to be a conflict between this program and WiFi and Phone together Version 3 that SuperDave has released. I personally don't use the SuperDave hack, so I am not sure if it has been resolved, but my suggestion is to pick the one that you prefer and not user the other. This is part of the "MRailing i730/i830 Tools Pack".
Samsung MCCI Drivers (Tethering Drivers) - Well since none of us tether , these aren't necessary (Michael cracks a smile...). But if you were to tether you would need these drivers so your computer could recognize your i730/i830 as a modem and you could set it up for a USB DUN Connection (this is from the i730/i830 FAQ and contains the use). See also **PATH Shortcut Below.
WiFi Shortcut - This is a shortcut directly to the WiFi App. If you want to remove the WiFi app from the Today Screen, then this will launch that app. This is part of the "MRailing i730/i830 Tools Pack".
(**PATH) - (**7284) - Data Connection Shortcut - This is a shortcut to directly access the Data Connection program for changing between ActiveSync Connection and USB Modem Connection. It seems that Samsung/Verizon have released an updated i730 that does not allow the **PATH dial in the Phone App to access this program, as well as the i830 does not have this ability. This shortcut allows direct access to the Data Connection Program for switching between USB Modem and ActiveSync. This is part of the "MRailing i730/i830 Tools Pack".
INTRODUCTION:
I choose not to use many hacks on the i730/i830 because some of them just cause it to be unstable or unreliable. I agree that things like having the WiFi and Phone working at the same time would be wonderful and "occasionally" useful, but currently you take risk by making it work, and it sometimes makes the phone unstable. For a complete (well almost complete) refer to the FAQ. The hacks are explained there, and you can choose which one to install. From experience, backup your i730/i830 (is this sounding repetitive?, good, do it, backup often, don't ask questions, do it) before attempting any hacks or changes.
Now with many of the "hacks" that I do are just registry changes. I am going to list them here and what they do. I will also try to explain what "other" changes to the same registry key might do, incase you want something different. I also will NOT go in to detail on the hacks available that I DON'T use. They are explained in detail in the i730/i830 forum, and since they aren't used here, they don't belong here. Some of them might be good, and well worth checking out (WiFi and Phone together, bluetooth com ports, all audio over bluetooth, etc), I just don't use them as the phone becomes more unstable.
So again, this section is to list the hacks and some general information before the guide tells you when to do them. This basically just gives you the information you need on using a registry editor, and what each hack does and the options of that hack. So on with the hacks....
HACKS - Files and Registry Changes:
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Registry Editor and information - To do registry changes you need a registry editor. The Windows Mobile 2003SE OS does not include one, but lucky for you, I included the one from PHM called PHM Regedit. It is part of the MRailing i730/i830 Tools Pack and will be setup with a shortcut in the Programs list if you follow my guide. There are other registry editors out there, and you can use any one that you would like, but these instructions will be based off the PHM Regedit tool.
Some other information that most newbies question is what is the registry and what do your abbreviations mean? The registry is what powers the device. It is essentially the database of instructions that tells the OS what do to. So when you make a change, it changes how the device works. You want to make SURE you have a backup of your phone before you make changes, because you could make your phone unstable, lockup, or just plain not work because of making changes. So backup before editing anything in the registry or you might be doing ANOTHER hard reset to get your phone back to normal, and having to do all these changes again.
That get's asked a lot, and this is something you need to know when referencing a key.
A key in the registry is particular place in the registry that contains some type of value and that value being a string, binary, DWORD, Multi-String, or Expanded String Value. I am not going to go in to details as to what each of those mean, as each registry change will explain which one to choose. You just need to know that when I say navigate to "said" key (HKCU\ControlPanel\Desktop), you know to select the overall key, and when I say change "said" value (wallpaper), you know to change the value, create a particular vaule in "said" key (HKCU\ControlPanel\Desktop).
To change a key vaule, you click the value that needs to be changed, in the above example you would click "wallpaper" in the HKCU\ControlPanel\Desktop Key. This brings up the value properties box, which is different depending on the type of value being editied, and in our example is a String value. You have two fields, Value Name, which is what shows up as the name of the value (this is important, because if you change the name of the value and the Windows OS doesn't know the new name you typed, that value is no longer used and could cause problems). Also in the properties page is the Data section, and this is what that name contains, and in our example is a file path for the backgound image of the desktop.
Once values are changed and you click OK, the registry is then saved. So make sure when you change items you only click OK when you double check it. Now the registry settings that you change WON'T take affect until you reboot the Pocket PC, so keep that in mind for two reasons. 1. if you make a mistake, as long as you don't reset the Pocket PC (i730/i830), then you still have time to change it again, and 2. Your change might not take affect until you reboot, which means you might not notice anything different until you restart, which could cause problems if you didn't do it right. So again make sure you backup before messing with the registry and follow instructions to the letter.
So again the disclaimer, you could mess up your phone and cause you to do another hard reset if you mess with the registry and don't understand the commands.
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Big Dialer - Keypad Ready Hack- When you slide open the phone and have the phone app open, a BIG Keypad Ready image appears in the middle of the screen and covers the phone app. I hate this, as well as many other people. It's very easy to change and just requires renaming a registry entry so that windows doesn't know where to find the image. You can also delete the entry for it, but I like to just rename it. The easiest way to do this is to open the PHM Regedit app from the programs list (it will be there later), click "Tools", click "Find". In the Find What box, type "bigdialer.dll" without the quotes, and check all three of the Look At (Keys, Values, Data) and then click Find Next. You should be in Key:
and you should see a Value name of "Default" with the data being "BigDialer.dll". Click it to open the data, and then rename the Value Data to "BigDialer1.dll", click OK.
Change the System Clock to also have the Date - I hate having a big Today Screen Plugin of the day and date. Why not have it with the clock in the system tray at the top of the screen, this way it's alwasy visible. You can do this, here's how. The i730 is missing the entry in the registry so we have to add it. Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shell
You will see nothing listed in the bottom Value Box. With Shell being selected in the top box, click "Edit" and then click "New String Value". Name this
TBOpt
and give it a value data of:
3
This will make the clock display Date and Time. Other settings can be:
0 = Nothing is displayed
1 = Only the Time is displayed
2 = Only the Date is displayed
3 = Date & Time are both displayed
The normal setting should be 1 (time only), but the i730 doesn't have this string automatically (I don't know about the updated firmware or the i830). Other Pocket PCs might already have this value added, so you might not need to make it if you are using this guide for something other than the i730.
Change the default Pocket IE Start Page - Verizon provides us with a nice little branded MSN/Verizon start page with quick links to some nifty mobile stuff. This is a nice page for newbs and advanced users alike as it has links to mobile friendly pages for weather, sports, hotmail, news, etc. I don't want it though, as I want my own start page, and by default Pocket IE doesn't let us change this by typing in a page, so again we do a registry change (you could navigate to the page and then click tools and then options and then click use current, but since we are "hacking" the registry, let's just do it during setup. Navigate to:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
You will see a large list of values in the bottom pane, find the one that says "start page" and click it to edit. Change the page to whatever value you want, keeping the entire address with the http in the front. Heck you could put the mobile version of pdaphonehome.com found at ****** (will be replaced when the link is released). Or if you want something simple, use the mobile Google search page at:
http://www.google.com/xhtml
or
http://mobile.google.com/local (this is for Google Local).
Change the location and limit the size of the Pocket IE Cache - Pocket IE by default is in Main Memory, which sucks if you browse the web as Main Memory gets eaten up by your temp files. Yes you can clean them out manually, or do a soft reset (reboot), but why not just change their location and size limit. Note that changing the size will also cause you to use more data as it won't keep as many files cached for browsing the web. Also cached files help make browsing sites a little faster as it can reuse the same images.
So first thing we do is change the location from Main Memory to SafeStore, so navigate to:
Find the value "cache" and change the value data to "\safestore\internet\cache" (without quotes)
Find the value "cookies" and change the value data to "\safestore\internet\cookies"
Find the value "history" and change the value data to "\safestore\internet\history"
Now each of the values will be in SafeStore instead of Main Memory. But wait there's more! We can also limit the amount of cache/temp files are stored.
you will see a value title "CacheLimit" with a whopping big value (I think 15 MB in size). We don't need that much so change the value to "3072" (without the qutoes). This will change the cache size to 3 MB in size, which will still let you cache enough images for a few websites, which should still make browsing fairly fast without using up much space.
Change Ring Tones Default location - Since I use Photo Contacts Pro to handle my ringtones, I normally have all my favorite ringtones in SafeStore for easy access, and not taking up space in Main Memory. (Note that I would NOT store them on a SD card. The i730 when asleep, disconnects from the SD card, which means that occasionally ringers won't work. Either keep Ringers in SafeStore, or Main Memory). We can tell the i730 where to look for the ringers on the phone with a simple registry change. First thing is to use File Explorer on the i730 (found in the programs list) and go to SafeStore and create a folder called "ringers". This is where all of your ringers will go. Navigate to:
HKCU\ControlPanel\SoundCategories\Ring
and click the Value Name of:
Directory
and change the Value Data to:
\safestore\ringers\
This will change the location of the Ringers Folder to SafeStore\Ringers. This however doesn't affect some tones on the phone including txt message tones. These are still needed to be copied to \windows\ directory as a MIDI file or a WAV file.
Backup Guide using Sprite Backup - i730/i830 Setup Guide
Backups, what can I say about these, you should be doing them on a regular basis. What you aren't. Didn't you know that Samsung and Verizon have included a free version of Sprite Backup on our phone? Well I guess we are going to remedy this.
Currently I backup my phone in two different ways, 1. with Sprite, and 2. manually. As I explained in my original guide, I normally don't care about backing up my whole i730, and there are many reasons for this, but the short one is, the only information I can't replace is the call log, and even then I can get access to it online at Verizonwireless.com. So in reality, with syncing the phone with my computer I can get everything back on the phone, it just takes a little bit to load it on the phone, and following this "wonderful" setup guide. Now I do use Sprite at certain times, one while traveling, actually right before traveling. I do a full Sprite backup of my phone and store that on the SD card. So if my battery completely dies while traveling I can restore from backup very quickly and easily. I also do a Sprite Backup before testing any programs or registry hacks. This is because I have, and probably will, mess up my phone where I have to do another Hard Reset.
But backing up manually, how do you do that? Glad you asked. I use the term manually for the process I backup. See Sprite will backup the whole i730 without a problem, but I want to be very selective about what it backs up because many of things I don't want, and Sprite has a tendency to screw up the mail store on the phone (which is why I included CleanMail as one of the tools in the Tools Pack). So you need to make a list of the software you use on the i730 and determine if it's something you need to backup, or if it will be restored when you sync the i730 next.
So, since I already have my list created in this guide we will use it to check out if I need to back anything up before doing a Hard Reset:
abcDB - Not off the i730. I used the Desktop Studio to create my database, and it's backed up on my computer, so I really don't have to worry about this, although if you are using a database program, I highly suggest you make sure you have everything backed up, because if you are like me, you have MANY hours in to the development of the database.
abcDB Desktop Studio - Well since this is on my computer, I can skip is as well. I do have it backed up and my files I have created. In fact they are in MULTIPLE locations, just in case something big happens.
Bejewled 2 - Yes most definitly. What you backup a game? Yes. I have beaten the puzzle mode, and I don't feel like doing it again, and being at such a high level on the Never-Ending game, I really don't want to start over. Now Bejeweled, even though I have it installed in SafeStore, still keeps it's saved game files in Main Memory, which is fine with me as they are small. This is something I manually backup to the SD card. So first thing I do is open File Explorer on the i730 and navigate to the Program Files directory. You will see a folder called Astraware, and I click/hold on that folder and say copy. Then click on the drop down arrow at the top of the screen and click My Device. You will see the main list again and now select Storage Card. You should whatever files you have on the SD card, and I now click/hold the background and choose "New Folder". I name it "Backup", and then open that folder. Now Click/Hold in the background and choose "Paste". A folder will appear called Astraware. You now have the Bejeweled 2 data files on your SD card. Don't won't to loose those games...
eWallet - Well since it syncs to the computer, again no. It's on the computer and I backup the database on the computer, instead of on the phone.
EZDial - There really is nothing to backup here, it rebuilds it index each time you install it, so nothing here either.
iLauncher - Nothing here either. Yes I could back up the files so I don't have to set it up again, but normally when Hard Resetting my phone I make sure I have the newest versions of the software, and sometimes those vendors make changes, so again, nothing.
IM+ - Nothing here either, although you could backup your friends list, but AIM and MSN both download the list, which are the two main apps I use when communicating with IM+, so really no need.
phoneAlarm - I don't backup anything. I would suggest you backup your configuration file, but every time I Hard Reset my phone, there is always a new version of phoneAlarm to install, and I don't want to load the same configuration file for an old version as some settings might have changed. I just manually go through EVERY setting after it's reinstalled and set it up from scratch.
Photo Contacts Pro - I am sure you could backup your photo and ringtone assignments, but I don't. I only have around 10 pictures for people that call (family and girlfriends), as many of my callers are business related and I don't want their ugly mugs showing up on my phone . I also do a LOT of my ringtone assignments as group based, and have very few individual assignments. So setting up ringtone assignments takes all of 30 seconds, so it's no big deal to set those up. So again, nothing here.
PIEPlus - Nothing here as well. Only a few settings, and I really don't change many of them away from default.
Pocket Quicken - Again nothing. Since this syncs with Quicken on the desktop, why back anything up. Just make sure you sync it before the hard reset if you make changes in it. I normally don't do a lot in it, but I like it loaded for those times I need it.
Pocket DVD Studio - Nothing here as well since it's on the desktop.
SPB Pocket Plus - Nothing here as well. This I setup each time I install and it only takes a minute or two to setup, so I skip trying to back it up.
So as you can see I don't manually back up many files, mostly my game. The reason is that it either syncs, or there isn't anything to back up. As a NOTE, sync, sync, sync if possibly before you hard reset. This will get MANY of your files on the computer, and make it easier to get them back on the i730. Without syncing, you could EASILY lose many of your files.
You also want to make sure you all of your install codes and software packages for the i730. These are the codes that you were e-mailed by buying the software and the files you downloaded. Keep them in a safe place (eWallet on the desktop?), print them, store them on your computer, keep the e-mails in Outlook. You don't want to have to re-buy the software. Luckily many of the software companies keep a history of what you have purchased and let you redownload the software (also the updated versions). Also many of the "trial" versions of the software are actually the full versions, they just have to be unlocked with the install codes. So make sure you keep them in a safe place.
You also need to backup what you name is on the i730. This is important for many software packages as they require your name to be entered and setup correctly before the install codes will work. To do this, click Start, then Settings. In the first tab (Personal) of the Settings area, you will see an icon that says "Owner Information". Write down the Name you have in there, then click the OK in the corner to close this screee, but stay in the Personal Tab of the Settings Area.
Also if you have followed my instructions in the past you will have had your voicemail password stored in the phone, we want to make sure you have it recorded as well. While in the Personal tab of the Settings area, click "Phone". It could take 10 seconds or so to open, so be patient. In the voicemail box write down what's there. For example mine says *86pp********. (Also if your password is the last four digits of you phone number I think you should stand up, go look in a mirror, look at yourself, tell yourself you are stupid, stupid, stupid, then slap yourself upside your head. You should change your password, as ANYONE can log in to your voicemail and check it. Ex-Girlfriends/Boyfriends, spouses, anyone who knows you telephone number, etc. Not saying you have anything to hide, but think about it...). Once you have it written down, click the OK in the corner but stay in the Settings Area.
I also write down the name of my i730. This is in the System Tab within the Settings area, so Click the System Tab on the bottom of the screen, then click the ABOUT icon. On the bottom, you will see a tab titled Device_ID. Click that, and write it down. Mine says "RAILING_IT", so I record it. Now click the OK in the corner but stay in the settings area.
Really there is nothing else I backup in here, unless you have created additional connections or have some weird software installed, then go ahead and close the settings area.
Now you need to ask yourself if you have everything else backed up. Go through your own software list and make sure that whatever you have is either synced, or something that just needs to be setup again. Also use File Explorer on the i730 to check the My Documents directory in Main Memory. Make sure you have any Voice Notes, Hand Written Notes, Phone Notes, etc. all backed up or synced. Check all the sub folders in the My Documents Folder on the i730 and make sure you have everything that can not be replaced. Copy those files to your SD card.
Now go into the Programs list. Look at each icon, and possibly open that software to make sure you have everything.
Ok, now that you have manually checked the files and software, we do use Sprite for two things. The Call Log, and Speed Dial list. This is the ONLY thing I use Sprite for because as you can see above, there really isn't a lot to backup provided you sync with your computer and use Outlook for your Calendar, Notes, Tasks, and Contacts. So while in the Programs list, click Sprite. It will scan your system files, and down at the bottom you will see an Options button on the system bar. Click that and then click "Switch to Advanced Mode". If it says "Switch to Basic Mode" then you are already in advanced mode, and then just click out of the menu. You will see a folder structure listed in the top, and a file location at the bottom, so first thing is change the file location to be \Storage Card\Backup\ (remember this is the folder we created above when backing up Bejewled 2, so if you didn't do that, quickly look above and make the folder on your SD card). To change the file location, click the {...} next to the path and it will give you four boxes, the top one asks for a name, just leave it alone, as it already has the Backup name and date. The second box should say "Storage Card" and if not, change it to it (you do you have your SD card in the phone right?). And in the folder box, choose "Backup". Enter a description if you want, I normally don't as I know what this backup includes. Click OK on the bottom and then you are back to the Main Backup screen.
Now we choose our options. I uncheck My Documents, well because I manually backed them up, and because they are normally synced. I also normally don't store a single document on the i730, I always store them on the SD card which means they are on the SD still. I also uncheck e-mail. Even though this means I don't have the SMS messages saved, which I still really want, it does mean that my mailbox store normally won't be messed up, and that I get all the mailboxes cleaned up ready for my "fresh" phone. I then uncheck "System Data", because I don't need the file system, registry, or other databases backed up. I then click the + next to Personal Databases, and uncheck everything but "Phone Databases". This maintains the Speed Dials and Call Log. So that's the ONLY thing I have checked is Phone Databases.
Now on the bottom of the screen I click "Backup..." and then "start" when the next screen comes up. It copies to the backup file on the SD card under the backup folder, and normally is very quick (after it stops all the processes, and very small. After it's done, it says click OK and should say Operation Completed, and after you click ok, it should reboot.
Now one FINAL thing I do for backup it to sync my phone one last time, so stick it back in the cradle and sync it one last time to make sure you data in Outlook and on the computer is up to date.
Hard Reset and SafeStore Reset Guide - i730/i830 Setup Guide
NOTE: make sure your battery is FULLY charged on the i730 before doing any Hard Reset or formatting of SafeStore. You don't want to screw something up with a dead battery.
Well hopefully if you are reading this section you have done the backup on your i730 and you are ready to wipe the phone completely and get it back to Factory Fresh Conditions. So JUST TO MAKE SURE, do another activesync connection with your phone, make sure your Outlook and computer is up to date with what's on the phone.
While the phone is in the cradle, let's do something to get it setup for later. Download the MRailing Tools Pack to your computer. We are going to place the Tools Pack folder on the SD card in preparation for setting up the phone. So once download on the computer follow the instructions in the MRailing Tools Pack post, but instead of putting it in SafeStore, put it on the SD card. We are doing this because once we hard reset, we don't sync the phone until it's darn near ready for your purchased software. So go ahead and do that, I will wait right here for you... You done yet, no, ok, I will wait just a little longer... Ok you should be done, if not, hurry up, and you should have a folder called "MRailing Tools Pack 1.0" in the Root Directory of the i730 with all the contents listed in the Tools Pack post below.
Now, we can take the phone out of the cradle and you should hear ActiveSync disconnect (provided your speakers are on, and turned up to a medium level volume, and that you haven't changed any system sounds). Now pop out the SD card and put it in a SAFE place. Normally back in an SD case and put it next to your cradle so you know right where it is. I do this to make SURE that my backups don't get deleted or erased while we are hard resetting the i730.
Now set the phone down and don't touch it, we need to make a change on the computer. In the system tray you should see the greyed out ActiveSync icon, double click on it to open ActiveSync. We are now going to remove the partnership that ActiveSync has with the i730. So click "File" then "Delete Partnership" and do this until you can't do it any longer. This will make your computer forget the i730 until we set it up again later. Now close ActiveSync and pick up your i730.
Now double check, yup, no SD card in the slot, just making sure. Click the start button, then go to Settings, and click the "System" tab. You should see an Icon that says "Erase Memory". This is your SafeStore area. We are going to Erase SafeStore so we will have a Factory Fresh i730. So you did double check those files when backing up correct? Just making sure because this will Format SafeStore, click the Format when you are ready, if not, hit the OK in the corner, put the SD card back in and double check the SafeStore area with FileExplorer on the i730, and copy any files you need from SafeStore to the SD card, and then remove the SD card and put it in a safe place again, and start over at the beginning of this paragraph. Now if you are sure you are ready, click Format. It will give you ONE last chance to get out of this, are you getting that this is something you can't undo? So if you are ready, click in the box and type in "yes", then click OK. You will see SafeStore being formatted, which will take about two or three minutes, and then the i730 will automatically reboot.
After reboot your i730 may act weird, might pop up error messages because it can't find software, just keep closing those boxes until you get to your Today screen and have no more error messages. We are now going to Hard Reset the i730, which will get it back to a Factory Fresh feeling...
While holding down the power slider switch on the left side of the phone down toward the bottom, push the soft reset button with the pointed end of the stylus. This will reset the phone to factory settings. Then pull out the stylus and let go of the switch on the side. The i730 should reset, and pop up with the Windows Mobile "Tap Screen to set up your Pocket PC"
Congrats your phone is now Factory Fresh, so fresh and so clean, clean...
Initial Setup Guide (No extra software installed) - i730/i830 Setup Guide
Now that you have complete the Backup, SafeStore format, and Hard Reset, you are looking at a Blank phone with the Windows Mobile "Tap this screen to setup your Pocket PC." So let's get it setup and ready to go.
1. Click the scree, you will now be presented with the Align Screen, so take your stylus, not your finger, and click in the middle of the aligning tool, just as the instructions say, and repeat this for the middle, top left, bottom left, bottom right, and top right. You MIGHT have to press a little hard to get it to register, but this is normal.
2. Now we learn about the Single Tap and the Tap and Hold. Read the screen and then click Next. Follow the Tap and Hold Tutorial, then click Next.
3. You now select your time zone. So drop the list down and select which time zone you are currently in (and that your computer is in. This is important to make sure the computer and the phone are on the same time zones, so make sure they match, if not appointments might not show up correctly on the i730, or it might change appointment times in Outlook). Click next after selecting the time zone.
4. Congrats you completed the first stage, so click the screen to go to your partially setup i730. Now we need to get the rest of the initial settings setup to make the i730 more yours. The next few steps are for personal preference, these are my settings, but you might like some different settings, so feel free to skip some, change some, or choose different settings.
5. Now you probably just saw that the i730 installed Wireless Sync on the i730. This is ok, because if you want to use it, you need it, and if not, we remove it in the next step.
6. If you want to use Wireless Sync, then skip this step, but if you are like me, remove it. You can always reinstall it later, and those steps are listed in the FAQ. So click the Start Button, then Settings, Go to the System tab and click the Memory Icon. At the bottom you will see a Running Programs tab, click that and then click on Wireless Sync and choose Stop. A Warning message will appear telling you that you won't receive updates, choose YES, then click "End Task" to stop Wireless Sync. Close the Memory settings page by clicking the OK in the corner, now scroll down until you see, "Remove Programs" and click that. The only thing that should be listed is "Sync Client". Click that and click "Remove". It will warn you that you are permanently removing the software, so Click "YES". The i730 will now remove the Sync Client, and now click OK in the corner to close the Remove Programs setting page. Now you should still be in the Settings area, so click the "Personal Tab" and we will continue to setup the i730.
7. If you didn't follow my previous step of removing the Wireless Sync client, click the start button and choose Settings. You will be on the Personal Tab. We are going to setup the i730 the rest of the way, and if you did follow my step above, we are all in the same area.
8. Setup Owner Information. So let's get this thing ours, click the "Owner Information" icon, and fill out fields, Name (this should be the same it was before, and identical to what you have your software registered with.), Company, Address, Telephone, and E-Mail. Go ahead, I will wait why you do it. You can now click the Notes tab and add any notes that you feel you need (I don't add any), and then go to the Options tab. You can choose whether you want your Owner Information and Notes displayed when the i730 is turned on. This is good to check in case your i730 is lost and someone finds it. They have your information displayed as soon as they turn it on and can see it. I personally have insurance on my phone, and I HATE having to clear it when the using my i730, so I don't check either of them, so now click the OK in the corner to save those options.
9. We are back on the personal tab in the settings area, so click Buttons. I change the Record button on the i730 to be < NONE > because I always hit it and have a ton of recorded messages. Very poor design by Samsung for making it stick out so much. So select Button 1, and then in the list at the bottom, scroll all the way to the top and select < None >. Right now I leave all the rest of the buttons alone, so click the OK in the corner.
10. Input options. We are back at the Personal Tab in the Settings Area, so click the Input icon. I don't change anything on the first tab "Input Method", so I click the second tab "Word Completion" and I change the suggest 1 word to 4 words. This will show you four words when you type after you enter 2 letters instead of just 1 word. This is again personal preference and makes for quicker typing as you can use the direction pad to go down and then click the center d-pad button to select the word. I don't make any other changes, so click the OK to return to the Personal Tab in the Settings area.
11. Menus. Click the Menus icon and then click the New Menu tab. I turn this on with the check box at the top and I unselect Word Document and Excel Document. This creates a NEW button on the bottom of the Today Screen that you can quickly add a new entry in to any of the programs listed on this screeen. Since I RARELY use Excel and Word as "new" documents, I uncheck them to make the list shorter. Click OK to return to the Personal tab in the Settings Area.
12. Phone Settings. Now click the Phone Icon. It could take 10 seconds or so for it to pop up. Now I change the Voicemail number to include my password so I don't have to enter it every time. The only problem with doing this is your password is displayed here, and displayed when you make the call, so it's not that secure, but since I am the only one using my phone, I don't care. So click in the Voicemail Box and after the *86 add two "p" and then your password (remember you wrote this down during the backup steps above.). So now the Voicemail box reads:
*86pp******* (where the ****** is your password)
Also as I mentioned above, I really hope you changed your password from the default last four digits of your number, if not go up and repeat the steps I mentioned in the backup area...)
Now that voicemail is changed, I change the Ring type to Vibrate and Ring as the default. Later we will setup different settings in phoneAlarm, but by default, this is what I like. I also leave the Windows Default as my standard ringtone because I change this later. I now click the Option tab on the bottom of the screen and click to have the "Call Answer by the slider open." I leave the rest of the settings alone. I don't hang up the phone by closing the slider because I have hung up on too many people with this setting by accidently closing the phone. I now go to the Alert tab on the bottom of the screen. I leave the defaults of Minute beep off, Connect and Disconnect tones on, and then I click the Service tab on the bottom. I leave Data Mode to Data Off, Roaming Automatic, GPS to 911 Only, and Voice Privacy to Standard. This setting seems to make calls a little clearer. I now click the OK in the corner as there are no other settings I adjust.
13. I skip over Password, because I don't enter one, but you can if you want, this will prompt you for a password each time your phone is not in use for a certain time, but my phone never leaves my side, so I don't have the need for a password. I also don't setup Sounds and Notifications yet. I do it later after I get my ringtones and notification sounds on my phone.
14. I do however click and setup the Today screen, so click it, and then click the Items Tab on the bottom. I uncheck Date, as I hack this in a bit to make the date appear in the top bar with the clock. I uncheck Owner information, because I know my own name and don't need it taking up space or displaying my phone number. I leave the rest of the items on the Today Screen, but I select Wireless, and move it to the top, and then select Owner Info, and move it to the bottom, still unselected. I then click on Calendar and click Options, and change it to show "upcoming appointments" instead of Next Appointment, then select OK in the corner to get back to the Items list, and then click OK again to get back to the Personal Tab in the Settings Area.
15. Now I click the System Tab and we start adjusting settings here. Click the About Icon, then click the "Device ID" tab, and we are chaning the name of our device. (we wrote this down earlier as well, mine was Railing_IT). You can't have any spaces, so if you want one, put an _ instead of the space. I leave the description tab black, and click OK in the corner to return to the System tab in the Settings Area.
16. Backlight Options. Click Backlight to adjust the backlight options. On the Battery Power tab, I change the Turn off backlight if device is not used for:" to 1 min, instead of 30 secs. I then click the External Power Tab. I change the "Turn off backlight if device is not used for:" ON, and then adjust to 10 mins. I like this because I don't want the device to stay on, as many times when I travel I plug it in to charge and after 10 minutes I would prefer for the backlight to go off and not be on all night keeping me awake. I then select the Brightness tab and leave it at medium brightness to conserve some battery life. Click OK in the corner to get back to the System tab of the Settings Area.
17. Car Kit. I have the Hands Free Car Kit made by Samsung, so I adjust these settings, so open it, and move all to LOUD, then Click OK to get back to the System tab.
18. Power Settings. Now click the Power icon. This shows your battery life, and I click the Advanced tab and turn on the external power option to turn the device off and change that setting to 10 minutes. I do this because I want the phone to go to sleep when on external power. If connected to ActiveSync, ActiveSync will keep the phone awake in the cradle and constantly syncing, and in the HFCK (Car kit) it will also stay on, so this works great for me when it's hooked up to just power it turns off. Now click the Misc Tab. There is a bug in the phone that as SOON as you connect in a phone call the screen turns off. Hopefully this will be fixed in WM5, but I still change the setting to 30 seconds, so where Device says Phone, I turn the bottom choice to 30 seconds. Now click the device at the top and choose Keyboard Backlight. Uncheck the Turn off in daytime, this will make the keyboard backlight ALWAYS come on when you open the slider (right now between 8 AM and 8 PM it is off with the setting on). I also adjust the keyboard backlight to 8 seconds. Now click the OK in the corner to close the Power settings and we are back to the System Tab in the Settings Area
19. Screen Settings. Click the Screen Icon. I leave the first tab alone, and click the ClearType tab. Check it and uncheck it and see which you prefer, I like mine on as it smooths the edges, but some people like it off. Now click the Text Size tab. I change mine to be the second from the smallest. So when you find the one you like, click the OK in the corner to get back to the system tab in the Settings area.
20. I now close the System Area and am back at the Today Screen. Take your stylus and click the Reset button on the bottom of the phone to reset it. I do this just to make sure the memory is empty and be fresh for the rest of the setttings.
21. The i730 has an Audio App that loads at startup (notice the SRS in the corner?). I don't use it, so why have it take up memory. Let's get rid of it from startup, but still make it accessible "incase" we want to use it in the future. So click the start button, and the click Programs. Click the File Explorer Icon, at the top you will see "My Documents", click that to drop down the list and click "My Device". You will see the Root of the device, and now click "Windows" (this might take a few seconds to display, but this is normal). Scroll down the list until you find "Startup" and click it. You will see a list of files and you want to CLICK and HOLD on the WOWTray file and choose "CUT". Now click the Startup dropdown on the top bar and click "Windows", scroll down that list until you see the folder that says "Start Menu". Click that, then Click "Programs". Once this list populates, click the Edit button in the bottom left hand corner, then click "Paste". You will see WOWTray appear at the bottom of the list. Click and Hold on WOWTray, Then Click Rename, I change mine to "SRS Audio". This let's you still start the audio program if you want it, but removes it from startup. Now close File Explorer, and close the Programs list by clicking the X's in the right corner. Now soft reset your i730 with the stylus in the reset hole on the bottom of the i730. When it reboots you should NOT have the SRS icon in the corner and your phone should be pretty blank.
22. Now we are going to get your Outlook information set back up on the i730. So take your phone and put it in the cradle. ActiveSync will pop up and ask what type of connection would would like to create. If you haven't done so, you need ActiveSync 3.8 and Outlook on your computer. We are going to choose "Standard Partnership", then Click next. Now choose "Synchronize with this desktop computer", or the Exchange/desktop computer option depending on what you have setup, then click next. Now you are shown a list of options on what you want to sync. Uncheck EVERYTHING except (Calendar, Contacts, Favorites, Inbox, Notes, and tasks) provided you want all of those. Now click on Calendar, then click settings. Change the 2 weeks of past appointments to 26 weeks. This gives you the previous 6 months of appointments, click ok. I change no other settings, so click next, and then Finish to complete the Partnership setup and to start syncing your PDA with Outlook. This will copy all of the files from Outlook on to your i730 and everything should say "Synchronized". Take you i730 out of the cradle, click the reset button on the bottom of the phone to soft reset, then when it restarts, sync again, and everything should be the same. I do this just to make sure...
23. Now we need to restore our call log and speed dials from the backup file, so grab your SD card from it's safe place and put it in your i730 and click Start, then Programs. Scroll down the list and click Sprite Backup, click the Options in the bottom left corner and click "switch to advanced mode". Now click the Restore tab on the bottom. Click the {...} button, and you should see the backup that you made of the i730's call log and speed dials. Select it and it should only show you Personal Databases, now click the Restore button on the bottom. Click Start to start the restore. It stops the processes and starts the restore. When finished press the OK button on the bottom and the screen should say Operation completed. Your i730 should soft reset itself. If you click the Phone app, you should see your call history and if you check your speed dials, they should all be in place as well.
24. Sync your phone again, just to make sure everything is working like it should, and you might be prompted by ActiveSync that you need to replace the items on your device or to sync them. Choose "Replace the Items on my device with the items on this computer". This happens because you restored the image from Sprite and it modified the Activesync Partnership on the phone. It will remove all the items on the i730 and then re-add them to the i730. This is fine, but this is why we synced it again. Now soft reset again, and then resync again, everything should sync like normal this time.
25. Now since we have the MRailing Tools pack on the SD card, we should copy them to SafeStore, and we should run the CleanMail utility JUST to make sure Sprite didn't screw up the Mail Store on the i730. So grab the phone from the cradle, and open File Explorer from the Programs list. Drop the list at the top down and choose "My Device". Click Storage Card and you should see your Backup Folder and your MRailing Tools Pack 1.0 Folder (although some of the name might be cut off). Click & Hold on the MRailing Tools Pack 1.0 Folder and then click COPY. Click the drop down at the top and click My Device, click SafeStore. Click Edit in the bottom left, and click Paste. You should see the folder apprear.
Now we have the Tools Pack in SafeStore. We will need it there in the next section as we will use a few of the tools and setup a few tweaks and hacks. So like I just mentioned we want to run CleanMail to make sure the Mail Store is completely cleaned, so click on the MRailing Tools Pack 1.0 folder and you will see a list of folder, click the CleanMail folder and then click on CleanMail. The Sprite CleanMail utility will appear. Click Clean, and the Click Go. It will act likes it locked up, but then will say Reboot. Click Reboot.
Once the i730 restarts, we need to do something to keep the i730 from deleting all the messages in the Outlook inbox that were on the i730, so DON'T put the i730 back in the cradle. Open ActiveSync on the computer and click File then Delete Partnership. Do this until no partnerships are left. Now place the phone back in the cradle and we are going to repeat the steps in #22 and then come back down HERE after you have completed step #22 again, and there will be two changes. You will be prompted to ONLY sync with this computer, choose that option, and then right when it syncs it will prompt you as to what you want to do, choose "Replace the Items on my device with the items on this computer". Then let it sync. Take it out of the cradle, and soft reset. Once restarted, place back in the cradle and it should sync again without any problems or pop ups.
26. Your phone is now setup and in a GREAT working order without any software, hacks, or changes. It has all of your data on it, your Call Log and Speed Dials are restored, your Mail Store is clean. You have a copy of the MRailing Tools Pack 1.0 in SafeStore ready to start hacking and modifying your i730 more to your own liking.
Usability Setup Guide (small apps/registry changes/hacks to increase usability)
So the phone is in good working order now, so let's make a great phone even better. First thing for us to do is to get the MRailing Tools Pack finished loading. In the last section we loaded it off the SD card an in to SafeStore. If you haven't done this, now is the time to jump down to the MRailing i730/i830 Tools Pack 1.0 thread and follow the instructions to get it loaded in to SafeStore.
Ok, just to make sure we are on the same page. The MRailing Tools Pack has been loaded in SafeStore. The phone is in working order, we have synced with the computer, you can make and receive calls, your call log and speed dials are restored and you are happy with what's happening.
As a little disclaimer, if you haven't used the phone without hacking it or loading software, I suggest you stop right here and use it for a couple of days. Get the feel for the speed of the phone and how it works. Learn the little problems with the phone and when you load the hacks and apps you will appreciate them more. Also you will understand if the phone does something weird, whether it's suppose to do that, or if it's because of software or hacks that you have loaded. This is a suggestion, but I think you will get a better "feel" because of waiting and using the phone for a few days.
Now the first thing we need to do is get all the great tools setup on the i730. I am going to explain these next few steps only using the computer, without having to pickup the i730. You see when the i730 is in the cradle and synced to the computer (or with guest access on any PC and not syncing) you can interact with the file system on the Pocket PC directly from File Explorer (My Computer) on the computer, instead of having to use the Pocket PC to manipulate the files. This makes it easy when copying/moving files, creating shortcuts, and seeing hidden files and folders.
So make sure the phone is in the cradle and synced. Now open My Comptuer on the PC, and you should see the "Mobile Device" at the bottom of the computer, provided you haven't told the computer to ignore it. Double click on that and you will see the contents of your My Documents Folder and the "My Windows Mobile-Based Device". The Windows Mobile-Based Device is your i730, and when you double click it you are looking at the root folder of the memory structure of the i730. So double click it to see the root.
Now we need to turn on File Extensions on the computer you are using if they are not on, and tell the computer to show you hidden files and folders. If you don't want these options you can turn them off later, but turn them on now, just so we are on the same page. In the same window you are currently viewing, click the Tools option on the toolbar, then go to Folder Options. You will be presented with two tabs, and the second tab at the top says "View", click that. These are the view settings for folders on the PC. You will see a section that says Hidden File and folders. Click the radio button next to "Show hidden files and folders". Then just below it is a check box that says "Hide extensions for known file types". Uncheck that box, then click Apply, then OK. You should now be back at the window showing the contents of the i730.
You should see 9 folders provided you have followed my guide from the beginning, and if you see more, that's ok. What you need to do is open the SafeStore folder (either double or single click depending on how your computer is setup). You should see a few objects in the SafeStore folder, but the only thing we are worried about is the MRailing Tools Pack 1.0, so open that and you should now be viewing 5 folders and 1 README.txt file.
1 Installing Regedit. - Well installing is a bad word since it's already on the phone, but what we are going to do is create a shortcut to it, so open the Regedit folder and you will see one file called Regedit.exe. Right click on Regedit.exe and choose "Copy", no go back, or up directory, until you get back to the root of the i730, and you see the Windows Directory on the i730, open the Windows Directory, it should take it a second or two to show the files, so that's normal. In that folder list you should see the "Start Menu" open that, and find the folder that says "Programs" and open that. You should see one folder "Games" and a list of icons of your programs. Some place in the white background, right click and you should see the "Paste Shortcut" option, click "Paste Shortcut". What we are doing is creating a shortcut in Main Memory to the Regedit file in SafeStore. So now in the programs list you have a link to Regedit.exe and it's called Shortcut to REGEDIT.EXE. How about we rename it so it looks better. Right click the shortcut, hit rename, and call it "Regedit". Now we have Regedit "Installed". So now navigate back to the root of the i730 where you have the SafeStore folder, and double click on it, and go back in to MRailing Tools Pack 1.0.
2. Installing PhoneHelper 1.05 Shortcuts. - We are now going to get PhoneHelper so it runs when the i730 reboots from a Soft Reset. So open the PhoneHelper folder and you should see four files (PhoneHelper.exe, Phonehelper.exe.config, Phonehelper_dll.dll, and PHSettings.exe). Right click on PhoneHelper.exe and choose Copy. Now navigate back to the root directory on the i730, and go in to the Windows Directory on the i730. Find the folder labeld "Startup" and open it. You should have four files in there. Right click in the background and choose "Paste Shortcut". It's important that you choose Paste Shortcut because if you choose paste here, if the program screws up then you might not be able to stop it from running since you would have the exe locked and it would start on every reboot. By placing a shortcut in here, we can remove the shortcut, and then reset the phone and the program won't be loaded, which would give us the ability to remove the exe since it would no longer be running. Ok so you clicked Paste Shortcut, and you have Shortcut to PhoneHelper.exe. Right click the file and choose "rename" and call it PhoneHelper. Now Navigate back to the root of the i730, and then back in to SafeStore and back in to MRailing Tools Pack 1.0. Open PhoneHelper folder, and right click on PHSettings.exe and click copy. Now navigate back to the root and in to the Windows directory on the i730. Find the folder that says "Start Menu" and go in to it and then open "Programs". Now right click in the background and choose "Paste Shortcut". Right click the file and choose rename and call it "PhoneHelper Settings". This is the file that lets you set different settings for PhoneHelper or turn off different options that you might not want to use. Now go back to the root folder on the i730, and then back in to SafeStore, and back in the MRailing Tools Pack 1.0 folder. We have three more things to do.
3. Install CleanMail Shortcut. - Well we ran this earlier, and I find that having a shortcut to it in the Programs list is just something we can do since we are here anyway and installing shortcuts. Most likely you will never need this, but when you do, it's handy to have. So go in to the CleanMail folder, right click on CleanMail.exe and choose copy. Go back to the Windows directory on the i730 and back in the Start Menu and then Programs directories. Right click and choose Paste Shortcut. Right click the shortcut and choose rename, and call it CleanMail. Navigate back to the SafeStore folder then to MRailing Tools Pack 1.0.
4. Install WiFi shortcut. This is a shortcut to the WiFi app. If you use a Today plugin or something like iLauncer it's nice to have it in the programs list so that you can add it to one of those if you don't want the WiFi app on the today screen. So open the WiFi Folder, and right click on WiFi, then choose Copy. Navigate back to Windows then to Start Menu, then to Programs and right click and hit Paste. Now navigate back to SafeStore then back in to the Tools Pack folder.
5. Install DataConnect Shortcut (**PATH) - This is the direct shortcut to the dataconnection.exe file that let's you choose to change the phone in to a USB modem, or to sync via ActiveSync. The is necessary for the i830 or for the i730 with the WH25 update on it. This is the only way that you can access it and make your phone in to a USB Modem. This is also very useful for everyone else too, as you can add this to your favorite shortcut launcher, like iLauncher or the builtin Samsumg launcher and easily access the Data Connection page without having to open the Phone App and dial **PATH. For more information see the i730/i830 FAQ and look at the USB Modem post. So to load this, open the DataConnect folder and right click the Data Connect shortcut. Click Copy, and then Navigate to the Windows directory, open Start Menu, open Programs, right click and hit Paste. This will place a copy of the Shortcut in the Programs list.
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The MRailing i730/i830 Tools Pack 1.0 is now loaded and setup for use.
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So now it's time to change those registry settings we talked about earlier. These are explained above in the Hack List, so I am not going to go in to extreme detail here, but will explain the order I am doing them in.
1. BigDialer - Keypad Ready - So when you use the Phone app, and then open the slider open you get that big, ugly, useless, keypad ready image. Let's get rid of it so it just shows the regular keypad on the screen. First I open Regedit which you get to by clicking Start, then Programs, and then find the Icon that says Regedit and click it. Now we need to locate the key, so click Tools, then Find. In the Find What box type:
bigdialer.dll
Now check the Keys, Values, and Data. Really we would only have to check the Data box to find this as I know this is "Data", but check them all to make sure, then click Find Next. It will only find one, and it's the first one you find, Click the Value Name that says Default - BigDialer.dll and then change the Value Data (not the name) to BigDialer1.dll. We do this, just in case, you want to revert back to the image. You could delete the key, or even overwrite the dll file with an empty file, but this works very well and is reversable. Remeber it's easier to do something that's reversable in case the change you make doesn't work, that way you easy easily go back instead of coming back to these boards and saying "Ok, I screwed up and delete ***insert file name*** and now I need to get it back without hard resetting the phone, can anyone upload the file?". Trust me, we get those requests often. So now that you changed the name, click OK, and you will see that the data has been changed, now stay in Regedit and time to do the next thing, but first let's get it to an easier place to see all the keys, scroll all the way to the top within the top box. You will see that the HKEY_Classes_Root has a - in from of it, click that, this will close those folders and return everything to normal.
2. Change the System Clock to also have the Date - Now we navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shell
With Shell selected in the top box, click on Edit, then New String Value, change the name to be:
TBOpt
Then enter a:
3
for the Value Data and then click ok. You will see the new string value added. Now scroll all the way to the top and click the - in front of the HKLM.
3. Change the default Pocket IE Start Page - Navigate to:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
and find the Start Page Value in the bottom and click on it. This will bring it up so you can edit the Value Data. Change it to the page you would like, I set mine to:
and now with that selected you should see three values, change each to:
"cache" and change the value data to "\safestore\internet\cache" (without quotes)
"cookies" and change the value data to "\safestore\internet\cookies"
"history" and change the value data to "\safestore\internet\history"
Click OK after each change to save that change when you are done typing in the value. Now look in the top box and you will see "Internet Settings" directly below the "Shell Folders you are currently in, click the + in front of "Internet Settings". Click the + in front of 5.0 and click the + in front of Cache and click on "Content". Look in the bottom box and you will see CacheLimit and it's value set to: 19568, that's 20MB in size! Click the value and change just the Value Data to:
3072
That limits the cache to just 3MB instead of the 20MB, and click OK after you make the change to the Value Data. We could adjust the Cookies limit and the History limit but with this adjustment the most your internet should take up in SafeStore is 6MB total. I prefer not to adjust cookies, as I would like to keep them so I don't have to keep logging in to websites that place a cookie (pdaphonehome.com for example). So now scroll all the way to the top again, and click the - in front of HKCU.
5. Change the default Ringtones Location - For the mean time, you might want to skip this step until I do a little more tweaking, unless you use Photo Contacts Pro, this could cause ringtone assignment problems I do this again because I don't want ringtones taking up spaces in Main Memory. Navigate to:
HKCU\ControlPanel\SoundCategories\Ring
You will see a Value called Directory, click that and change the Value Data to:
\SafeStore\Ringers
And after you type in the value, click ok. Scroll all the way to the top and click the - in front of the HKCU again. Click the X in the corner to close out Regedit, and now click the X to close out the Programs list.
Now that we have added stuff to the start menu, programs list, and edited the registry, let's soft-reset the phone to make all the registry settings and start menu items take hold. When the i730 restarts you should see the clock listed directly below the date on two lines. If you were to double press the FN key on the slide out keyboard, you will see the NL logo appear on the top bar, NumLocker is now enabled. If you double press the FN key again, it will go away. Everything is working great...
Now we just need to tweak PhoneHelper to be a little better for my liking. See PhoneHelper does a couple of things (you can read more about it in the software section, the FAQ, or the original help thread). The two things that both me are the speeds in which it take to enable NumLocker, and for double press caps. See when you are typing, if you double tap a letter, that letter capitalizes. And with the speed I type on the i730 words like Hello, look like HeLo. So I need to make it so that the delay in which it reacts to the double press is a faster double press so I get less false positives.
So click the start button, then Programs. You should see PhoneHelper Settings. Click that to open the Config program for PhoneHelper. This is where you make the changes for that program and turn on or off certain settings (pretty slick program isn't it). Click the Keyboard Tab at the bottom, and adjust bot Min Delay to 75 and Max Delay to 200. Now click the SAVE button in the bottom right hand corner. It will tell you that it saved it, and now click the OK button in the top right corner, click the X to close Programs List and now Soft Reset your i730 again. This will lock those settings in place. You might have to tweak those for your own liking, but that's what I fine useful.
That's it for the hacks and small changes I make to the i730. This is a great setup for me, and the only thing I am missing are my apps, and then configuring those apps, which of course are the next two sections.
I called this the Basics section because there are a few pieces of software, as well as updates, that should have been included/fixed before the i730 was ever released. This section will cover the VoiceSignal update, which is necessary for making VoiceSignal work with Bluetooth headsets. Otherwise it just plain doesn't work. After that we will install and setup phoneAlarm, SPB Pocket Plus, PIEPlus, iLauncher, and Photo Contacts Pro. I find these apps necessary to the workings on the i730. Yes the other apps I have listed help, but these apps really make the phone work better and much more functional.
Now to install any software there are two ways to accomplish this, either through ActiveSync or directly downloaded from the web with a CAB file. Now not every app has a CAB file to install, but if you are using a MAC, then you probably want to try and locate the CAB file and install it, but for everything I am doing, we are going to have the phone synced with ActiveSync and install through it.
Now again, the only FREE thing I am installing is the update to VoiceSignal. The rest cost money, but each include a trial, so if you would like to test them, go to the Software List section and download the trial, otherwise have your install file handy, and you installation codes/registration keys.
So put your i730 in the cradle and let it sync with the computer before proceeding, as it's required to be synced.
1. VoiceSignal Update 0157 - So first thing to do is obtain the update, so click the link and read the instructions they have posted, and download the update after accepting their license agreement. Now with it downloaded, you have to unzip the file, and you will have a single file titled "VoiceSignal-2.0-0157d-i730.exe". Open this file to begin the install. (if you have installed the update before, and you are just hard resetting your phone for the 20th time, then VoiceSignal will prompt you to uninstall itself first, choose OK to uninstall it, and then it will come up with the installer). So now the installer is open and in front of you, click Next, then install. It will launch the Add/Remove Programs in ActiveSync to install the software. It asks you a question "Install "VoiceSignal VoiceSignal for Samsung SCH-i730" using the default application install directory?" Choose NO. We don't want to install this in Main Memory. We want to install as many programs as possible in SafeStore to help keep Main Memory available for running applications. So when you clicked NO, you are prompted with a box to Save In. Drop that down and choose SafeStore. You don't want to install it to the Memory Card, as this can cause problems because of the way the phone interacts with the SD card when the phone is asleep, so make sure you choose SafeStore. Now click OK, and it starts installing to SafeStore. It then asks you to check your mobile device to see if there are any additional steps, click ok, then click Finish on the VoiceSignal installer. If you look at your i730 screen, it shouldn't show you anything (but might have a progress bar showing it's installing but won't require you to click anything). Once it's done, you will be back on the today screen.
Now take the phone out of the cradle and let's tweak VoiceSignal a little. First after you take the phone out, let's soft reset the phone, just to make sure VoiceSignal installed fully. So after the restart click Start then Programs, and scroll to the bottom and you will see VoiceSignal, click that to open it and when it opens you will hear it ask for a command and you will see "Settings" on the bottom, quickly click settings to get in to the settings menu. First thing I do is click option 3, Digital Dialing, and then click option 1, Adapt Digits. This takes you through 10 steps of numbers to make sure it understands your numbers. This will make it more accurate when telling it to dial numbers. So click Adapt Digits and follow the steps.
Now when back at the main menu, choose option 2, Sensitivity, and turn it up 1 notch towards the "Reject More", then click OK at the bottom. Now on the main menu select option 4 "sounds" and then click "Name Settings" and click option 1 "Speed". Turn this up 2 notches faster, click OK, and then click "Volume", turn it 2 notches higher and then click OK. Click Back twice to return to the main menu. Now click EXIT.
This is a recommended setup by many people to help improve some settings. I like this setup, but you have to remember VoiceSignal does NOT work better by yelling at the phone, speak softly and clearly to make it work and be more accurate. You can also go back in to VoiceSignal at any time and adjust those settings to make it work better for you, but those are the settings I use.
NOTE: Well with the release of WM5 (unofficially, and soon officially), consider this guide stopped. It's complete up to installing the individual software packages, which of course change with EVERY new version released. You can find topics to help with installing each software package in the forum with a quick search, or a simple question.
Software Install and Setup Guide - i730/i830 Setup Guide
1. Install and setup Bejeweled 2 - Restore files from backup
2. Install and setup EZDial
3. Install and setup IM+
4. Install and setup eWallet
5. Install and setup Pocket Quicken
Now abcDB Desktop Studio and Pocket DVD Studio are both apps that you install on your PC, and don't require setup on the i730. I am not going in to detail on these apps, or the actual install and setup of abcDB as it will be so different for each person that installs it.
As mentioned in the Software List section under FREE/DONATIONWARE Apps this is the MRailing i730/i830 Tools Pack. Currently this is Version 1.0 of the pack and contains the following items:
If an updated version to the tools pack is available, it will be posted here with instructions about the update. The Software List section has/will contain detailed information about each app, including links to the software developers and the possibility of donating to those authors if you enjoy use of this Tools Pack. Detailed instructions for loading this Tools Pack can be found in the Setup Guide under section Usability Setup Guide (small apps/registry changes/hacks to increase usability) (Currently under construction).
INSTRUCTIONS DOWNLOADING AND INSTALLING THE TOOLS PACK
=======================================================
VIA COMPUTER
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Download the MRailing i730/i830 Tools Pack and save it to your computer. Make sure your i730/i830 is currently connected to your computer and ActiveSync is running.
Unzip the tools pack and you should be left with a folder titled "MRailing Tools Pack 1.0". Right click that folder and click COPY. Open My Computer or File Explorer on the computer and go to your "Mobile Device". Double click "My Windows Mobile-Based Device", then double-click "SafeStore", right click in the background and click PASTE. You will be prompted with a warning that some files may need to be converted, just click "OK". The tools pack will be copied to SafeStore on the i730/i830 and be available for your use.
VIA i730/i830
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Instructions to come.
This post will contain your Questions and Answers from the main discussion thread. They will remain in the thread, but this will be a mini-FAQ area for the guide and for stuff that I won't change in the actual guide, but might be something that pops up. Hopefully this area will remain blank, and I won't include it in the index until there is information here.
This will eventually be the changelog for the Setup Guide, once it is finalized and completely setup. When changes are made they will be added in reverse order so the newest change will be on the top. Simple spelling changes will not be listed as long as they don't impact the actual process, otherwise they will be listed.
__________________
-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links
MRailing Samsung i730/i830 Setup Guide V.2003 - (updated 1:20 AM EST - Feb. 27)
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