Applying registry changes in a .cab-file?

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Hi!

Is it possible to create a .cab-file which does not install anything, but only applies a number of registry changes? This way you would be able to "install" changes to the registry along with the other .cab-files running from the extended ROM after a hard-reset. How do I do that?

Any other ideas as to how to auto-apply registry changes are also very welcome Thanks..

/Joe72

No problem, just use WINCE Cab Manager. For learning purposes you should open some of the CAb-Files that came with the original ExtROM. Most providers split the registry settings to different files so that I reduced the size of my ExtROM by merging them (take those files, that just have 46kb, they only contain registry entries).

Open them with the above mentioned CAB Manager and look for a file named "platformxx", extract it, edit it, perform the desired changes (or mergers) and import to CAB Manager. Make sure that you remove the old "platformxx" and change the settings of the imported file so that it matches the settings of the deleted one (most times you have to make sure that the installation paths "hard coded" to the windows folder (edit the properties of the old file before and write them down).

unfortunately not all the flags for modifying the registry are supported by the wince cabloader.

full cab spec: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...ormat_2v02.asp

wince cab spec:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...brefaddreg.asp


this is an example minimal cab.inf file:

[Version]
Signature = "$Windows NT$"
Provider = "testprovider1"
CESignature = "$Windows CE$"

[CEStrings]
AppName   = "testappname1"
InstallDir   = "%CE1%\installdir"

[Strings]
reg_path= "Software\testregpath"

[CEDevice]
ProcessorType = 2577    ; arm
UnsupportedPlatforms = "HPC","HPC Pro","Pocket PC"
VersionMin = 3.00
VersionMax = 4.99

[DefaultInstall]
Copyfiles=CopyToInstallDir
AddReg=RegSettings

[RegSettings]
HKCU,%reg_path%, "testdword",0x00010001,1
HKCU,%reg_path%, "teststring",0,"teststringvalue"
HKCU,%reg_path%, "testmultistring",0x00010000,"teststringvalue","second string", "third string"
HKCU,%reg_path%, "testbinary",1,44,45,46,47,48,49,4a

[SourceDisksNames]
1 = ,"All Files",,

[SourceDisksFiles]
"mktst.bat"= 1

[DestinationDirs]
CopyToInstallDir= 0, "%InstallDir%"

create the cab with:

Windows CE Tools\wce420\Pocket PC 2003\tools\cabwiz cab.inf /cpu arm /err caberrors.log

HTC has provided a more extensive install tool, with the CESetup.dll that is in all the cabs, this tool will import a 'platformxxx.reg' file if present in the .cab.

Hi

Thanks for the replies.

It seems like more work than I thought it would be..

In WinCE Cabmanager, there is a "Registry" fold-out in the left side menu similar to the one seen in Regedit.exe on Windows desktop or Remote registry from the Embedded C++ package. My initial plan was to import the registry into a cab-file and use this tool to change the things I want changed. This way, the cab-file would contain no files for installation, but a complete registry, modified to my needs. When running this cab-file on the WinCE device, I was expecting this registry to take the place of the old one.. Or would something else happen?

Thanks,

Joe72

I did it the easy way. I installed all my apps and stuff that I need and then made a backup of the registry, which I then flash installed into the extended ROM section of the phone.

So on a hard reset all my stuff gets installed, including of course a regedit program and hack to view extended rom. All I then do is open the regedit program and restore the registry in one go from the extended rom.

Used PHM Regedit for it.

where can i find the information that it is not visibly in the "remove programs"?

I want generate a programm that is not removable.

Thx for Your help

Snappy

What encoding should I use in platformxxx.reg to make parameters which contain non-latin characters displayed correctly? I tried Windows-1251, UTF-8, Unicode. In all cases russian text is not imported correcty. It is displayed in Western encoding.

P.S. When I use Registry branch in WinCE CAB Manager everything is ok, but if I import large enough .reg file the resulting cab becomes not working.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209

mobify registry

Originally Posted by Element

http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209

mobify registry

Was it an answer?


My CABs are installed successfully.

Aftef hard reset the following is installed from ExtROM:

1. CAB which changes default codepage to russian (419)
2. CAB which translates some items into russian

So all I see instead of russian items is abracadabra.


But if I install only the first CAB from ExtROM and the second one is installed only from soft reset everething is displayed correctly.


So how to make it without soft reset?

Originally Posted by Element

http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209
mobify registry

or Restorator