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A quick "How To" install/configure a PocketPC Emulator

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So you are a consultant selling/supporting SBS2003.  Wouldn't it be cool to demo a PocketPC/SmartPhone/PocketPC Phone Edition without having to shell out $200-$500 for a device?  Well, you can!  You can install a PocketPC/SmartPhone/PocketPC emulator on your laptop and do a real world demo of the functionality of the Microsoft Mobile platform and SBS2003 (assuming you have a functioning SBS install to test with).  Below are the steps.  Some caveats...your mileage may vary depending on the network configuration of the "host" machine.  Also, if you turn the emulator off/shut it down/close the app, all settings will be lost.  Here is a 3rd party website that has a pretty comprehensive list of devices (both in the retail channel and "upcoming"):  https://www.expansys-usa.com/expansys.asp

 

Here are the steps:

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Microsoft PocketPC/SmartPhone Steps:

1.  Download and install eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0: https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1DACDB3D-50D1-41B2-A107-FA75AE960856&displaylang=en

You will be asked to input a product key.  There should be a product key available on the website.  At the time of this writing the key was:TRT7H-KD36T-FRH8D-6QH8P-VFJHQ.  Be sure to check the website for any changes.

2.  Download and install eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0 SP4: https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4a4ed1f4-91d3-4dbe-986e-a812984318e5&displaylang=en

3.  Download and install the SDK for Windows Mobile 2003-based Pocket PCs: https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9996b314-0364-4623-9ede-0b5fbb133652&displaylang=en

4.  Download and install the SDK for Windows Mobile 2003-based Smartphones: https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A6C4F799-EC5C-427C-807C-4C0F96765A81&displaylang=en

Note: You do not have to install both the Smartphone and PocketPC SDKs, you only have to download the one you wish to emulate.

Once you have completed step 3 and/or 4 you can find the emulator under:

Start->All Programs->Microsoft Smartphone 2003 SDK->Smartphone 2003 Emulator

OR

Start->All Programs->Microsoft PocketPC 2003 SDK->PocketPC 2003 Emulator

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To install the Small Business Server 2003 "self-signed" certificate on the emulator, follow these steps:

For the Microsoft PocketPC/SmartPhone emulator (any device, for that matter), you will need to add the certificate to the device.  On PPC2003 (emulator or otherwise) perform the following steps to install the certificate on the device:

1.  From a desktop computer, open Internet Explorer and go to https://public_fqdn/exchange.

2.  You should be prompted with a Security Alert (if not, proceed to step 4 below).

3.  Click View Certificate->Install Certificate->Next->Next->Finish->Yes->OK->OK->Yes

4.  Click on Tools->Internet Options->Content->Certificates->Trusted Root Certification Authorities.

5.  Find the certificate that was just installed, Highlight the cert to export and click "export".  Choose "DER encoded", choose a filename/location and save it.

6.  Copy the exported certificate to the device and then click on it to install the certificate on the device.

7.  Verify the certificate is installed on the device:  start->settings->certificates->trusted root and you should now see the certificate in the local trusted store on the device.

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Using the emulator to test connectivity/server configuration.  The following steps use the PocketPC (not the SmartPhone or PocketPC Phone Edition).  With "real" devices, the only difference between the standard PocketPC and the SmartPhone and PocketPC Phone Edition is how the devices connect to the internet.  Using the following steps will test the full functionality of the Small Business Server 2003 computer's Exchange ActiveSync functionality.

1.  On the desktop computer where the PocketPC SDK is installed, click Start-All Programs->Microsoft PocketPC 2003 SDK->PocketPC 2003 Emulator.

2.  In the emulator, tap Start->ActiveSync.

3.  Tap Tools->Options->Server

4.  In the "Use this server" field, type in the external hostname of the Small Business Server 2003 computer (for example, mail.contoso.com)

5.  If you have followed the steps above to install the certificate on the device, leave "this server uses an SSL connection" CHECKED.  Otherwise, uncheck this box.

6.  Tap Options and fill in the required information and tap OK.

7.  Place a check next to the items you wish to sync with the device and tap OK.

8.  Click Sync.

9.  If you get the error "Cannot Connect..." tap Settings->Set up my proxy server.

10.  Place a check next to "This network connects to the internet" and "This network uses a proxy server to connect to the Internet" and type in the IP address of the local proxy server that your client desktop computer uses to access the internet).  Click OK and click OK again.

11.  Click Sync again.

Steps 9-11 may vary depending on the configuration of the network that the host machine is connected to.  If you are using a standard NAT router, you can replace step 9 with tapping Start->Settings->Connections-Connections->Advanced->Select Networks and change the "Programs that automatically connect to the internet should connect using" to My Work Network and click OK out of this screen.  You will also not have to set it to use proxy on step 10.

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Enjoy!

 

Petergal

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Issue Description: A driver is installed that causes stability problems with your system. This driver
  • Anonymous
    February 14, 2006
    Dude, that TOTALLY rocks!!  Thanks for the learn-on!! :-)