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How to Incorporate Files into an OS (Windows Embedded Compact 7)

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When you design a Windows Embedded Compact 7 OS, you may want to include additional files in your OS so that they will be available on your device. By including the files directly in the OS, you will not need to manually copy them to your device after the OS starts. One way to automatically include files in your OS is to use the OSDesign.bib file.

In this article, as an example, we copy the Core Connectivity (CoreCon) files to your device. You can use the CoreCon files to connect your device to Visual Studio as described in How to: Connect to Windows CE Device Without ActiveSync on MSDN. Although we use the CoreCon files as an example, you can apply these steps to any files that you want to include in your OS.

Including Files in the OS

To include extra files in your OS, you modify the OSDesign.bib file that corresponds to the OS. OSDesign.bib is located in %_WINCEROOT%\OSDesigns\OS Design Name>\OS Design Name>, but you can access it through Visual Studio as explained below.

To include files in the OS by using OSDesign.bib

  1. On the development computer, in Visual Studio, open your OS design.

  2. In Solution Explorer, expand the OS design project node, and then expand the Parameter Files directory.

  3. Under Parameter Files, double-click OSDesign.bib.

  4. In the FILES section of OSDesign.bib, add a line for each file you want to add to the OS. The format of each line under FILES is: <Name> <Path> <Memory Type>, where:

    • <Name> is the name of the file you want to add to the OS.
    • <Path> is the path (on the development computer) of the file that you want to add to the OS.
    • <Memory Type> is NK, in this case.

    For example, to include the CoreCon files in the OS for an x86 device, the FILES section would look like:

    Clientshutdown.exe        "$(ProgramFiles)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\CoreCon\1.0\Target\WCE400\x86\clientshutdown.exe"        NK
CMAccept.exe              "$(ProgramFiles)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\CoreCon\1.0\Target\WCE400\x86\CMAccept.exe"              NK
ConmanClient2.exe         "$(ProgramFiles)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\CoreCon\1.0\Target\WCE400\x86\ConmanClient2.exe"         NK
DeviceAgentTransport.dll  "$(ProgramFiles)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\CoreCon\1.0\Target\WCE400\x86\DeviceAgentTransport.dll"  NK
eDbgTL.dll                "$(ProgramFiles)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\CoreCon\1.0\Target\WCE400\x86\eDbgTL.dll"                NK
TcpConnectionA.dll        "$(ProgramFiles)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\CoreCon\1.0\Target\WCE400\x86\TcpConnectionA.dll"        NK
TCPBootstrapA.exe         "$(ProgramFiles)\Microsoft Remote Framework Tools\1.10\target\wce700\x86\TCPBootstrapA.exe"             NK

  5. Save and then build the OS design project.

After you download the OS to your device, the files will be in the Windows directory of the device.

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