Migration FAQ

Backwards compatibility is super important.  For Windows Mobile 5.0, we established several new processes and initiatives to improve compatibility issues across the board by identifying issues, fixing as many bugs as possible, and mitigating the ones that can't be changed.  A key item on the list of mitigations is early public documentation detailing the top issues we've found during testing. 

The Windows Mobile Migration FAQ for Developers is that documentation and has been updated with new/revised items addressing Windows Mobile 5.0.  Few apps should need to be modified for 5.0 compatibility but I still strongly recommend that all developers take a few minutes to read over this just to verify that your apps are OK.  For bonus points, install the SDK and test against the emulator.

• Added Why does an error reporting dialog box appear while my application is running on a Windows Mobile 5.0-based device? The device It worked fine before...
• Added Why does my Smartphone homescreen no longer work on Windows Mobile 5.0?
• Added My CAB file installed fine on Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition. Why doesn't it work on Windows Mobile 5.0?
• Added How can I tell what has been installed on a device?
• Added Why are CAB files no longer deleted after they are installed on Windows Mobile 5.0?
• Added What is EDB? What is the future of CEDB?
• Added Why does my application, which uses msgstore.dll, tell users to acquire a new version on Windows Mobile 5.0?
• Added Why is my application unable to access Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, or Call Log information on Windows Mobile 5.0?
• Updated How can I consistently identify storage locations on devices?
• Added Why are some changes to the registry lost when a device is reset?
• Updated Why can't I install software on some devices?
• Added Why does my device driver or service fail to load on Windows Mobile 5.0 devices?
• Added Why does my CPF file not work on some devices?
• Added How can I retrieve a unique device identifier, or how can I soft-reset the device, without calling a privileged API?
• Updated Why can't I use RAPI with my Windows Mobile device?
• Updated As part of our security initiatives, we are starting to sign all of our CABs, but after we sign a Pocket PC CAB, it no longer works. Why?
• Added Why does text look smaller on Windows Mobile 5.0-based Smartphones?
• Added I recompiled my Pocket PC application by using Visual Studio 2005. Why does my application no longer look correct on Pocket PCs that support landscape, square, or VGA resolutions?
• Added What's up with ATL and MFC?
• Added Why do applications that use ADOCE fail on Windows Mobile 5.0?
• Added Why do applications that use eMbedded Visual Basic fail on Windows Mobile 5.0 devices?
• Updated What happened to imgdecmp.dll? How can I programmatically load common image formats directly?

If you have questions about specific items above, please post them in the comments.

-Robert

Comments

• Anonymous
  May 27, 2005
  How about: "What didn't break with WM5.0"?
  
  Seriously, all eMbedded VB apps broken? ADOCE? ATL & MFC problems? No RAPI?
  
  Please enumerate what's left...

• Anonymous
  May 29, 2005
  Blog link of the week 21

• Anonymous
  November 10, 2007
  i just transferred my contacts from my sim card and phone over to a new phone (o2 atom life) which runs on windows mobile 6. After doing so, i accidentally deleted all my contacts before i could do any form of back up. can anybody help retrieve all my lost contacts? is there any program out there that can do it?

• Anonymous
  November 02, 2008
  Al the links posted in this article are broken. fyi...i know it is old...