Installing a Windows Mobile application on a Windows CE device

Question

A client has asked us to "revive" an old Windows Mobile application that is used by their receiving department.

At some point they wrote a custom Windows Mobile 6 app for Windows CE devices (a Motorola MC55A to be specific).

They have a project in place to replace this app - but it won't happen for a bit and they want to install the custom app on some newly refurbished devices they found as an interim solution.

I found the source code for the application. It even contains an installer project that generates the CAB files.

What I do not know how to do is get the compiled app and installer onto the device.

I am using one of their legacy computers to build the app and connect to the device. The computer has Windows Mobile Center installed and when I see the device connected - I the ability to add / remove programs on the device.

Not sure if this is the route I should be going. Ideally I want to put the installer behind a web page and just have each device download the installer to install the app.

This stuff is pretty dated - I am having a hard time on the specifics of deployment.

Answer 1

You can put the CAB file on the device and launch it manually using the file explorer on the device to install the files.

Some industrial devices like Honeywell, Intermec, Motorola, Symbol, Zebra and others support the auto install of cab files, if the files are put in a special folder on the device. For former Intermec Honeywell devices, this folder is called \Flash File Store\CabFiles. If a cab file is placed in this folder, it will be installed on the next reboot.

You may also put a link to the CAB file on a web site and open that web site within the Internet Explorer on the device. The device will ask for the installation, when the file link is tapped. Please note that some web server like IIS by default block CAB files from being loaded! If so, you need to configure the web server to allow cab file downloading.

Answer 2

Many months later, but I wanted to answer this for future reference, when you DEPLOY Solution, Visual Studio (2008 was the last one supporting windows mobile apps) will ask you for a target device or emulator, here you can select the device and it will be installed, there will be no entry in add/remove programs on the device unless you install it via an installation CAB. You must create an "Smart Device Cab Project" and configure it for your solution.