Get '\Storage Card' Info During Program Install

[jp2code]

I want to install my app on a Storage Card.

How do I verify (in code, obviously) that a Storage Card exists on the PPC, and that it has enough space to meet the requirements of my App?

Should I modify the setup.dll that the PPC uses to install the CAB file?
Should I modify the setup.exe that is run from the PC?
Is there something better?

[radhoo]

Hi jp2code,

If you have a PC isntaller for your CAB, you will be asked where to install the software there you can choose the sdcard if one is available.
(if I remember well you need to press no when it asks to install in the default folder).

So which is your approach? You have a cab and need to decide where to install or a PC setup over ActiveSync?

[jp2code]

Hi Joe,

no probs, email is as good as the forum

there is something I don't understand, though. Are you targetting only one type of devices? I must warn you that the "Storage Card" string is quite different from a device to another, not to mention other languages. On a Dell Axim X51v it's called "SD Card" (as this device also supports a compact flash card, folder name "CF Card").

right after you accept the license agreement on the PC and you press "Finish", the software is deployed through activesync. The next moment on your device you'll see a screen saying "Choose a location to install 'Software-name'" and some radio buttons: first option is "Device" second is "\Storage Card" or "\SD Card" ... can be more then 2 options here (for devices that support several types of memory cards). Also the Space needed and the Space Available are displayer. Please note that this dialog doesn't appear if your device doesn't have the SD card inserted.

bottom line, my sugestion is to leave the InstallDir as %CE2%. Each user can choose wheter he wants to software on the main memory or on the card at install type. Also keep in mind that forcing the application to install in \Storage Card on a device that doesn't have a SD Card inserted , usually is not a very good idea

check the forum issue with the support@teksoftco.com . there must be a solution for that! other could benefit from our chat, and it would be a pitty to keep it only for ourselves .


Radu

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 1/23/2007 at 3:18 PM Joe Pool wrote:

>Hey Radu,
>
>Sorry for replying via email, but every time I try to log in, the forum
>re-directs me to the login page again. I can't seem to get in. Maybe they
>are having issues.
>
>For my installer, I want to use a PC Installer for the cab (i.e. setup.exe
>using ezsetup), which will dump it on the SD card, and extract the cab.
>
>Looks like I got it to work with this code:
>[CEStrings]
>; Required Section:
>AppName="MEGA Photo Browser" ; Name of App
>InstallDir=\Storage Card ; as opposed to %CE2%
>
>It actually installed after I got my .inf and the .ini files written
>correctly.
>
>Now I want to find a way to implement that autorun article I found on here
>some time ago. Time to go hunting!
>
>~Joe

Hi Radu,

A quick note: Looks like work's server will allow me to read posts on here, but it blocks my attempt to send information to the login scripts. Irritating! Anyway, I'm on a dial-up modem at the moment. Slower, but it bypasses their server.

Work has asked me to develop this tool for the PocketPC, as this is what they issue employees. It is possible that I will have to expand this application at some point to include other CE platforms; however, this app was developed with the PocketPC SDK, mods would be required before it would work on other platforms.

As for defaulting the installation to %CE2% like a good little developer, I would except: This application is going to be distributed to a bunch of wrench turning mechanics. The ability to select an external storage card to install a program to at startup is *not* "so easy a caveman can do it." (Sorry, Geiko)

I'm curious: What happens if someone tried to install an app to the default location that required more space than a device has available? Would the installer complain and tell the operator that there was not enough room and select another location? Or, would it install as much as it could until the device exhausted its memory supply ...and then just die? I could probably troubleshoot this on my own to figure out, but I really don't want to distroy my device!

[radhoo]

As for defaulting the installation to %CE2% like a good little developer, I would except: This application is going to be distributed to a bunch of wrench turning mechanics. The ability to select an external storage card to install a program to at startup is *not* "so easy a caveman can do it." (Sorry, Geiko)

I know what you mean

I'm curious: What happens if someone tried to install an app to the default location that required more space than a device has available? Would the installer complain and tell the operator that there was not enough room and select another location? Or, would it install as much as it could until the device exhausted its memory supply ...and then just die? I could probably troubleshoot this on my own to figure out, but I really don't want to distroy my device!

Well I need to try this, I'll just fill a SDCard up to 99% then try to install smth on it. Usually installers check the destination to see if there is enough free storage space. This would result in a warning message, as you said.