Password protecting your documents

Windows CE 2.0's versions of Pocket Word and Pocket Excel will now allow you to password protect your documents. At any time while you're working on a document, all you have to do is pull down the File menu and select the Password... command. When you do, you'll be prompted to enter a password and then confirm it. The next time you open the document, from the Open dialog box or by double-tapping in a My Handheld PC window, you'll be prompted to enter your password to access the document.

The memory keys

Of all the keys on Windows CE's Calculator screen, none are more misunderstood than the memory keys. These keys can come in real handy if you know how to use them.

M+ 

When you press the M+ key, the contents of the accumulator window are added to whatever value is currently in memory. 

MS

When you press the MS key, the contents of the accumulator window are saved to memory and replace whatever value is currently in memory.

MR

When you press the MR key, whatever value is currently in memory replaces the contents of the accumulator window.

MC

When you press the MC key, you clear or erase whatever value is currently in memory

Quickly closing Control Panel utilities

Normally, when you finish adjusting settings in a Control Panel utility, you close the utility's window by tapping the close button with your stylus. However, you can quickly dismiss this window by pressing [Esc]. You can also close many dialog boxes using the [Esc] keyboard shortcut.

How will you use batteries?

If your Handheld PC comes with rechargeable batteries, you should charge them fully before proceeding. Rechargeables are shipped from the factory fully discharged, and it may take a few hours to charge them the first time. Also, if you plan to use your device frequently on battery power, open your Volume & Sounds control panel and disable sound for Key Clicks and Screen Taps - at the very least. This reduces speaker use, which will extend battery life. You also can turn the sound all the way down. This reduces battery drain further, but could cause you to miss some important alarms and notifications. For information on battery usage, read the Tips & Techiques column "Powering Up Your Handheld PC."

Have you installed Windows CE Services?

If not, read this first! If you are upgrading and previously used Handheld PC Explorer, be sure that all of your data is backed up first and synchronized on your desktop PC before you install Windows CE Services. Handheld PC Explorer does not work with second generation devices, and Windows CE Services does not work with first generation Handheld PCs. Fortunately, Windows CE Services can restore files from the backup you made with Handheld PC Explorer, but you must restore Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks via synchronization.

Also, decide whether you will use the Microsoft Outlook™ messaging and collaboration client, Microsoft Schedule+, or a combination of the two for your calendar and contacts. When you go to install Windows CE Services, you will prompted to decide. If you don't have Outlook on your system, you should choose to use Schedule+, which is included with Windows CE Services.

How will you use your serial port?

Right click the new icon for Windows CE Services that appeared near the right corner of the screen. Select "Communications..." to open the Communications dialog box. Next, click the Auto Connect button. You then can decide whether you want the COM port for your Handheld PC serial connection to be dedicated or active only when the Mobile Devices folder is open. If you plan to connect a digital camera or other device to the COM port, select the latter. Otherwise, choose "at all times."

How will you synchronize your data?

Open ActiveSync™ Options, which you can access from the Tools menu of your Mobile Devices folder. This is where you can customize how much or how little data you synchronize. Be sure you have a Synchronized Files folder enabled and be sure to put an alias for this folder on your PC's desktop. This will give you a convenient "drop box" where you can put the files you want to take with your Handheld PC. Also, if you select "Automatically synchronize if data is out of date," your device always detects and copies over the latest versions of files and information while it's connected. Then, keep an eye on the Windows CE Services icon on your taskbar, which will alert you visually if there is ever a problem with synchronization. This way, you can simply unplug your device and be assured your Handheld PC is always up to date.

Will you use an Ethernet card?

If so, you must first create a partnership via serial cable and copy over Ethernet driver files that ship with Windows CE Services over to your Handheld PC. From that point forward, you can scrap the serial connection - unless you ever need to maintain a connection while using a storage card in your device's PC Card slot. For more information about setting up Ethernet connectivity, read the Comm Link column "Making the Ethernet Connection with Your Handheld PC."

Will you be using your Handheld PC both indoors and outdoors?

Locate your device's Brightness controls. These controls vary depending on the make and model of your Handheld PC. There may be a Brightness or Backlight control panel, or a contrast knob on the side of your display, or you might be able to adjust brightness by pressing the ALT key with the < and > keys. If you know where this control is, you can adjust the brightness quickly when you use your Handheld PC under different lighting conditions.

Are you concerned about the security of your data?

If so, open the Password control panel and set a password. Be sure that it's a password you can remember. If you forget your password, the only way to access your device again is to remove all of the batteries (including the backup battery) to reset the device. This erases all of your data, which is what you want to happen if your Handheld PC falls into the wrong hands.

Also, inputting your contact information and selecting Display Owner Identification at Power On in the Owner control panel increase the odds that your Handheld PC will be returned to you if discovered by a Good Samaritan. Even if you can remember your password, it's always a good idea to keep a current backup of your data. You can automate this process so that Windows CE Services performs an incremental backup every time you connect your Handheld PC. Look for this feature under Backup/Restore options, which can be accessed from the Tools menu of your Mobile Devices folder.

Are dialing and regional settings correct and to your taste?

If you plan to use a modem with your Handheld PC, be sure that the Communications control panel contains your local area code and information on dialing patterns and different dialing locations. Also, odds are that if you're not using your Handheld PC in the United States, you'll want to open the Regional Settings control panel to select your country, adjust how numbers and currency are represented, and make adjustments for time and date. Even if you are a U.S. resident, you may want to modify how time is displayed in the taskbar. For instance, you can switch to military time by selecting "H:mm:ss" from the time style selector. You also can adjust the number of digits that are displayed after the decimal point in numbers or currency. Tweak these settings to meet your personal needs.

Do you expect to download and run shareware and freeware?

If so, you should find out your system's processor type, since you may be confronted with different downloads compiled for different processor types (e.g., MIPS, SH-3). Most commercial software auto-detects your processor type and installs the version your device needs, but many shareware offerings do not. Fortunately, this information can be found in the System control panel. While you're there, select the Memory tab and see how much memory is allocated for storage and how much for running programs. You can adjust this periodically to suit your needs.

How is the readability of text in your favorite applications?

Launch Contacts. The default text is 9 point Tahoma. If this is too small, you can easily bump the size to a larger one, make it bold, italicized, and/or underlined, or even change to a different font (say, Arial or Times New Roman). Go to the Tools menu, select Options, and then tap the Choose Font button. (While you're there, check to be sure the Country and Area Code are correct - this makes it easier for you when you add contacts, as they default to this information.) You can adjust the font size in all of the applications in the Microsoft Pocket Outlook suite (Tasks, Calendar, Inbox). For Microsoft Pocket Word and Microsoft Pocket Excel, you can adjust the level of zoom from the View menu. The default is 100 percent, but you can quickly increase readability without altering your document by selecting 125 percent or more.

Dialing long long-distance numbers

If you're trying to make a long distance connection to your ISP and using a calling card or long distance access number, you may find that the modem in
your H/PC can't dial the call. The reason is that while Windows CE can buffer 40 numbers, many PCMCIA modems can only handle 25-30 numbers.

To solve this problem, configure your Remote Networking connection to use the Manual Dial setting, which you'll find on the Port Settings tab of your
modem's properties sheet. Now, each time you use that Remote Networking connection, you'll see a terminal window and will need to use the ATDT
command followed by the numbers you need to dial.

Activating the Caps Lock feature

The Caps Lock feature allows you to type uppercase letters and the shifted values of other keys. To activate the Caps Lock feature on your H/PC,
simply press both [Shift] keys at the same time. When the Caps Lock feature is enabled, you'll see an uppercase A icon in the status area of the
taskbar. If you want to type lowercase letters without disabling the Caps Lock feature, simply hold down one of the [Shift] keys as you type. To
disable the Caps Lock feature, press both [Shift] keys at the same time.

Editor's Note:
If you're thinking about upgrading your desktop system to Windows 98, you'll be interested to know The Cobb Group will soon be publishing the
Windows 98 Upgrade Guide. Our experts have spent a great deal of time studying the Windows 98 upgrade procedure from every angle and present
their findings in detailed, step-by-step instructions with plenty of illustrations that show you how to upgrade your computer easily. Once you begin using the new operating system, our new Inside Microsoft Windows 98 journal will provide you with tips and techniques designed to help you get the most out of the new operating system. Sign up for the Windows 98 Tip of the Week (www.zdtips.com/w98/zdt-f.htm) for more information on how to get a copy of the Windows 98 Upgrade Guide and how to subscribe to the Inside Microsoft Windows 98 journal.

Transferring files from Mac to CE

If your office, like ours, is a dyed-in-the-wool Macintosh office and you want to use your Windows CE-based H/PC to transfer files, don't despair.

Assuming you have a Power Mac, simply purchase Virtual PC and install it on your hard drive. Then, install the software that came with your H/PC on
Virtual PC.

To link between your HPC and your Mac, buy the cable from your supplier that will allow you to go from the docking station to the modem or printer
port on the Mac. With the Mac shut down, hook up the cable. Start the Mac.
When the Mac has booted, start Virtual PC. Virutal PC (emulating Windows 95) should automatically synchronize with your H/PC and Windows CE, just as it would if you actually had an IBM machine!

Freeing storage space

As you know, The Windows CE installation procedure places the following Pocket Word and Pocket Excel sample files in the My Documents folder:

Amoritize.pxl
Expense Report.pxl
Mileage Log.pxl
Letter.pwd
Meeting Notes.pwd

However, these same sample files are also stored in your Windows CE device's ROM chip as read-only files and there are templates for creating them in the Office Template folder. This means that if you need more storage space, you can free up about 40 KB by deleting the duplicate files from the My Documents folder and still have access to them from ROM or from the Office Template folder.

If you later want to use one of the sample files, you can find them in the Windows folder. When you double-tap one of these documents, you'll see a dialog box explaining that the file is read-only. However, you can still open it, save it in another folder, and then modify it to your needs. You can also recreate them from the templates by using the applications' File/New command.

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