Tip of the Month (July 2011)

Windows Mobile Emulator...Revisited

Microsoft has made a Device Emulator available as a standalone download. This Device Emulator is the same ARM based Device Emulator that ships as part of Visual Studio 2005. The standalone emulator can be used by people who don't have a device but still want to test SYWARE's Windows Mobile applications. This Device Emulator can be downloaded from Microsoft. Note: This emulator is a Microsoft product and, as such, SYWARE, Inc. can only provide a limited amount of support for this product. We do, however, have some tips and tricks you might try if you run into trouble.

The following updated information on how to install onto a Windows 7 desktop/laptop was supplied to us by one of our users.
Please note: we have not verified this information. That said...

The main problem is the Network Driver. The link provided by SYWARE requires the installation of Virtual PC 2007 which is incompatible with Windows Virtual PC that is included with most versions of Windows 7 for running Virtual XP Mode. It is difficult to locate relavant information on how to install and configure the Windows 6 (or 5) Emulator with a Network Driver in order to be able to install the Visual CE.

The information that is most helpfull was in the MSDN forum

The solution goes something like this (at least for Win6 Emulator)...

1. Download and Install the Microsoft Device Emulator v2.0 from Microsoft
2. Download and Install the Windows 6 Emulator Image package from Microsoft
3. Download but DO NOT install Virtual PC 2007 from Microsoft
4. Extract the files needed for the Virtual PC driver from the Virtual_PC_2007_Install.msi file and add the Special Network Driver to your existing Network card. (Information on how to do this is on the BrianPeek site)
5. Follow the step-by-step instructions found on the MSDN forum post from Rui Holdorf dated Monday, April 12, 2010.
6. Install Visual CE
7. Launch the Windows 6 Emulator and then open the Device Emulator Manager. Click on the Refresh button and then Right click on the listing to Cradle the device. This should upload the Visual CE files to the Virtual device.

It is not necessary to install ActiveSync as Win7 has Windows Mobile Device Center and SyncCenter. With the Virtual device cradled, Windows Modile Device Center connects.