Tech Guide: Overhaul your Pocket PC for free

Related gallery

10 ways to fix a slow PC

10 ways to fix a slow PC

Annoyed by your sluggish Pocket PC performance? Tune up your device with these 10 tips to keep it running in tip-top condition.

Own a Pocket PC but not sure how to optimize and maximize its use? Fret not. We've rounded up some top freeware to keep your PDA operating in excellent condition as well as to extend its functions. Before tweaking your system, remember to back up in case something does go amiss.

1. Pocket Nav

The more free memory you have in your Pocket PC, the faster it runs. Many people don't realize that when they tap the close button, the application simply minimizes and is still active in the background. To remedy this situation, you can install a task manager such as Pocket NAV. This ensures precious system memory is made available for running other tasks.

2. RegKing

If you are uncomfortable with editing the registry for that added boost, try fine-tuning your system with RegKing instead. This nifty utility is a great hacking tool for novices. Choose to improve your unit's graphics-rendering speed, change the system font size or even font type. All these can be accomplished in a few simple taps.

3. Turbo Tray

Why should overclocking be limited to the desktop? Turbo Tray lets you do just that on Pocket PCs running on the Intel Xscale processors. Choose to operate your processor speed at 100MHz for maximum power savings or 498MHz for that added advantage.

4. Remover

Over time, your machine gets clogged up by duplicates, temporary files, invalid shortcuts and old registry entries. Remover fixes all these issues and offers a tool to sniff out large files taking up storage space. This way, you can take out the guesswork of which files are hogging your memory.

5. Pocket PC PowerToys

Perform common tasks at half the time with PowerToys from software developer PHM. This useful tool provides you with a host of functions, including the ability to quickly switch between running applications and performing soft resets as well as suspending your device.

6. ftxPBrowser

Many people prefer Mozilla to Internet Explorer on their desktop due to its tabbed browsing. With the limited real estate of your Pocket PC, surfing on a single window browser like Pocket Internet Explorer is a challenge. For a more enjoyable experience, try ftxPBrowser which features multiple window support.

7. HideIt

Filling a deficiency that Microsoft conveniently left out, HideIt allows you to encrypt and decrypt sensitive files on your device. This way you can ensure important documents are not compromised at all times.

8. easySMS

Finding it hard to compose a message on your mobile? Why not use the Pocket PC to do so instead? EasySMS allows you to send messages over infrared, cable and even Bluetooth.

9. Passman

Still jotting down information on snippets of paper? It's a thing of the past with Passman. This software allows you to store your important data like PIN, password, and credit card details. With 512-bit data encryption and an automatic password generator, you can set your mind to rest.

10. Check Notifications

If you're using a Pocket PC based on Windows Mobile 2003 OS and finding that it slows down after a period of usage, this may be due to the notification bug. Extra events are added to the database each time you perform a soft reset. This will impact performance in the long run. These duplicates can be easily removed with Check Notifications.

Talkback

Add your opinion

In order to post a comment, you need to be registered. (Sign In or register below)

Post your comment

Terms of Service - As a ZDNet registrant, and by using this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understand our Privacy Policy.

ZDNet Australia Live

Before accusing me of fudging the figures, that was the percentage in April, the latest available. It seems that as the advantage of the ...

2 hours ago by GregoryB1 on NBN FUD: will Abbott ever learn?

Currently about 50% of connections are at the 100Mb/s rate.
As a consequence, ARPU is significantly higher than the projected figures.

2 hours ago by GregoryB1 on NBN FUD: will Abbott ever learn?

Currently about 50% of connections are at the 100Mb/s rate.
As a consequence, ARPU is significantly higher than the projected figures.

2 hours ago by GregoryB1 on NBN FUD: will Abbott ever learn?

Wireless currently carries less than 2% of total internet data traffic. Simply to carry the existing traffic, we would need 50 times the ...

3 hours ago by GregoryB1 on Blowing the digital dividend on wireless NBN

The stupidest part about a wireless solution for the burbs is that it will actually cost more to put an antenna on the roof to get the si...

3 hours ago by GregoryB1 on Blowing the digital dividend on wireless NBN

The problem is not range of the cell in the urban areas where Turnbull wants LTE instead of fibre, it is the number of users. In urban ar...

3 hours ago by GregoryB1 on Blowing the digital dividend on wireless NBN

After the Second World War, the pursuit of pleasure domains the entire world atmosphere, Lancel (Lancel) to adapt rapidly into the demand...

4 hours ago by PokArrackpask on Spam sees Westnet blocked by BigPond

RT @DellEnterprise: Dell Secureworks talks with ZDNet about Android's biggest #security flaws - http://t.co/LSFLQVFq #infosec

NBN users opt for 100Mbps: Customers are picking the top fibre plan that is available on the National Broadband ... http://t.co/sjtFSU3g

"Customers are picking the top fibre plan that is available on the National Broadband Network (NBN), more than a... http://t.co/M3P24Htn

Another thing I found so misleading here is the step on how you assume to make the USB bootable . (The NTLDR needs to be renamed to USBNT...

6 hours ago by WindowsAnalyzer on Boot Windows XP from a USB flash drive

You can also use the help of these links, just incase your stuff failed, I probably got Windows build by using the Pebuilder as per the i...

6 hours ago by WindowsAnalyzer on Boot Windows XP from a USB flash drive

RT @CorrieB: An iPad for every child: Inevitable or impossible? http://t.co/I7uS8l9s Thx to @timbuckteeth for this; http://t.co/jxkqIRIp

RT @MADinMelbourne: roxon "will enable more families to access credit" @MLolderandwiser: Privacy Act amendments http://t.co/Mv4c7PC2 via @zdnetaustralia

NBN users opt for 100Mbps - ZDNet Australia http://t.co/fLfHMzPn #australia #technews

RT @konradski: Whaddayaknow - turns out Wi-Fi CAN interfere with a plane's navigation systems http://t.co/ospQCU2S

This story has been voted 5 times in the last 24 hours!

9 hours ago, NBN's Tassie upgrade to cost $1.3 million

Sorry no deal Cinders, I'd rather send my money to someone and watch them desperately try to stop the NBN as this has much better enterta...

9 hours ago by Hubert Cumberdale on NBN users opt for 100Mbps

What else can you expect from a Dodo customer?

10 hours ago by Hubert Cumberdale on NBN users opt for 100Mbps

NBN users opt for 100Mbps - Communications - News - ZDNet Australia: NBN users opt for 100Mbps - Communications ... http://t.co/btB9gKWg

NBN users opt for 100Mbps http://t.co/xKqEb4bE via @zdnetaustralia

Biometric bugs too dangerous for public? http://t.co/8JLz5tdF via @zdnetaustralia

Oh please dont be unkind, I gotta have some fan's. btw I agree I dont set the standard, but who does I wonder?

12 hours ago by Doubt on NBN users opt for 100Mbps

You agree but give him thumbs down... I think you'd better take the medication before one of your alter ego's Fred/Frank/Frergers appear...

12 hours ago by Beta on NBN users opt for 100Mbps

Exploring: http://t.co/rT7RPZLA

+1

12 hours ago by Beta on NBN users opt for 100Mbps

War talk dominates #AusCERT 2012 - http://t.co/SlBpMj0c - #security #cyber

So we agree it was a stupid idea and even stupider comment then ;-)

12 hours ago by Beta on NBN users opt for 100Mbps

Not you obviously ;-)

And stop giving yourself thumbs up FFS.

12 hours ago by Beta on NBN users opt for 100Mbps

Ok Beta, understand now, just one point who sets the standard?

12 hours ago by Doubt on NBN users opt for 100Mbps

Oh no Beta you misunderstand me. I like my waterfront home and deep water jetty, it's those "other" people who can move to Willunga.

12 hours ago by Doubt on NBN users opt for 100Mbps

I agree with you Magnus, but really most people like living on the coastal fringe.

12 hours ago by Doubt on NBN users opt for 100Mbps

Travel Tech Q&A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray http://t.co/vYexrDwu #ipad

Exploring: http://t.co/YNVjdrct

Exploring: Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray: Ewan Gray, Skyscanner's director for Asia ... http://t.co/bNLCyobv #ICTChallenge

Exploring: Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray: Ewan Gray, Skyscanner's director for Asia ... http://t.co/HEPuJgyt #ICTChallenge

#NewSouthWales ditches registration stickers 4 light #vehicles in favour of #technology http://t.co/xX5N0Rp9

Another use is city based top surgeons using 8K resolution monitors to provide real-time assistance to country surgeons and doctors to op...

13 hours ago by Magnus on NBN users opt for 100Mbps

Anonymous hacks Reliance's Internet filtering server - ZDNet (blog) http://t.co/uObU1HBP http://t.co/0UBXxwX4

Which Windows will make for a better tablet? http://t.co/4mAHg850

Listening to @stilgherrian cover AusCERT and cyberwar, http://t.co/6lGUEz8H

Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray http://t.co/VN5tGJzC

#Westpac Board goes paperless with #Ipads with #Tabula #App http://t.co/duxuj2fd #Cybersecurity #Bank

Microsoft is serious about open source??? http://t.co/mqQGgta7

@joedamato just try varying caps randomly. Maybe they do this http://t.co/1FN5FwYv

NSW outlines datacentre migration plans - Hardware - News - ZDNet Australia http://t.co/OQfUl0D1

"on the new fast Internets everyone wants the fast plan" #orly #nareally #yarly http://t.co/kvfCa84A

Chrome overtakes IE: does it matter? http://t.co/e4SILk8a

A ZDNet study showed that British Facebook users are drunk in 76 percent of their photos.

The HDMI cable ripoff and why retail is really dying http://t.co/eFT7zEW7

Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray http://t.co/IUysbyKf

Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray http://t.co/V7vL5QB9

ZDNet reports Microsoft launches its own social service http://t.co/VJS5BkwF

by http://t.co/vmlLt4bh: Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray: Ewan Gray, Skyscanner's director for Asia P... http://t.co/4bfDRXo4

Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray http://t.co/CtNlVWN7

Travel Tech Q and A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray: Ewan Gray, Skyscanner's director for Asia Pacific, shares some of h... http://t.co/ZxjpmqiM

This story has been voted 12000 times in the last 24 hours!

2 days ago, Is Bill Gates a great leader?

Facebook Activity

Keep up with ZDNet Australia

ZDNet Events Calendar

ZDNet Events Calendar