Program Resolution Swapper:  ProgResoSwap

By Chris North, north@vt.edu
8/11/2004


Description:
This program enables you to easily switch individual applications on your PocketPC Windows 2003 SE between low-resolution QVGA and high-resolution VGA. 
This is only useful for Windows Mobile 2003 "SE" (Second Edition), and users of VGA Pocket PCs like Toshiba e800.
You do not need to restart your PocketPC after changing an Apps resolution, you only need to quit and restart that App.

This is particularly useful for applications that are really nice in VGA, but still have some problems that require you to switch back to QVGA occasionally.  An example is Pharos Ostia GPS mapper, which displays beautiful high-res maps, but the dialog boxes get screwed up in VGA.  So when i need to change some settings in that app, i switch it back to low-res temporarily.

I like this better than tools like SE_VGA, because you can control resolution for individual applicaitons and also don't need to hard/soft restart.


Background:
Basically, some applications have the ability to display VGA graphics (like Adobe Reader), but Win03 SE will only run them in QVGA because they havent been upgraded to include the new Win03 SE API.  This tool will trick Win03 SE to recognize that these applications are indeed VGA.  Note that since the applications havent truly been upgraded, sometimes they do weird things in VGA.
ProgResoSwap uses the MUI file hack described at http://www.pc-counselor.8m.com/How_to/index.htm#doublepixeling.
This program basically just adds a nice GUI that makes it easy to do and manage.  For any app that you choose high-res, it will copy the MUI file hack for that app.


Usage:
In the list, Click the checkbox next to an application to switch it to high-resolution VGA.  Uncheck it to put it back in QVGA.
Add programs to the list using the Add button and navigating the file system in the popup box.  Click any EXE that you want to control resolution on, and it will add it to the list for easy future access.
Click OK to make changes happen.  You will need to restart any apps that you switched to see the effects.
Ofcourse, you can rename, remove, and reorder the apps in the list for convenience.
Note, removing an app from the list will leave it in its last checked state.

As an example, if you have Adobe Reader installed, navigate to /Program Files/Adobe/Acrobat 1.0/Reader.  Then click on AcroRd32.exe.  In the main list, click the check box next to AcroRd32.exe.  Click OK.  Then start Acro Reader and see the difference!  You can go back to ProgResoSwap and uncheck AcroRd32.exe to switch it back.


Installation:
Using ActiveSynce|Explore, copy the ProgResoSwap.CAB file to your PocketPC.  
On your PocketPC, use File Explorer to click the CAB file to install it.
On your PocketPC, use Start Menu|Programs|ProgResoSwap to run it.
(if you use a language other than English, see 

These files are installed to \Program Files\ProgResoSwap:
* ProgResoSwap.exe	= the program.
* HiRes.exe.0409.mui	= the MUI hack file that is used to set apps to VGA.
* proglist.txt		= the data store of the apps and their settings.


Uninstall:
Use the Remove Programs feature of PocketPC or ActiveSync.
If you want to get rid of all the VGA settings, uncheck all the boxes in ProgResoSwap before you uninstall it.


File format of proglist.txt:
first line is the language code.  English is 0409.  Change this if you use a differnt language on your PPC.
Then the app records are listed.
each app record has 3 lines:  exe path, readable name, current setting (True = VGA).

example file:  (ProgResoSwap should not be run in VGA, its only included as an example.)
0409
\Program Files\ProgResoSwap\ProgResoSwap.exe
Prog Reso Swapper
False


Development:
Developed in C#, tested on Toshiba e800 running PPC Win03 SE.


Disclaimer:
Use ProgResoSwap at your own risk.  Messing with resolution hacks is always a little risky.

Freeware.
