How to change your cellphone's keyboard layout to German QWERTZ on Windows Mobile 6.1

Wow, what a headline... Anyway, I've upgraded my HTC S730 / Wings yesterday from Windows Mobile 6 to 6.1 and noticed the keyboard layout was set to QWERTY with no natural support for Umlauts :(
So I did some research and found a way to solve this problem.

1. Download 'Koteshi's Windows Mobile 6.1 customizing pack' and unzip it.
2. Go to 'german keyboard layout' and copy the file 'eT9.Wings.0407.kmap.txt' to your cellphone's 'Windows' folder
3. Start your favorite registry editor for windows mobile devices. Mine is CeRegEditor which can be downloaded at ceregeditor.mdsoft.pl
4. Locate 'HKLM\Software\Tegic\eT9\IME\KeyboardLayouDlls'.
5. Change the value of '000007FF' to 'eT9.Wings.0407.kmap.txt'.
6. Reboot.
   

Done! ^^ Wasn't that hard, was it?

How to install German T9 on your Windows Mobile 6.1 cellphone

This also works on Windows Mobile 6. Here we go:

1. Download 'Koteshi's Windows Mobile 6.1 customizing pack' and unzip it.
   
2. Goto 'german T9' folder, copy the 'german.cab' file to your cellphone and start the installation from there.
3. After you rebooted you will be able to use German T9 :-)
   

How to install a Chinese font on your Windows Mobile 6.1 cellphone

First of all: This also works on Windows Mobile 6.
So, let's begin.

1. Download 'Koteshi's Windows Mobile 6.1 customizing pack' and unzip it.
   
2. Goto 'chinese font' folder, copy the 'wm6szh.cab' file to your cellphone and start the installation from there.
3. After you rebooted your cell, you are able to read chinese characters.
4. Remember you can only read them. If you want to write chinese you propably need 'CE-Star' or 'Monster Chinese' cause they provide an IME

Known issues with 6.1:

• Background of your homescreen looks plain green.

Solution:

• Switch your Home Screen at 'Start\Settubgs\Home Screen' to 'HTC', go to the homescreen and then switch it back to 'Sliding Panel Media'

That's it ;)

How to upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 on HTC s730 / Wings

I've created a little package which includes all the files needed for installing Windows Mobile 6.1 on your HTC S730 / Wings cellphone. Kudos to Alcaline over at xda developers who have cooked this wonderful rom.

REMEMBER: BACKUP YOUR FILES BEFORE YOU PROCEED CAUSE THEY WILL BE GONE AFTER THE UPDATE. USE AT OWN RISK!

Now let's have some fun:

1. First of all you need to install something on your cell called 'HardSPL'. This will allow us to install our flash rom.
2. Download windows-mobile-6.1-htc-s730-wings.rar so you'll have all the needed files and unzip it.
3. Remove all SIM and SD CARD!
4. Connect the USB cable.
5. Start the 'SDA_ApplicationUnlock.exe' file located in the unzipped HardSPL folder to unlock your cellphone.
6. Create a SPL backup by running 'spl-backup.bat' from SPL-backup-kit folder.
7. Copy 'sspl-0.91-wings.exe' to your cellphone and run it from there. Your cell will reboot and you get the 'dev mode color screen'. After some time USB will appear on the screen.
8. To make sure everything will work fine, unplug and replug the usb cable. Your PC might want to install the cellphone and if it asks for some driver, use the 'htcrt_devices.ini' file.
   
9. Now it is time to flash the 'hardspl-0.91-wings.nbh' by running 'CustomRUU.exe' from flash-hardspl-wings folder.
10. Cross fingers ;)
11. OK, if this worked we are now able to upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 :)
12. Run the before mentioned 'sspl-0.91-wings.exe' on your cell. Your mobile will once again reboot and you get the 'dev mode color screen' you already know. After some time USB will appear on the screen.
    
13. Now start 'ROMUpdateUtility.exe' which is located in the RUU_Wings_HTC_WWE_Alcaline_61 folder.
14. If everything goes well, your cellphone reboots and you have done it! Congrats ^^
    

PS: MAYBE your phone behaves a bit strange after the first start mine did so. Simply reboot again and everything is normal.

1337 yeah baby ;)

Wohoo, I finally did it. I've managed to install Windows Mobile 6.1 on my HTC s730 (or Wings how it is called in other countries). I don't wanna know how many nerves that costed me in the last few attempts but I really have to say: The phone feels totally different now. Maybe it is just a placebo effect but all the menus really feel a lot smoother now. Stay tuned for nice pictures and tutorials^^

The following link provide more than just big help:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=383617

Only thing I have to do now is:

- set the default keyboardmapping to QWERTZ - done!
- install German T9 support - done!
- install Chinese font support - done!

Update Windows Mobile 6 to 6.1 on your HTC S730 / Wings

Today after work I will do it. I had several attempts but was never successful :(

It can't be that difficult, or can it...?

Will koteshi be more successful this time, or will he cry like a baby like he did in the last 3 attempts? Find out in the next posting here tomorrow.

PS: Here's a video showing Windows Mobile 6.1 running on the HTC S730 / Wings.

:-(

What's an IT admin without a PC? Exactly: a cripple. Wow, this might be offensive in some ways but I guess you get the idea. Well for some days now my Notebook is acting crazy, my cellphone doesn't work flawless and I feel like I am back in the stoneage. Anyone wanting to give me a new Macbook Pro and an iPhone 3G? ;)
By the way: The upcoming new iPhone finally has all the features I expect when I hear the word smartphone. 3G support is nothing too special anymore in Germany where many people I know use UMTS/HSDPA for 2 years or more but GPS support could be a nice new feature. Especially if Google Maps works with the new iPhone. But unfortunately it still doesn't support Java :-(
Nevertheless I am already counting the days until my current cellphone provider contract will end beginning next year.

New country, new cellphone

Because sending SMS home is very expensive, I bought a new (second) cellphone in China.
'My weapon of choice' was a Nokia 2630 with China Unicom SIM-card. 150Yuan (15Eur) were included and the total price was ca. 80Eur.
Nice side effect: SMS to Germany only cost 1Yuan (10 Cent) BUT it only works in Beijing... :(
So I need a new SIM when I'm heading for Shanghai tomorrow... Tamade (Shit)

PS: Of course you can switch between Chinese and English language on your cellphone ;)