Related
Here we go:
I use a number of Microsoft Access Databases for my work, and each one is intensely coded and designed and basically run like actual programs. What I am looking for is to be able to take these databases with me. Now understanding that Microsoft and Android are two completely different beasts, what I really am looking for is the ability to take the tables (I use all Back-end database so all my tables are in a completely separate file then all my forms, queries, and reports) and the data with me and be able to run them in a program on Android that keeps the relationships and fields and all of that sort of stuff.
Now what would be great is the ability to use forms (even if special forms for android need to be made), run queries, and even be able to run reports and print as PDFs.
now I know how to code in VBA, hence the extensive coding I have done in Access, so anybody willing to WORK WITH in creating an Android Program to basically be an extension of Microsoft Access please contact me. Please not I use the words WORK WITH loosely, while I am trying to learn how to Program for Android, I currently do not have a computer that I can use to develop programs for android on, and well I would be only able to create the "Hello World" starter program and this project seems a slight bit more complicated. But what I can bring to the table is real world experience in testing and using the program day in and day out, a number of already existing Microsoft Access Databases ranging from Complex to Simple that I use every day. Really a program that can run Microsoft Access Tables on Android would be really useful to me and I am willing to do anything to help make this happen.
kronos82 said:
Here we go:
I use a number of Microsoft Access Databases for my work, and each one is intensely coded and designed and basically run like actual programs. What I am looking for is to be able to take these databases with me. Now understanding that Microsoft and Android are two completely different beasts, what I really am looking for is the ability to take the tables (I use all Back-end database so all my tables are in a completely separate file then all my forms, queries, and reports) and the data with me and be able to run them in a program on Android that keeps the relationships and fields and all of that sort of stuff.
Now what would be great is the ability to use forms (even if special forms for android need to be made), run queries, and even be able to run reports and print as PDFs.
now I know how to code in VBA, hence the extensive coding I have done in Access, so anybody willing to WORK WITH in creating an Android Program to basically be an extension of Microsoft Access please contact me. Please not I use the words WORK WITH loosely, while I am trying to learn how to Program for Android, I currently do not have a computer that I can use to develop programs for android on, and well I would be only able to create the "Hello World" starter program and this project seems a slight bit more complicated. But what I can bring to the table is real world experience in testing and using the program day in and day out, a number of already existing Microsoft Access Databases ranging from Complex to Simple that I use every day. Really a program that can run Microsoft Access Tables on Android would be really useful to me and I am willing to do anything to help make this happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think we must have the same job
Android utilizes an sqlite database engine and it looks like sqlite already offers a conversion utility HERE. The real question would be how to get the data in and out of the phone. Regarding forms, they definitely would need to be custom built.
Thanks this is deffenetly a start, From what I can tell this This Looks to be the most promising, It looks like all you would have to do is put a MS Access Database file on your SD CARD and have a program access it. That way you copy it back and forth. Unfortunately it doesn't support Access 2003, but I can save down. I also got a lot of learning to do in programing Java programs.
Forms would be as simply as making a program, this is great thanks much
kronos82 said:
Here we go:
I use a number of Microsoft Access Databases for my work, and each one is intensely coded and designed and basically run like actual programs. What I am looking for is to be able to take these databases with me....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would like to say, "yes, please!" to this idea. I currently use Smart List to Go (the descendant of ThinkDB) on my Palm TX. The TX is dying, and I've been shopping for a replacement. HanDBase exists for the iPhone, but I don't want an iPhone. So I've been focused on WinMo - not by choice as much as by necessity.
And android option would be very welcome around my computers.
benmyers2941 said:
I think we must have the same job
Android utilizes an sqlite database engine and it looks like sqlite already offers a conversion utility HERE. The real question would be how to get the data in and out of the phone. Regarding forms, they definitely would need to be custom built.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androids sqlite its for applications to access and store data using java code.
try the pocket office app
Freedomcaller said:
androids sqlite its for applications to access and store data using java code.
try the pocket office app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly and we're talking about creating an app that would enable manipulation of an sqlite database. Essentially all that would be needed would be to create a ui framework wrapper for the existing api in android. Not the least monumental task I've heard of an individual taking on but not the most either.
The versions of pocket office that I've seen for android do not currently support Access databases as far as I'm aware. If I'm wrong could you post a link and save everyone some trouble?
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
kronos82 said:
Thanks this is deffenetly a start, From what I can tell this looks to be the most promising, It looks like all you would have to do is put a MS Access Database file on your SD CARD and have a program access it. That way you copy it back and forth. Unfortunately it doesn't support Access 2003, but I can save down. I also got a lot of learning to do in programing Java programs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jackcess library is now patched to support android (will be in 1.2.2 release). Also seems to support 2000, 2003 and 2007 formats now.
Works great for me.
View jackcess site. Couldn't find anything on support for android. I'm using htc desire and would really like to find program to view ms access file. Can you tell me how you do it?
As I remember reading worked as on PC, while writing had some problems.
This forum prevents me from linking directly, but if you click tracker/patches on Jackcess project, check Android Compatibility Fix - ID: 3101578
The changes are in trunk and will be in the 1.2.2 release. I've added some
notes which will eventually make it to the FAQ page on the website
detailing the compatibility steps:
- Set the system property "com.healthmarketscience.jackcess.broken
Nio=true"
- Set the system property "com.healthmarketscience.jackcess.resour
cePath=res/raw/"
- Copy the *.txt, *.mdb, and *.accdb files from the
"com/healthmarketscience/jackcess/" directory in the Jackcess jar to the
"/res/raw" Android application directory.
- Before executing any Jackcess code, set the current Thread's context
classloader, e.g.
"Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(Database.class.getClassLoader())".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Until this version (1.2.2) is released you need to build lib yourself.
You also need commons-lang and commons-logging from apache commons.
Before you use Jackcess in Android code, you set
Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(
getClass().getClassLoader());
System.setProperty(
"com.healthmarketscience.jackcess.brokenNio",
"true");
System.setProperty(
"com.healthmarketscience.jackcess.resourcePath",
"res/raw/");
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and copy those resource files to res/raw
Then you can work as on PC, for example open /sdcard/yourprogram/file.mdb
Jackcess has no GUI, it's a library to read/write access files.
Getting an Access file into Android
I keep a lot of information on a Psion Revo, which has just turned its face to the wall and is giving up the ghost, and have always backed the information up on to my pc as an Access file. It looks easier to get this into a format acceptable to Android by converting the Access .mbx file into an Excel .xls file. This can be searched readily by Column and Values. Maybe this deals with too simple a need for most enquirers to the forum, but if it helps somebody then so much the better.
hi all i have beenlooking for something the same for some time now and just the other day i came accross this site cellica.com
the android app is free and the desktop application has a 5 day trial period or its $50 to buy it works great the only thing you can not do is create a report from the phone
i have emailed support team and they said they will be adding it on in the future.
Any Updates???
I currently build and use databases in MS Access and was wondering if there are any updates on this topic now that Tablets are in use now. Looking to get the Motorola Xoom (2nd version) in the future, but would love to be able to use a program that I would be able to access my MS Access databases while "on-the-go".
Anyone? This would be huge (I believe), since we now have tablets.
Thanks a bunch,
~Kilch~
Access to MS Access by Android
Hi,
I'm also looking to get on-the-go access to my Access databases on my Android HTC Tattoo.
The file is on it, I just need a tool to access it in read-only / search mode, but judging from the previous comments, there doesn't seem to be an oversupply in applications.
The "convert to Excel format" may be OK for me. I want to use a 3 language Access DB (dictionary) on my phone, so I'll try the Excel solution.
It would be nice if we had an ACCESS reader though...
John
Panacea Database
I know XDA frowns upon excessively hawking your own products here, but I do seem to be directly answering more than one of the reply questions, it just happens that the answer is an application my company released.
The Panacea Database application can handle Access from Access 2000 to Access 2007. It has also worked so far on every Access 2010 database we've tested, and we've received no complaints in that department yet. We release updates from time to time as we improve its functionality and features, often guided in our priorities by user e-mail and market comments. Our next update will be focused on improving screen layout for a variety of Android devices - from small QVGA smartphones, to large WXGA tablets. After that we may move onto other functionality.
In the interest of fairness, I'll point out arafa1209's post. He mentions Celicca Database, which is the only other application that I know of that deals with Access databases on Android. It has features Panacea does not have (yet) - ability to work with forms, ability to create and modify databases, ability to connect to your PC etc. Like us, they also send out updates improving their app regularly. So you can compare the apps, and use which one fits your needs better (or use both). If anyone knows of any others they can post here as well, but these are the only two I know of currently.
Just tried Panacea. Although it is more basic and annoyingly doesn't remember the last files you'be opened necessitating finding the file each time you open the app I prefer it for the simple reason you don't have to convert the Access database to another format.
amwebby said:
doesn't remember the last files you'be opened necessitating finding the file each time you open the app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you update the app, this should be fixed, the last version should have this feature.
Got the update last week. Certainly goes a long way to making it more user-friendly. Keep up the great work!
Since the last update it seems to be broken. Although it remembers the last database I cannot open a table within any database.
Edit: It appears the file was corrupted. Loaded a new file and all working again.
Any news in this topic.
I tried panacea Database, works fine. But not very effective. Searching data is a must for me however I didnt manage to find a search option. When I search for tables, it cant even locate the tables by names.
you can use java codes with the IE browser (also with Favorites)
maybe window break could get advanced
examples
javscript:history.forward
javascript:alert(document.cookie)
javascript:alert("xda")
IE10 mobile with windows phone 8 (tested on Lumia 920)
IE9 mobile with Windows Phone 7 doesn't work (tested on Mozart)
saywa said:
you can use java codes with the IE browser (also with Favorites)
maybe window break could get advanced
examples
javscript:history.forward
javascript:alert(document.cookie)
javascript:alert("xda")
IE10 mobile with windows phone 8 (tested on Lumia 920)
IE9 mobile with Windows Phone 7 doesn't work (tested on Mozart)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure how this would ever help us, though. That's pretty much the same as just running javascript within the browser. And either way, the browser runs under low privileges anyway.
Good thought, though!
First of all, Java has nothing to do with JavaScript except for some idiot marketing scheme by Netscape long ago. Don't confuse them.
Second, if it were possible to use JS to jailbreak a phone, then it would also be possible for an attacker to take over your phone just because you visited a website. This would be bad.
Third, WP7/IE9 actually does support "scriptlets" or "bookmarklets" (javascript:<code> favorites); see my signature for a link to a few of them for WP7, including a "Find on page" tool.
Fourth, while Jaxbot is absolutely correct that the browser has low privileges (even if we could cause it to execute anything we want, we *probably* couldn't manage to unlock the phone), it is nonetheless probably a good idea to keep an eye out for any exploits released against IE10 on the desktop. Much of the code in the Windows Phone version is the same, and it might be possible to use a known exploit (at least, until it gets patched) to have another way to learn more about how the OS works, which might allow us to find a vulnerability that can be used for an unlock. It's not a sure thing, but it *might* help.
Hey Guys,
Below is a list of the things that my HTC 8x does when it checks for Windows Updates. I am waiting for Microsoft's server to decide to give me a new firmware, so I decided to sniff out the TCP stream. Of note, I found the following:
1. Phone contacts http://fe1.update.microsoft.com/WP8/MicrosoftUpdate/Selfupdate/5_UssDetection.dll
The Phone goes out and fetches this dll onto the system. It references the following certificates (which you can download):
root cert http://www.microsoft.com/pki/certs/MicRooCerAut_2010-06-23.crt
production cert http://www.microsoft.com/pkiops/certs/Microsoft Windows Phone Production PCA 2012.crt
time stamp PCA? http://www.microsoft.com/pki/certs/MicTimStaPCA_2010-07-01.crt
2. After that, it goes and fetches the following cab file: http://sds.download.windowsupdate.com/wp8/MicrosoftUpdate/Redir/duredir.cab. This cab file contains a single xml file called wuredir.xml. It has two values: the clientServerURL and the ReportingServer URL.
3. After this, some https traffic occurs to the clientserver URL. I am guessing this is it checking for updates.
4. Then it posts to http://statsfe1.update.microsoft.com/ReportingWebService/ReportingWebService.asmx with a SOAP action of http://www.microsoft.com/SoftwareDistribution/ReportEventBatch with a whole bunch of info on the phone.
The User Agent being used for all of these communications is as follows: Windows-Mobile-Device-Update-Agent
If this dll it is fetching is unsigned, I wonder if we could have some fun....I am also wondering what happens if we develop and sign an xap with Microsoft's certificate if it will allow us to do more things within the OS.
Sign with Microsoft's private key? If you have access this then your about to become very popular
Sent from my Arc using xda app-developers app
Hmm, the 5_UssDetection seems to be a normal PE32 .dll. Not .NET compiled. I don't see any COM Imports/Exports for it so finding this out may be a little difficult. I haven't used any tools like IDA though, just a normal PE explorer program.
This is good information though. I wonder if GoodDayToDie may have some further input?
Nice find. I've been monitoring phone traffic myself but hadn't caught this exchange yet.
The fact that it checks external cert files is very interesting. Typically, I would expect this to be using "certificate pinning" where the public key of the signing cert is stored internally in the software, and no other signature is trusted (even if it chains to a CA that is installed on the phone and would normally be trusted). MS does use pinning in a number of places; for example, this is how the original ChevronWP7 Unlocker was broken, and is used when adding a Microsoft account to the phone or when that account is updating. However, I figure there's an excellent chance that pinning is *not* being used in at least one place where it really should be (this can be tested using tools like Fiddler or Burp, which have the ability to intercept SSL traffic using a cert that chains to a cert installed in the phone's trusted authorities store).
If pinning isn't being used, it may be possible to modify/create our own detection DLL, then create our own CA cert, install the public key on the phone, use the private key to sign an intermediate cert (that we also create, and have the private key for), and use the intermediate cert to sign our customized DLL. If necessary, we could even intercept the lookups that the phone performs and control what is returned (assuming the lookups are actually over HTTP, or at least unpinned HTTPS).
The probability that the file is unsigned isn't even worth considering; it's quite likely that Microsoft is using a mandatory signing level on WP8 for all executable code. Unfortunately, if they are doing that, it's also likely that it's set to require a cert which chains to the MS root cert (this is how Windows RT is by default), which is effectively a form of system-wide cert pinning. However, if you want to check, signtool in the Visual Studio Command Prompt can dump authenticode certs on a file.
Reverse engineering the detection DLL is quite possibly worthwhile even if we can't modify it, too; it'll provide insight into the update process, which is one of the best places to mess with a system. It runs with high privileges and explicitly is capable of modifying system code.
That sounds quite enticing! I wish I knew x86/ARM assembly :/. I'll see what the sign tool outputs in VS
It feels great to see that you're here GoodDayToDie You helped out a lot on WinPho 7 for HD2 (a device I'll soon repurchase).
Hopefully there'll be some advancements on the "jailbreaking" of Windows Phone 8
I would be surprised if WP8 wasn't using the same code signing requirements as Windows RT.
As far as hijacking that dll goes, unless we can find an immediate privileged code execution exploit in it all it's most likely to do would be to give us write abilities to the FS, and there's a huge 'if' attached to that. That would be a big step if possible, though.
Something that would be interesting to check is if an EXE compiled for Windows RT (cdb, for example) would be capable of running on WP8. If MS used the same signing certificates it may be possible to put enough of Windows RT's dependencies on WP8 to allow it to run a simple console application. Obviously we wouldn't have any console windows or the sort, but it should be possible to capture output if it worked.
We have a decrypted OS dump around somewhere, right? It should be simple to check if they use the same signatures.
Good call on checking the signatures. I'd also like to take a look at reverse engineering the OEM apps again; even if they don't give us a device-agnostic hack directly, they may reveal interesting things about the WP8 app model internals and also may give device-specific breaks which can be used to gain the knowledge we need for crafting device-agnostic ones.
Slightly off-topic:
The zipview exploit still (sort of) works. Hard to believe, but I bet MS just recompiled the program for NT's Win32 and didn't bother with it beyond that. Decent chance that the same holds for the XAP installer, though I haven't tried yet. However, A) the filesystem layout has changed, so write-only access is even more poking blind than it used to be, and B) zipview may be running with lower privileges than it used to. On a simple test ZIP (attached for your testing pleasure), I can open files and create directories up to three levels above the zip root, but no further. Trying to open a file in a folder directly higher than that gives a "cannot extract to a read-only location" error, and trying to open a file inside a subfolder above the third level up gives a generic error message (probably due to failing to create the folder).
Also, I got wired tethering working on my Ativ S today. I'll create a post about doing that if nobody else has done so yet (it was almost identical to the WP7 Samsung devices, the only hard part being finding the right 64-bit drivers). WindowBreak didn't work, though (the folder that it extracts at is above the permissions cutoff, which makes me suspect zipview can't write to the drive root) and I don't think the subcomponent of the Diagnostics app works the same, either (a lot of the diagnostics codes have changed; we should learn the new ones).I don't even know if WP8 understands provxml (it's historically a CE feature, not an NT one), although I found references in the Diag app to provxml being "ready".
Here's what I came up with for a file list from some rudimentary (and possibly inaccurate) parsing of a .ffu: http://pastebin.com/hX6qJQeA
Got that from RM820_1232.2109.1242.1001_RETAIL_nam_usa_100_01_95122.ffu.
Great, thanks for that! Looks like provxml is definitely still here, and that's probably good. I'll bet they changed some things though, to make it more NT-ish (support for proper ACLs, for example). I should review those included provxml files for a look at how the phone is currently configured. Lots of potentially interesting .REG files too. I'll have to try some more things here!
No problem. All I did was pull out all text inside '<DevicePath>' tags inside one of the FFUs for the AT&T Lumia 920.
From looking at the FFU it appears to be a collection of CAB archives (or packages) encapsulated in some proprietary format. WP7.x tools don't work on them, sadly.
Edit: I'm blind sometimes, there is a tool to mount them and it does work.
More edit: Different signatures.
More more edit: Windows RT refuses to run the WP8 binaries without a jailbreak.
Hmm... but with jailbreak, do the binaries run? I mean, they're NT Win32-based PE binaries compiled for THUMB2 architecture, so I'm sure they can at least be executed, but do they actually run or do this simply error out or crash immediately?
It would be interesting to compare the certificate chains of RT and WP8 binaries. As far as I know, the default restriction level on RT should allow anything that chains to the Microsoft root Authenticode cert to run, which means either that we misunderstand that restriction or that the WP8 signatures chain to a completely different cert. I'm guessing it's the latter, but that does surprise me. I could understand if RT used the "Windows" signing level and WP8 binaries wouldn't work; despite having Windows in the name, using the Win32 API, and running on the NT kernel, the Windows Phone team is separate from the Windows team and quite likely has its own signing keys. I would think that an OS which accepts Office and DevDiv/Tools signatures (unless Office and the debuggers were re-signed by the Windows team? I haven't checked) would accept Windows Phone signatures too.
GoodDayToDie said:
Hmm... but with jailbreak, do the binaries run? I mean, they're NT Win32-based PE binaries compiled for THUMB2 architecture, so I'm sure they can at least be executed, but do they actually run or do this simply error out or crash immediately?
It would be interesting to compare the certificate chains of RT and WP8 binaries. As far as I know, the default restriction level on RT should allow anything that chains to the Microsoft root Authenticode cert to run, which means either that we misunderstand that restriction or that the WP8 signatures chain to a completely different cert. I'm guessing it's the latter, but that does surprise me. I could understand if RT used the "Windows" signing level and WP8 binaries wouldn't work; despite having Windows in the name, using the Win32 API, and running on the NT kernel, the Windows Phone team is separate from the Windows team and quite likely has its own signing keys. I would think that an OS which accepts Office and DevDiv/Tools signatures (unless Office and the debuggers were re-signed by the Windows team? I haven't checked) would accept Windows Phone signatures too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
As far as running, some have given me console output, but I haven't gotten a single GUI one to start. I've been considering on looking to see how complex the UI is to see if I can write some sort of WP8->Win32 translation layer. There are just so few WP8 xaps floating around that it's not really worth looking into, though.
I don't expect the GUI to work; the whole model (with the Back history and all that) is going to rely on stuff not found on Windows Client. Cool that you're able to get some CLI apps to work (which is funny in and of itself; WP8 doesn't support a terminal interface). This is only post-jailbreak though? That still seems weird, since the signatures chain to the MS root CA. Very weird. I'll poke around myself once I download a ROM to explore (busy with work at present).
I haven't really found any to work, per se, I've just gotten console output, generally in the form of an error message or a help prompt. I can't recall which files exactly I had tried with, though. I mostly just poked through system32.
GoodDayToDie said:
I don't expect the GUI to work; the whole model (with the Back history and all that) is going to rely on stuff not found on Windows Client. Cool that you're able to get some CLI apps to work (which is funny in and of itself; WP8 doesn't support a terminal interface). This is only post-jailbreak though? That still seems weird, since the signatures chain to the MS root CA. Very weird. I'll poke around myself once I download a ROM to explore (busy with work at present).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the GUI classes of windows phone are not compatible with the standard .Net library or windows RT. The only way to get them running is through some sort of virtual machine. Some MSFT guys confirmed this a few months back at a training course about W8 RT.
Basically, it is kinda difficult to have WP8 apps show any GUI at all outside of their WP8 runtime.
netham45 said:
Here's what I came up with for a file list from some rudimentary (and possibly inaccurate) parsing of a .ffu: http://pastebin.com/hX6qJQeA
Got that from RM820_1232.2109.1242.1001_RETAIL_nam_usa_100_01_95122.ffu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In regards to the file "MMOS.wim", has anyone managed to extract it/analyze it?
I couldn't find anything about it online. I am able to mount the file to a virtual disk and view its contents, but I am not able to view/read/extract any of these files from the drive. Trying to copy any file from the drive gives a system error/exception message that I have never seen before.
Are the files inside of "MMOS.wim" even useful?
---------- Post added at 12:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:22 AM ----------
mcosmin222 said:
the GUI classes of windows phone are not compatible with the standard .Net library or windows RT. The only way to get them running is through some sort of virtual machine. Some MSFT guys confirmed this a few months back at a training course about W8 RT.
Basically, it is kinda difficult to have WP8 apps show any GUI at all outside of their WP8 runtime.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not difficult, more like impossible lol.
The entire native UI is very independent. It is best described as one single app that has multiple pages. The start menu is a page, settings app is a page, office 365 is a page, etc.
These different pages all cross-reference resources from each other and can modify each other. However, they are all compiled separately. Each "page" contains it's own resources and GUI markup in a dll, along with native code to interact with the markup. This native code can also call functions and access resources from other "page" dll's. There are no compiler dependencies between the "pages" when being created, only during actual runtime.
Things are very "coupled" by this model on purpose. Changing code/functionality in the startmenu.dll could potentially break everything. It is designed so that you cannot target and modify a specific element or feature without updating code in other areas of the system.
Basically, you need full access and understanding of the gui layouts/code to modify it.
The only reasonable possibility is the ability to modify the markup code (think XAML) to change layouts and visuals. But even that possibility is made difficult since the markup is compiled. However, no information is lost during the compilation, meaning that the markup can be decompiled back to its original form.
Windows 8/RT uses DUI (DirectUI), a similar framework, for all of it's native GUI elements.
Windows Phone 7/8 uses UIX/Splash.
Asking a former Microsoft employee about UIX/Splash is like asking a former U.S. government agent about Area 51. They seriously fear for their lives.
I would avoid using the word impossible as of yet. With a layer of emulation above RT the thing should "run".
It might be possible to have an app compliant with the app store requirements (as in not require jailbreak) on RT to emulate the WP8 GUI model, but that would imply interpreting the XAML code and emulate it JVM style, but it would be a lot of work.
I wonder if the WP8 emulators would prove to be of any use...
mcosmin222 said:
I would avoid using the word impossible as of yet. With a layer of emulation above RT the thing should "run".
It might be possible to have an app compliant with the app store requirements (as in not require jailbreak) on RT to emulate the WP8 GUI model, but that would imply interpreting the XAML code and emulate it JVM style, but it would be a lot of work.
I wonder if the WP8 emulators would prove to be of any use...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My GUI post was in regards to the native GUI. I didn't realize that you were talking about WP8 apps running on Windows RT. I thought you meant the other way around lol.
Couldn't this potentially be pointless? Microsoft Job posting was looking for developers interested on deploying .appx on Windows Phone I believe. So that means they are going to make .appx the universal model for all platforms and not .xap in the future. With that said, they might be stopping .xap development completely in the future.
Who would develop an .xap for Windows Phone when you can develop .appx and have it work on Windows Phone + Windows RT + Windows 8 + Xbox?
Just some thoughts. I think trying to get .XAP running on Windows RT is pointless to pursue right now, since the time researching would be better spent in other areas of development.
Im not sure how they are going to make appx run on WP8. The WinRT model is obviously tuned towards bigger screens. How would you use a charms bar on WP8? In fact, how would you use any of the W8 stuff on WP8?
I think a lot of people would like to run emulated WP8 apps on their tablets, since some apps have not been ported yet.
While I do agree this is kinda pointless, it's a nice way of learning new stuff.
Does anyone know or can anyone confirm there is a Network Plugin type app like WinMo had that allows you to map shared folders in WP8? Thats one of the major things thats keeping me on the fence about jumping from WinMo 6.1 to WP8. If someone can compile an app i can throw them the .cab file if they are too lazy to find it
I didn't see any apps for Windows Networking connectivity in a brief search of the store. It is not just a matter of recompiling, though; even if you have the source, WinMo apps and WP apps work very differently, and it would be a fair bit of effort (for example, the UI would need to be re-written) to make it work on WP8.
Also, WP doesn't have any built-in file managers. WP7 has homebrew ones for unlocked phones, but so far there's nothing really equivalent for WP8. I did think somebody was writing a SMB client app for WP7 that would let you browse network shares and open the files on them using your phone, but I can't find it in the Store.
There is an app for this (C)
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/sharefolder/e2b9c82e-eaa1-4a3b-9d4a-8a2933a8bdb4
Looks like what you need.
spikedviper said:
There is an app for this (C)
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/sharefolder/e2b9c82e-eaa1-4a3b-9d4a-8a2933a8bdb4
Looks like what you need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In theory at least. But thanks.
A lot of people are flooding the WP8 sub-forums by asking questions that haven't exactly been answered in a straightforward manner. This is my first stab at this and this post will grow over time.
What are some pros and cons of using Windows Phones?
I'll just refer you to this post over at Windows Phone Central. The person who wrote this had an HTC 8X, and had made it before YouTube was an app, so a few things might be dated about it, but its still essentially the same when it comes to the user experience.
Pros and Cons with Windows Phone 8
How do I "unbrand" my device?
By installing a region generic ROM for the same device.
Here's a tutorial for the HTC 8X - [Guide] Unbrand HTC 8X
Here's a tutorial for the Lumia 920 - [Tutorial] Unbrand (flash) Nokia Windows Phone 8
Note: Once you flash the Rogers Dev ROM, you can't go back to your factory ROM.
How do I enable BitLocker on my device?
You can have your company administrator enable it.
You can also enable it using an Office 365 subscription. More details will be added soon.
Once I install a ROM or InteropUnlock my phone will I still get updates?
It will still receive updates, but it will be as often as either the other carrier pushes updates or as the manufacturer pushes generic model updates. If you chose to jump on the Developer OS Preview(Beta Update) train, you'll receive updates directly from Microsoft months before your manufacturer will push an update and even faster than your cellular carrier can push an update.
Does my device work internationally? Can I use a different carrier with my current device?
It depends if you device shares the same cellular bands. You also might need your phone SIM unlocked. You can either call the original carrier of the device if its branded and tell them you need it unlocked for international travel or pay for a SIM unlocking service.
Will LTE work if I leave my home country/Will LTE work with another carrier?
LTE (E-UTRA in most implementations) is a different standard to GSM and CDMA. It has features that allow it to work with GSM and CDMA hardware, but its essentially a new beast. LTE have their own frequency blocks in most regions (it can also share the same bands as 3G, but lets not go there) and operates independent of the "3G" networks, so if you want LTE to work, you'll also need 3G and 2G bands to work as well.
To start, lets say we have a Lumia 928.
It has the following:
LTE network bands: 4 (1700 MHz - block f), 13 (700 MHz - block c) Verizon says that it needs a firmware update to enable the 4th band
WCDMA network: 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1900 MHz, 2100 MHz this will usually be the same as GSM
CDMA network bands: BC0, BC1 (we can safely ignore this; these are the main bands that others will use, but there might still be an exception to this.)
GSM network: 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz
So, if I wanted to use this with a GSM carrier and LTE, I need to find a carrier that uses LTE band 13.
That limits me to Open Mobile (Triad 700) in Puerto Rico, Entel Bolivia in Bolivia, and Digicel Cayman in the Cayman Islands. That's just the Americas.
In Asia, I can use MTS Uzbekistan and UCell in Uzbekistan. That's all the places that share LTE band 13 and the 700 MHz c block. When ever LTE band 4 is enabled on the device, I have a plethora of other carrier I can use in the US alone and three of the main carriers in Canada ( Bell, Rogers Wireless, and Telus)
Check the tables here to make sure they share the same LTE band and frequency. YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY!Well, at least better than mine anyways...
My phone apps have stopped updating/I have WP 8.1.1, but no Denim.
You have two options.
Install SysApp Pusher and check for updates.
Flash a ROM for your device using the respective tools.
If your device is a Lumia, you might not have the Denim(8.1.1) firmware. They are still pushing out Cyan(8.1) to certain devices and Denim is expected in 2015.
Note: Not all devices have public/leaked ROMs yet. The Samsung ATIV S 899M, the ATIV Odyssey, the ATIV Neo, and the HTC 8S, 8XT, and OneM8 are all the current offenders.
Where can I get a ROM for my device if its available?
Check your device specific forum if its available.
If your device is manufactured by Nokia, go to seidea.com and either download the latest Nokia Product Tool or Nokia Software Updater. This tool will have the Latest ROM for your specific device and you can run a few hardware tests on it as well. You can also follow the tutorial in the WP8 Dev and Hacking section as well.
If your device is manufactured by Samsung, having a ROM for your specific device will be hit or miss. The ATIV S (SGH-T899M model) and the ATIV Odyssey (SCH-I930 model) does not have a public ROM. The I-8750 has several ROMs available. If you need to know more, just visit the WP8 Dev and Hacking section.
If your device is manufactured by HTC, chances are your out of luck. There are only two ROMs available and you can follow the tutorial in the HTC Windows Phone 8X Development and Hacking section. NOTE:The only ROMs available are European, it might not work on other devices designed for your region.
If your device is manufactured by Huawei, keep checking the WP8 Dev and Hacking section... I know very little about the W1, let alone the W2.
How do I install apps from other OEMs?
Install SysApp Pusher
Use either reker's proxy, or use [EXE] [1.7.5] Store OEM Changer
NOTE: THIS ONLY WORK ON WINDOWS PHONE 8.0
Can I install Android on a WP8 device?
no.... These devices are extremely tight security wise and it is very improbable that someone would code an emulator.
Note: Work is being done on the HTC OneM8 w/Windows because the hardware is exactly the same as the Android version.
Can I get WP8 on an Android device?
NO. WP8 is pre-complied for the device that it was aimed for.
EDIT: News from WPCentral has noted that MS is working with HTC to have dual-boot devices between Android and Windows Phone. AFAIK, most of our WP dev hacking team barely know anything about Android or even how it works. Microsoft and HTC in talks for more devices. We could see hardware with both Android and Windows Phone installed
Note: Work is being done on the HTC OneM8, because the hardware is exactly the same as the Windows Phone version.
What's this interop-unlock thingy? How do I get it?
It's a hurdle for deploying xaps or .appx files that require additional permissions that aren't normally available to developers.
To get Interop-Unlock, you need either a Samsung ATIV S, an ATIV S Neo (AT&T's model is untested), or an ATIV Odyssey.
HTC, Nokia, and Huawei devices aren't supported at this time, due to things how specific the Interop-Unlock mod is. It requires the Diagnostic app from Samsung, and IT WILL NOT DEPLOY to other OEMs, unless the respective permissions are removed, but then its useless anyways.
If you have a Samsung ATIV S, ATIV S Neo, or ATIV Odyssey on WP8.0 GDR2, deploy [XAP] Interop Unlock Helper app for Samsung WP8 phones AFTER you dev-unlock the phone.
If your Samsung is running 8.0 GDR3 or WP8.1, use a custom ROM.
I want a custom rom! Where's the download at?
There are three custom ROMs for the ATIV S, and a custom ROM builder for ATIV S Neo, and the ATIV S Odyssey.
The ATIV S ROMs are from WindowsMania, @spavlin, and @-W_O_L_F-.
There's a tool to build your own ROM for the ATIV S, ATIV S Neo, and the ATIV Odyssey, using WOLF's MBN Creator and the Fake ROM.
The only devices to not have custom ROMs are any phones that shipped with Windows Phone 8.1, the ATIV SE, and all HTC devices.
How can I help unlocking different devices like the Lumia's?
The first thing I can recommend that you could do is to understand a bit about programming. The biggest thing is that you can at least READ code, whether is in .NET, C, C#, or C++, or even Native Code. (We need this the most along with people who have a grasp on Assembly!)
The second thing I'd recommend to do, is to obtain a ROM for your device. Make sure its the right Product number, or the same edition of your device. That will be helpful if your phone dies and gets the spinning gears of death.
Then, I'd obtain a tool to extract/mount your rom to be able to peer through various files that would be of use, along with a tool to flash it to your device.
The third thing I'd recommend is to obtain a decompiler and a good app that does comparisons between two files. @GoodDayToDie recommends Reflector or JustDecompile. I use dotPeek, because I don't need it to run in tandem with Visual Studio.
The fourth and final thing I'd recommend is to learn some low level stuff. Whether that's how to analyze USB traffic, how to code in assembly, or just simply learning how to use a network packet sniffer. Packet sniffing isn't too difficult to pick up.
If you do happen to do some of these recommendations, it will be useful outside of Windows Phone, but for "hacking" in general and useful if you need a job where you could use this kind of knowledge.
How do you install .xap files?
It depends where you got it from. If its from the marketplace/store, it can only be installed from a MicroSD.
If the app was originally generated from the Windows Phone Dev Studio, you can directly download it from your phone's browser.
Go to the aetx url provided by MS.
Download the app either by the QR code or the direct url given in the email.
If its from your employer, you will either need to follow the same steps above (get the .aetx file and download the xap), or enter your company email and password in the settings menu for "Company apps."If its from xda-developers or somewhere you know its a developer app and not a store app, then make sure you have the Windows Phone SDK 8.0 Application Deployment tool installed. IMHO, use Windows Phone Power Tools.
NOTE: You can also deploy WPDS apps this way if you choose to do so.
How do I developer unlock my device?
Get ready, lots of things are going to get thrown at you!.
Purchase a MS developer subscription or use a free subscription from Dreamspark. Dreamspark is only available if your college, university, or trade school offers it. You can also sign up for a dreamspark account via an ISIC Card.
NOTE: If you don't have a developer account, you can skip the step above, but you can only have 2 apps installed at a time. If you've had a Dreamspark dev account for a while, you can only have 3 apps deployed to a phone, new ones have a limit of 10 apps. If you have a full Developer account by purchasing one from MS, you can install 10 apps.
NOTE 2: The subscription now is a perpetual license. You don't have to renew if you do decide to pay for a developer account.
Download the Windows Phone 8.0 SDK or install Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows (includes the WP8.1 SDK built-in.)
NOTE: The WP8.1 SDK is distributed slightly differently. It is included inside of Visual Studio 2013 Update 2. It works on Windows 8.1 x86 and x64. The 8.1 Emulators and the 8.1.1 Emulators are now separate downloads which requires Windows 8.1 x64 Pro with a computer that supports SLAT.
WP8.0 SDK only works on Windows 8.0 Pro x64 and Windows 8.1 Pro x64. It can be installed to Windows 7 x64 with a modified installer. Get the file from the first post here --> Tutorial: Install Windows Phone 8.0 SDK on Windows 7 the Easy Way and follow the steps below!
Extract the ISO, using 7zip or WinRAR, or use anything that can extract ISO files for that matter.
Replace "WPexpress_full.exe" with the modified file from the OP.
Run the modified installer and follow its instructions.
Install Visual Studio 2012 Update 4.
If your running Windows 7 x86, or Windows 8.0 x86, or simply don't want the WHOLE SDK, try Windows Phone 8 & 8.1 SDK Tools Lite v1.2 by Arnold Vink. You can follow the steps in the link, but keep in mind that this only installs the deployment tools and the developer unlock tools. Visual Studio and the emulators will not be installed.
The official WP8 SDK and the 8.1 emulator packages could complain about your computer not being SLAT compatible. This is only referring to the WP8, 8.1, or 8.1.1 emulator requiring Hyper-V to run. The WP8 SDK can ignore the requirement, it will only install the WP7 emulator; the WP8.0 and later emulators won't.
Acquire and enter your product key once the Windows Phone SDK is installed. (You just need to enter your email account stuff to get a key. Its free after all! )
Launch the Developer unlock tool that was installed with the SDK.
Enter your email address that your MS developer account was attached to along with your password.
If you followed these steps properly your phone has been developer unlocked.
The last step is to launch the deployment tool, select the xap, plug the phone in, unlock the screen, and click Deploy. (Note: Some people prefer to use Windows Phone Power Tools. It has more features than the one that ships with the SDK.)
That's all I can think of. Reply below, if you can think of anything else!
Good, but I'd point out that dev-unlock is now supposed to be possible with any arbitrary Microsoft Account (Live ID). It's got a two-app limit and doesn't allow submitting to the Store, but it'll work if you just need a single homebrew app... or if you are installing an interop-unlock app, which will wipe that limit anyhow.
GoodDayToDie said:
Good, but I'd point out that dev-unlock is now supposed to be possible with any arbitrary Microsoft Account (Live ID). It's got a two-app limit and doesn't allow submitting to the Store, but it'll work if you just need a single homebrew app... or if you are installing an interop-unlock app, which will wipe that limit anyhow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just wondering if you have a source for that?
ive had a look but have been unable to find anything, of course its possibly a UK/US regional difference but just in case anyone else was wondering.
To be honest, paying the £15 a YEAR is a small price to pay even if its not free and may even encourage people to do something with it...
dazza9075 said:
just wondering if you have a source for that?
ive had a look but have been unable to find anything, of course its possibly a UK/US regional difference but just in case anyone else was wondering.
To be honest, paying the £15 a YEAR is a small price to pay even if its not free and may even encourage people to do something with it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought it was the Windows Phone Studio announcement over at Windows Blog. I could be wrong though.
Just install the SDK, connect your phone, open the developer unlock application installed with the SDK, enter your Microsoft Account details and it should unlock your phone, no matter if you have a paid account or not.
Okay, I've added more content regarding Interop and full unlocks. I've added the bit about dev-unlocking without a dev account. I still think its worth it for those of us who don't have Samsung ATIV or ATIV varients, to use dreamspark or actually buy a year subscription. Consider this a thread bump.
I updated the OP, but there isn't much more I can add right now. I'm hoping I can get a moderator to come by and sticky this thread.
Also, does anyone know of a few things that should be added? I was thinking about doing some adding a thing about SIM unlocks, but its kinda trivial.
EDIT: Added the proxy stuff and unbranding your lumia and htc 8x.
I added carrier swapping and flashing ROMs to the OP.
Nice faq, just a quick question.
I've a lumia 625, so i don't even know if i have the ability to side load apps even if i get a developer account. But just wondering if this "2xap" limit is 2 in total or 2 at a time?
Syraphin said:
Nice faq, just a quick question.
I've a lumia 625, so i don't even know if i have the ability to side load apps even if i get a developer account. But just wondering if this "2xap" limit is 2 in total or 2 at a time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 at a time.
And every single phone can be dev-unlocked. It has nothing to do with the phone model or anything like that, it's a feature of the OS. It would be like saying "well, I bought a cheap Dell PC, so I'm not sure if I have Notepad."
I'm sure I've had my share of "stupid/noobish" posts/questions Maybe this post should be mandatory reading for new accounts....
Unlock Nokia Lumia 520 SFR
I search how to unlock My Nokia Lumia 520 SFR for using a sim card for another operator.
Thank you
There isn't a way to do that yet by ROM. You will either need to buy an unlock code or call the cell carrier and ask for the unlock key.
thals1992 said:
There isn't a way to do that yet by ROM. You will either need to buy an unlock code or call the cell carrier and ask for the unlock key.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you thals1992
nvm
Hi
I have Nokia Lumia 520 with Windows 8.
In that thread : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2515453
When i install Nokia Care suite i didn't find this directorie : •C:\Program Files (x86)\Nokia\Nokia Care Suite\Data Package Manager\bin
I need help
Thank you
Data Package Manager is a separate download from Nokia Product Support Tool for Store.
thals1992 said:
Data Package Manager is a separate download from Nokia Product Support Tool for Store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Copy the file UserGroupsConfiguration.cfg (therefore the decompressed file), in the following directories:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Nokia\Nokia Care Suite\Data Package Manager\bin
C:\Program Files (x86)\Nokia\Nokia Care Suite\Multi Software Updater 5.0 (not useful for the tutorial, but essential to use the Multi Software Updater 5.0 category)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Nokia\Nokia Care Suite\Product Support Tool For Store 5.0
In the folder Nokia Care Suite i didn't find Data Package Manager
Just download it from seidea.com You won't need to do all of that.
Sent from my RM-860 using Tapatalk