PenReader for Pocket PC 2002 User Reviews
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"Avoid like the plague"
Version: PenReader for Pocket PC 2002 4.0
Pros
I installed this program with no issues whatsoever.
Cons
Program never worked. Finally uninstalled it after months. It took my touch screen driver with it when it left. Now trying to get my touch screen working again.
Summary
Avoid this program, it doesn't do anything but disable your pda when it leaves.
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"Left my handheld useless"
Version: PenReader for Pocket PC 2002 4.0
Pros
Absolutely nothing - read entire review
Cons
It's not just that it doesn't work; it leaves your touch screen useless, even once uninstalled! - read entire review
Summary
I have a HTC Touch with Windows Mobile 6 and the original ROM. A device in perfect state and running like a breeze.
Found this software and thought in taking a glance on it. Since there weren't previous reviews, I went ahead feeling confident. (Hope you don't make same mistake!)
The installation went fine. It prompted me to restart my device, and so I did. Once restarted, I found that the screen touch didn't work. OK. Do not panic. I've been a programmer for more than 25 years now and I knew that there was a problem with the touch screen driver and that uninstalling the software would revert all to its original state. Uninstalled it and was asked to restart again. ("For grabbing the original screen driver", I thought.)
But I restarted my handheld and found that my touch screen didn't work yet. Time for panic.
I contacted the support staff (from whom I got quick replies, helpless support, and recurring apologies) and as a conclusion, they only offered the simplest solution: the one I had on hand from the very first moment: Hard-reset. (Reverting the device to factory state, losing every data.)
I checked the web and found that other users got same problems with the same application. Some of them succeeded to edit the PDA registry and fix the problem, but mine was locked. Pity.
I could, of course, figure out lots of solutions, but all were finally impossible. For example, any attempt to install *any* kind of software in my PDA was useless, because prior to any installation, Windows Mobile makes a confirmation question that I should answer with the touch screen. (Why these buttons are not accessible through the PDA's physical buttons is another good question that Microsoft should answer...)
Editing the PDA's registry from my PC, as I said before, was also impossible, since it was locked. I could have unlocked it easily with the same program I was using... if I only could have pressed a single button, for just once, with my touch screen.
Then I came to a nightmare of attempts (unlocking EXEs, trying the Startup, etc) that I'm not going to detail here. All to no avail.
Summarizing:
a) PenReader doesn't work in *all* kind of devices. In the cases it doesn't work, you won't be able to use the touch screen.
b) The uninstallation leaves an entry in the PDA registry which you must delete in order for your device to work again.
c) If your registry is locked, you won't be able to do that and your only chance will be hard-resetting your device.
Two suggestions:
a) Think twice before downloading this application
b) Unlock your PDA registry as soon as possible. You could need it unlocked in the future if you face similar problems. Get a backup application which can backup important data in your PDA's internal memory. There are lots of free and good applications out there for both, registry and backup.
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