x
This website is using cookies. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. More info. That's Fine
HPC:Factor Logo 
 
Latest Forum Activity

JOELwindows7 Page Icon Posted 2020-09-18 9:05 PM
#
Avatar image of JOELwindows7
H/PC Newbie

Posts:
2
Location:
Jakarta, Indonesia
Status:
I have recently found this ancient GPS during house tidy up. This is Knav KN-502WH, the GPS that does... Navigation, that's it.



This GPS was acquired as a bonus when my mom got her own personal company car. The car had came with GPS attatched to its mount, mounted on front glass.



Of course, this is not as powerful as of modern GPS you had on your smartphone everyday that I won't mention its brand. and heck, such device for the sole purpose of navigation is no longer relevant because of that easiness and powerfulness on the smartphone these days.



I had fiddled around its menus and found out that the navigation app had
.exe
extension. Which means it could be some sort of Windows. And as it turns out, sometimes this GPS shows error window with tiny little
OK
button next to close button on top left title bar. Which marks that this GPS runs Windows CE. But what version? Why this post here? how do you know this is version 6.0? Well, I have the intel for it later but some intel that I will reference might be illegal, but pls don't ban me!
Since this is Windows CE, I would like to try to find some random softwares for it. From that experience, it indeed run actual Windows CE apps I found. Some EXE I tried works and some other do not work. but that is for all. Since the GPS had nothing best that I could do with, I abandoned it.

One day I opened up YouTube. and I found this video

Show spoiler...
https://youtu.be/_2XTDzsdBYQ


The video above talks about how to expand Windows CE functionality on the GPS. I thought I lost the GPS for good, but glad I found it again so I reopened the video again.

It has the kit download in the description. I immediately injected the files that YouTuber provided and run the special application.



et Voila! it work! the taskbar did appeared. In addition to this, the YouTuber also showed how to terminate the supposed software on the GPS so that it only shows the desktop. Simply open task manager, and kill process
shell.exe
and
main.exe
. the Task manager has already provided with the kit as well. it is in folder
Mobile Task Manager\Mobile Task Manager\BIN\Release\MobileTaskManager.exe
. Now you can safely close the explorer and now you'll see the desktop.

some devices do show the Windows CE version bellow the wallpaper image. Mine show Windows CE 6.0, which means that's the version.

What next?


an emulator (not Knav GPS) of Windows CE 6.0

I found out that this particular firmware in this GPS lacks CAB file instalation ability. I tried searching all the way up.
I found this guide how to fix CAB install. https://www.hpcfactor.com/support/cesd/s/0131.asp here's the article I used.
and finally I found the correct
wceload.exe
after traveling through reddit.

a reddit user u/kiwatiger posted a comment to some other redditor asking help to find the firmware image file for the netbook that redditor had. https://www.reddit.com/r/OldHandhelds/comments/id9wx0/reinstalling_w... here's what did this guy responded.

allegedly, the archive org link inside that reply is also upload of kiwatiger under kiwapebretech. Basically that archive contains image files for netbook model wm8650 and similar. the zip file can be extracted to a fresh SD card and be used to flash new firmware of the netbook with it.

Anyway, I searched thoroughly the zip file content which is
WinCE6-wm8650.zip-Netbook.zip
live from the view content (because my Knav GPS had WinCE 6.0). Surprisingly the file structure inside the flash zip file isn't anything packed or encrypted, they're all foldered! Which allows me to explore even the system folder (
WINDOWS
) and that leads to finding the treasure
wceload.exe
I've been looking for weeks. Let me be honest, before I found it, I've encountered alot of allegedly scam site regarding to
wceload.exe
people baiting over by building website using wix. anyway,

after I found that wceload, I clicked the file name and downloaded it. copied the file over to my Knav GPS, created the REG file and followed the instruction above https://www.hpcfactor.com/support/cesd/s/0131.asp . and guess what

IT WORKS

Knav GPS failed to install a cab file due to incompatibility, but the CAB file now is recognized and do work with compatible CAB files.

Of course, wceload has to be placed in persistent storage which in this case the internal memory, not on Windows Folder which is ROM. this GPS reset the Windows folder per reboot and cold boot. so I have to assign it differently but it did work afterall even after reboot. Well, that mean the Registry do not reset per cold boot and reboot in this GPS. amazing!


 Top of the page
Rich Hawley Page Icon Posted 2020-09-18 10:49 PM
#
Avatar image of Rich Hawley
Global Moderator
H/PC Guru

Posts:
7,188
Location:
USA
Status:
CE based GPS units have been a mainstay for decades and as you discovered… fun to hack. GPSPassion.com is probably the best resource for this genre as they gave many shells for many devices that gives you best of your device.

Rarely have I found a software application that won't run on a GPS, albeit you may need to include the proper .dlls to make them work.

http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=121168 is a good link to start.

My favorite CE based GPS was the iPaq 310 because of the 800 x 600 pixel screen size. Though to use wifi you had to use an wifi SD card. Which meant something else to carry and lose.

The iPaq 5935 was my other favorite as it had both Bluetooth and wifi built it… but only had a 320 x 240 pixel screen.

I've also owned several Chinese unbranded GPS units with the 5" screen, some runnjng CE.Net 4.2, some 5.0, and some 6.0. Most all could be hacked to run and load directly into CE. Most all had reserved nonvolitile RAM for persistent file storage. And most all had that crappy resistive touch screen we know and "don't" love.

Before the smartphone era, I used to have my GPS loaded with ebooks and used it as a reader while I sat in the car waiting as my wife spent all of my money shopping.

Do a search here on HPCFactor for "ipaq 310" and my name "rich hawley" for author and check out the results… some have nifty pictures of those old devices whicb I no longer have or use.
 Top of the page
CE Geek Page Icon Posted 2020-09-19 2:36 AM
#
Avatar image of CE Geek
Global Moderator
H/PC Oracle

Posts:
12,663
Location:
Southern California
Status:
Quote
Rich Hawley - 2020-09-18 2:49 PM

And most all had that crappy resistive touch screen we know and "don't" love.


Speak for yourself, Rich. Don't get me wrong; I've learned to like navigating my Android phone with my fingertip, but only because the screen is large enough. (And even still the spot I'm touching doesn't always respond. Those pesky popup ads try to take advantage of that with tiny 'x' spots to close them.) Small screens require more precision, so resistive touchscreens have their place.

That was the cool thing about those Via/WonderMedia ROM images. You could build your own custom ROM as well as harvest files for other CE 6 devices.

Didn't know about that old handhelds forum on Reddit. Nice to see there's still interest out there in these classic devices. (I have a few Palm OS devices as well as an HP 200LX and a Psion 5mx in addition to my ever-expanding collection of CE devices. )
 Top of the page
JOELwindows7 Page Icon Posted 2020-09-20 10:00 AM
#
Avatar image of JOELwindows7
H/PC Newbie

Posts:
2
Location:
Jakarta, Indonesia
Status:
Quote
Rich Hawley - 2020-09-18 10:49 PM

CE based GPS units have been a mainstay for decades and as you discovered… fun to hack. GPSPassion.com is probably the best resource for this genre as they gave many shells for many devices that gives you best of your device.

Rarely have I found a software application that won't run on a GPS, albeit you may need to include the proper .dlls to make them work.

http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=121168 is a good link to start.

My favorite CE based GPS was the iPaq 310 because of the 800 x 600 pixel screen size. Though to use wifi you had to use an wifi SD card. Which meant something else to carry and lose.

The iPaq 5935 was my other favorite as it had both Bluetooth and wifi built it… but only had a 320 x 240 pixel screen.

I've also owned several Chinese unbranded GPS units with the 5" screen, some runnjng CE.Net 4.2, some 5.0, and some 6.0. Most all could be hacked to run and load directly into CE. Most all had reserved nonvolitile RAM for persistent file storage. And most all had that crappy resistive touch screen we know and "don't" love.

Before the smartphone era, I used to have my GPS loaded with ebooks and used it as a reader while I sat in the car waiting as my wife spent all of my money shopping.

Do a search here on HPCFactor for "ipaq 310" and my name "rich hawley" for author and check out the results… some have nifty pictures of those old devices whicb I no longer have or use.


oh cool! I had checked that forum out, thanks. At glance, I found so many cool stuffs that I could utilize. Sure, there are so many cool things I could do.

also, I forgot to mention that,

yes, like old GPSes, This GPS also had resistive touch screen. Obviously, a stylus for it is provided, for better accuracy. Yeah, you know Steve Jobs? His famous quote? yeah basically it .



I had checked the system setting as well, Perhaps, following specification might be common:

It had




  • MediaTek CPU, ARM architecture, maybe v4 or v7??

  • 120 MB RAM

  • 4 GB internal storage



Another things I found so intresting about this GPS:



I have witnessed that on System, Memory setting, the slider always reset every reboot. it resets its storage allocation to exactly 512 KB. Well, since the Internal Storage do not use RAM but uses special NAND flash somewhere in the board, there is no need to worry. Even better, it is powered by a Backup battery, as it is a NAND flash. However, weirdly enough, since I had fixed CAB installation capability using the guide above by editing some registry, the registry indeed survive even after power off and turn on, therefore the fix wceload procedure only has to be done once and for all. I have no idea who reset the memory slider, perhaps the internal software when the GPS starts up. Who knows.

And I have inserted some games into it. Unfortunately, most or all of the save game did not survive per reboot, due to the save files were placed not in where it survive, which in this case the Internal Memory NAND flash or SD Card. Yes, many games saved the save files on the root directory of the device. And those who put the save file next to the executable (if they also placed in Internal Memory NAND flash or SD card) should survive.

About the internet connection, it is shame to found out that I haven't found any way to connect to Internet on this GPS, because it only had a Headphone Jack, Micro SD slot, and Mini USB port. I believe, the Mini USB port had no OTG support since no manufacturer had thought about it at that time of the era. But I haven't tried yet so, who knows . But wait. On The Go trend was heard since around 2014 era of Android Smartphone, which basically a Micro-USB to Full size USB things. I haven't seen the Mini-USB to Full Size USB, never yet. in fact I also have seen USB-C to full size USB.

yeah, so basically it.

Quote
Speak for yourself, Rich. Don't get me wrong; I've learned to like navigating my Android phone with my fingertip, but only because the screen is large enough. (And even still the spot I'm touching doesn't always respond. Those pesky popup ads try to take advantage of that with tiny 'x' spots to close them.) Small screens require more precision, so resistive touchscreens have their place.


Speaking about Android era. I have seen a lot of ads these days to gain money stuff like that. I know, however we have already been used to it. as long as it is not as intrusive as it used to be, like just banner, no constant pop up things like that.

Those ads of course typically found on video games. e.g. every level up you'll see ad, and even you can watch an ad for rewards. Depending on how greedy those developers are, It is also one of the factor how each developer put an ad on their software. Worry not, Google (and whoever host the platform store) will moderate the ad placements so it won't be abused that would disturb users.

I haven't opened Google Map ever since. Now I did. Yeah, it's just a norm these days if you would like to know places to go. Or know but wanted to avoid traffic jam, because Google Map can report on that! Amazing huh? Note that GPS manufacturers. Oh, there're, where. it's lonely, only Google here. anyways..

Quote
That was the cool thing about those Via/WonderMedia ROM images. You could build your own custom ROM as well as harvest files for other CE 6 devices.


Oh yeah, I heard about Platform Builder stuff like that, which basically an embedded device designer use to build Windows CE firmware like that. I got those files but I can't install them right now due to my SSD full. I thought 1 TB is enough. Wow, Data hoarder may not be given a small size storage infrastructure, that's rude. anyways..

continuing..

Quote
Didn't know about that old handhelds forum on Reddit. Nice to see there's still interest out there in these classic devices. (I have a few Palm OS devices as well as an HP 200LX and a Psion 5mx in addition to my ever-expanding collection of CE devices. )


Yes, I have been scrolling about Reddit these days. such as those ones I had. So yeah, you should check that out. Again, it's reddit.com/r/OldHandhelds They showcases their old devices, tips and tricks, and more. They got talks about favorite handhelds like iPAQ, Jornada, etc. yeah. Say hi and showcase cool things about old handhelds

You also would like to explore reddit.com/r/WindowsCE as well. it's small, but it's there. there are also tips and tricks as well.
 Top of the page
Jump to forum:
Seconds to generate: 0.187 - Cached queries : 44 - Executed queries : 26