Winmo: Edit Registry to force ask install location for applications

Even the most advanced Windows Mobile come with very limited device memory even if the supplementary storage runs into GBs (upto 32 gb in costlier handsets).

Now due to this its very easy to run out of device memory if the applications are not installed on External Storage but are instead installed on the main memory.

This could lead to serious problems like device performance being slow, non-functioning of basic functions like receipt of SMS and the likes (trust me you wouldnt like to be in such a situation).

But the case is such that quite a few device out there in market are not configured to ask the location where the application be installed unless the application is programmed to ask the same. Luckily I found my Omnia I900 to be already configured to ask install location.

In such case you can configure your device to Force "Ask Install Location" by editing your Mobile Registry (using Registry Editor like Total Commander) in following mannar:

To Enable:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\apps\Microsoft Application Installer\fAskDest = 1 (DWORD decimal)


To disable again:
HKLM\Software\apps\Microsoft Application Installer\fAskDest = 0 (DWORD decimal)

Please note:
1. That some applications do not support being installed on the Storage Card and may behave unpredictably, including crashing, so you may need to change it back to 0 to install such applications.
2. Also that some applications do not support the installation on Storage Card and thus the application might not show the option even if the option is set on at "1". This will mostly happen in case of Microsoft Applications and Other Advance Applications.