Common Memory Hogs

Phones often have internal storage and removal memory such as SD cards. In general, when you install apps on the phone, those are stored on your phone's internal memory. Like software, apps vary in size. Some can quickly take up large chunks of space. Not only can an app take up space, so can the information it downloads. Other common memory hogs include photos, videos, ringtones, and audio recordings. For example, if your phone is equipped with a high resolution camera, the photos it takes could be much larger than you realize.

Remove Unwanted Apps

To free up space on your phone, start by removing any app you now longer want or use. It's not uncommon to download an app only to find it's not as useful as you had hoped. Some users delete them right away while others allow the unwanted apps to accumulate.

Clean the Phone's Cache

Like computers, phones store temporary files in a cache to improve performance. The cache can become cluttered with junk, so it's not a bad idea to clear it once in a while. Doing so will also free up some of your phone's memory. The process varies based on the type of phone you have. In general, look in your phone's menu > settings > privacy section for a clear cache option. Similarly, it's not a bad idea to look at the cache for individual apps to see if there's an option to clear the data.

Remove Large Files

If you take a lot of photos and videos with your phone, transfer those to your PC using your USB cable and then remove them from your phone. Video files can quickly fill up memory space, so pay attention to those. In addition, you may want to remove unwanted ringtones and music files.

I am looking for Windows Mobile 6.1 CAB files for my Omnia I 900 cell phone.

CAB Files and Applications

CAB – or cabinet files refer to compressed file extensions that are used to hold and transport libraries of files in compressed form, rather than a specific program or application. Rather than search for CAB files for your device, you will need to specify the program or application that you want to install, which is mostly likely stored in the CAB file format.

CAB files are typically used to contain, download and install installation files. Depending on the size of the installation to be organized and copied, large files can be compressed and contained in several CAB files. Companies like Microsoft use CAB files to compress and distribute software digitally that used to be exchanged via disk.

Omnia I 900 and Windows Mobile 6.1

The Omnia I 900 was factory installed with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional as its operating system, so these files should already be installed in your phone. If you have removed these files and want to replace them, or if you have had a mobile virus and need to reinstall your operating system, you can visit the Microsoft Download Center and download the most recent version and upgrades.

Windows Mobile was the operating system used in mobile devices released in 2007. The most recent version of this program is 6.5.5, which has since been replaced by the Windows Phone operating system on new devices since 2011. Since the Windows Mobile system is no longer used, there is little development and support for this program.

Third Party Application CAB files

If you are looking for CAB files for another application, you can try an online search for the name of the mobile application you want to download. There are several reliable online sites that host application downloads for mobile devices.  However, since the Windows Mobile program is no longer in development, it might be hard to find new applications for your phone.

I hope that this information is helpful. If you have a more specific question, or need help getting files for a particular program, you can write again and provide some more information and we can go from there. Good luck!

Recovering deleted text messages from a cell phone

As long as your cell phone has a SIM card, it is technically possible to recover accidentally deleted text messages. A lot of mobile phone technology works similarly to computer technology - the hard drive stores data, on a cell phone the SIM card acts like a hard drive. When you delete files they aren’t actually gone, they are just hidden and the space is made available to store new data. Until new data is saved in the same space, the data is still there.

Cell phone memory and data storage

However, as cell phone makes and models vary, not all store SMS text messages on the SIM card. It is reported that the latest cell phone models save SMS messages to the phone’s active memory rather than the SIM card. You can probably find out where your cell phone stores the text data by doing an online search or ask at a cell phone store.

SIM card readers

So, to try to retrieve the data you will need a SIM card reader. The reader is a small device that you insert your SIM card into and then connect to your computer to restore your deleted data, SMS messages and call logs. The SIM card reader comes with software on a disk that you can install on your computer, and then use to navigate the reader. You can also make back up copies of your data or load old data to a new SIM card.

Make sure your devices are compatible

SIM card readers are sold at most cell phone stores and are also available online. Before you buy one, make sure to confirm it’s compatibility with both your phone and your computer. Not all readers work well with all computer operating systems, so make sure you take your system information with you and ask the right questions to get the right reader. I hope this information helps! Good luck. 

The ideal method for transferring photos to your iPhone is to use iTunes, the ultimate portal for transferring most types of information to your iPhone or iPod. This is a relatively easy process once you read through the directions presented here.

How to Transfer Photos to iPhone

Just use the directions included here to complete an iPhone photo transfer.

1)   Download and install the iTunes software onto your computer from Apple's website. You can either keep the software open or close it.

2)   Use the cable that came with your iPhone to connect the iPhone to your computer.

3)   Your iTunes software should open up automatically once the connection between your computer and your iPhone is made if you have previously closed it. Select the icon for your iPhone.

4)   Select the photos tab.

5)   Select the option to "Sync photos from."

6)   Select the option "iPhoto" from the menu that pops up.

7)   Select the specific photos that you wish to sync to your iPhone. You can select a single photo, specific photo album, or your entire selection of photos.

8)   Once you click to start "synching," the photos are automatically added to your iPhone.

9)   Once the iphone photo transfer has been completed, you will see a message in the iTunes window stating so.

10)                     Select the icon labeled "eject."

11)                     Disconnect your iPhone from the computer.

How Many Photos Can I Transfer to My iPhone?

The number of photos that you can transfer to your iPhone depends on the amount of space you have available on it. If you have limited iPhone space, then you can only transfer a select number of photos or photo albums. If you have lots of available space on your iPhone, then you can probably transfer all of your photos.

If You Need Help Transferring Photos to iPhone?

To read up on the photo transfer process for your iPhone, open your iTunes software on your computer. Select "Help" from the available menu. Browse through the topics and select the one that interests you.

What are CAH Files?

There's not much information about CAH files on the Web other than a few forum posts. Based on those postings, CAH files appear to be related to text messages.

Opening CAH Files

As there's little solid information on CAH files in general, it's tough to say how to open them. From the sounds of it, these files are likely accessed via the Sony Ericsson PC Suite software and not meant to be opened directly.

What are DBK Files?

Sony Ericsson PC Suite uses DBK files as backup files. These files are usually compressed files containing backup information from your phone such as your contact list and other phone information. DBK files are also used as dBase database backup files.

Opening DBK Files

DBK files are often compressed files. This means that they must first be decompressed before you can view the contents. Generally speaking, you can rename the .dbk file to .zip and then use WinZip or a similar utility to unzip the files. However, if you're using the Sony Ericsson PC Suite software, this isn't necessary. If you must restore the phone information via the DBK file, you'll use the PC Suite's Backup Manager to do so. Go to Start> Programs > Sony Ericsson > Sony Ericsson PC Suite for Smartphones > Backup Manager. Choose the Restore feature and follow the prompts to restore the data from your backup.

Both the CAH and DBK files appear to be legitimate files used by your Sony Ericsson phone and its software suite.

Cricket modems are notorious for slowing up the performance of computers. They use dial-up technology which is slow at best and offers slow broadband technology. There's not much hope for speeding up your connection, but at least you can understand it and perhaps some of the suggestions can assist you in optimizing the performance of your Cricket modem.

Troubleshooting Modem Not Found

If your computer is not recognizing the existence of your modem and gives you the message that the modem not found, the best strategy is probably to reinstall the software for it. Some Cricket modem users have mentioned that the drivers do not seem to install correctly on their own. Since this could be the problem that you are experiencing, I suggest that you access the setup file and manually install the device drivers following the prompts that are provided for doing so. Once you have accomplished this, reboot the computer so that the new settings take place and the computer should recognize the modem. If this strategy does not work for you, consider uninstalling and reinstalling the software for the modem.

Understanding Slow Cricket Modem

The Cricket Broadband network does not work in isolation. What I mean is that it needs to have either the Sprint EVDO network or the Verizon network available in order for it to function properly. If neither of these is available, then you are going to experience slow connectivity. This is especially true in rural or less-populated areas. To put it bluntly, Cricket Broadband modem accesses the Internet using cell phone technology. Since the maximum speed is fairly slow, this means that your Internet access is going to be slow using the modem.

Troubleshooting Slow Cricket Modem: Tweaking Speed Settings

Once you have the modem properly installed and you can locate it in your list of devices, you can use this set of instructions in an attempt to tweak your modem speed setting.

1)   Look in the folder labeled Network Connections, which should be in your Control Panel and locate the Cricket Broadband icon.

2)   Right click on the Cricket Broadband icon and click on Properties.

3)   In the dialog box that opens up, you should click on the tab labeled Configure.

4)   In the Configure dialog box that opens up, find and open the drop down menu for the modem speed. If it is possible to increase the speed, do so.

Alternatively, you can try using a different Web browser and see if that makes any difference in speed.

The manner in which you download pictures from your cell phone is going to vary according to what type of phone you have. I am not really sure how you have been trying to do so at this point, but look through the suggestions here for downloading photos from a phone and try one to see if you are able to transfer your photos. It sounds as though you might have a cell phone that uses a memory card for storing and transferring your photos, so look at the set of directions sealing with memory cards first.

Transfer photos using your memory card

If your phone is one of the models that transfers its photos using a memory card, you need to follow a few simple steps. You'll need a memory card reader and possibly a special adapter so that the memory card fits into the device.

1)   Remove the memory card from your phone.

2)   Insert the memory card into your memory card reader. You might need to purchase an adapter for this step. The card adapter needs to match the type of format that your phone's memory card is using.

Transfer photos via USB Data Cable

If your phone is one of the models with a USB port, you should be able to purchase a USB data cable to connect your phone to your computer. Make sure that you get one that will fit into your phone's port as well as into the computer's port. If your phone does not have software installed on it that will allow you to transfer the photos, purchase it. Some phones have this software installed already by the manufacturer while others do not.

1)   Connect both the phone and the computer to the USB cable.

2)   Locate the cell phone folder (look in My Computer under devices.)

3)   Search for the folder that contains your photos.

4)   Click and drag each file onto your desktop from the folder to transfer photos.

Transfer photos by email

It is possible to transfer your photos by email. However, you should first check with your cell phone provider to see how much this will cost you.

1)   Select the photo that you want to transfer with your cursor.

2)   Click send and a text box should appear.

3)   Enter your email address in the space where you would normally enter the phone number.

4)   Click send.

5)   Check your email on the computer or netbook and download cell phone photo to your hard drive.

The Cricket Broadband Modem

The Cricket Broadband Modem should work on any compatible computer that you set up with the appropriate software, including a single computer with multiple accounts. However, you may need to install the Cricket software twice in order for the other user account to recognize the modem.

Windows User Accounts

I'm not sure about the "default program" that keeps multiple users from using devices on a computer. I wonder though if perhaps the software and drivers that Cricket needs did not fully install. For example, when installing software, it's not unusual to be prompted to make the software available to all users or only the current user.

What type of user accounts are you using? If the second account is a guest account or one with restricted privileges that too could be part of the problem. Try booting your computer up into the user account that does not currently recognize the Cricket device (without the device in place). Once loaded, insert the device into a USB port and see if the computer starts the installation wizard. If so, allow the software and drivers to be loaded into the account.

Uninstall Device

If the user account doesn't respond, go to Control Panel > Device Manager and see if you can find the Cricket device in the list. If so, right click it and choose Uninstall. Then reboot the computer. When it boots up and detects the Cricket device, Windows should automatically start loading the appropriate drivers.

Cricket Broadband Software

You may need to download and install the Cricket software from the MyCricket.com Web site. First, check to see if you have it installed. Depending on the Cricket modem you have the location varies.

The location for UM100C modems is as follows:

C:\Program Files\Cricket\QuickLinkMobile\QuickLinkMobile.exe

The location for A600 modemsis:

C:\Program Files\Cricket\CricketBroadband\CricketBroadband.exe

If the software is installed, you may be able to drag and drop a shortcut onto the desktop of the other user. If it is not installed, download UM100C software here or A600 software here. Mac software is also available here.

Hopefully one of these suggestions will get your device to work for all users on your computer. If not, contact Cricket support for further help.

Connecting the Nokia N73 to a PC

The Nokia N73 smart phone can connect to a compatible computer in one of three ways: the USB Nokia Connectivity cable, Bluetooth, and infrared. Of course, your computer will need to have a Bluetooth or infrared adapter in order to take advantage of the second two options. For now, let's concentrate on using the data cable since that's what you currently have.

First, your computer will need the Nokia Suites software if you don't already have it installed. Once you're sure the software is installed on your PC, go ahead and connect the Nokia phone to the PC using the supplied USB data cable.

Telling the Nokia it's Connected to the PC

Once the two devices are connected, press the menu button on your cell phone and choose Tools > Data Cable. This tells the smartphone that it is connected to the computer. From there, choose the purpose of the connection (PC Suite, Media Player, Mass Storage or Image Print).

Update Software

If the PC still doesn't recognize the device, consider updating both the Nokia's software as well as the computer's. Updates often solve known connectivity issues so it's worth trying. To update the phone's software, press the menu button and choose Tools > Device Manager > Options > Check for Updates. If an update is available, plan on updating it. Make sure that you have plenty of battery power or plug the phone into a power supply. Perform the update during a time when you do not need to use the phone. Next, go into the Nokia PC Suites software and check to see if updates are available for the software itself.

Update Nokia Device Drivers

Another possibility is that the phone's device drivers are not installed on your PC or the drivers have become corrupt. You can download new drivers from Nokia's Web site.

Finally, if the updating the software and device drivers doesn't work, it may be possible that the data cable is damaged. Inspect both ends to be sure that there aren't any bent pins. If you have several USB ports on your computer, try plugging the cable into different ports.

This happens a lot with Mac/PC users - music is downloaded with one operating system, but then the user switches to another operating system, but the process should be the same for Vista and XP.

Repair the iPod

When you connect to iTunes, there is an option to repair the iPod. This is actually a bit misleading, and instead of repair, you are actually erasing everything on the device and starting over with the factory settings. Make sure that anything you want to save is backed up first, before you try any kind of repair. If this is a hand-me-down iPod and you don't care about what is currently on it, go ahead and wipe it clean and start over.

Install the latest version of iTunes on the computer you are going to be using. Connect the iPod to the PC - hopefully iTunes will recognize the iPod.   On the first page, where you see information about the iPod, you will be able to click on the repair button and start the repair process to bring it back to factory settings.

Authorize the Computer

If you are using a new computer and want to synch your iPod to this new computer, you can go to the iTunes app on the iPod while it is connected to the computer and deauthorize it. First, make sure that your files are backed up to an external drive or CD ROM(s).  In the new operating system, download iTunes, setup the account and then import the files from the back up media. You can then go back to the iTunes store and "Authorize" the new computer.

In order to backup your iPod to a CD or external drive, go to Backup, then File and select Backup to Disc. You can also manage your music and video files from a third-party software system such as ephPod, which is a Windows application that is able to quickly transfer songs and libraries.