Using MSMount with a Palm m500 or Palm m505

Using Palm m50X Expansion Card > Using MSMount

MSMount will allow you to access data files (e.g., documents and databases) stored on the card with applications that have not been modified to do so. For example, TomeRaider and TealDoc do not yet allow a user to open documents that are stored on a Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMedia Card (MMC). By using MSMount, you can store a document on the card, open the related application and read the file - the fact that the file is on the card is almost completely transparent.

It is also possible to run applications from the card by using MSMount, but I would recommend against it (I and others have experienced instabilities and strange behavior when attempting to do so). If you want to run applications from the card, I recommend using PowerRUN for that purpose.

The instructions below will step through the process of setting up MSMount. After the instructions, there are some important notes about problems that you might experience.

Finally, to get the most use out of MSMount, you'll also want to install and use McFile. MSMount involves placing documents into a directory (also known as a folder) on your expansion card. If you use the Palm desktop Install tool, all files installed to the card will be placed in the "\Palm\Launcher" directory, and there is no way to move them to a new directory (or to create a new directory, for that matter) using the software included in the Palm. McFile will allow you to create folders and move files to them.�

[Download]Download and install MSMount (the English version, assuming you don't speak Japanese...). You will need to install MSMount.prc and MSDW.prc. After installing, you may need to perform a soft reset.

Example Task
The task here will be to set up a directory (\Palm\MSMount) as a "mounted" directory on the Palm. Files placed into that directory (including two very large TomeRaider databases - the Webster's Abridged Dictionary and the Compact View of the Internet Movie Database, containing information on nearly every movie since 1980) will then be visible from TomeRaider.
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Step 1. MSMount "category" in Palm Preferences

Unlike most Palm applications, installing MSMount will not create an icon for itself in the launcher. Instead, you'll need to launch the Palm "Preferences" applications (i.e., the place you go to reset your digitizer, change the volume of alarms, etc.).


Figure 1. MSMount screen.

From within the Preferences application, tap on the category control at the top right, and select MSMount. The screen to the left should appear.
  • The "Mount Path" is the directory that MSMount will force the Palm to treat as if it were RAM. Files placed there will be visible to applications that would normally see them if they were placed in RAM.
  • The Settings button (described in more detail in a later section) allows you to specify applications for which MSMount will be disabled. This important because some applications (e.g., FireViewer) do not work well with MSMount and may cause your Palm to crash.
  • The two primary buttons are "Enable" and "Disable." Tapping "Enable" causes the directory specified in the "Mounted Path" field to be "active." As described later on this page, I would recommend leaving the state as Disabled until you need to access a file there.
Step 2. Specify a Directory or "Path"

The "/Palm/Launcher" directory is one that will exist on any SD or MMC card that is inserted into an m500 or m505 (the OS creates it by default). I would recommend against using that directory as the mounted one. Reserving the "Launcher" directory for applications will have several beneficial effects, mainly related to performance (the more things in that directory, the slower your Palm may be) and stability. Instead, use McFile to create a different directory under the Palm directory specifically reserved for files you want to access through MSMount.


Figure 2. "/Palm" directory.

Figure 2 shows the "/Palm" directory on my expansion card as seen in McFile. I have used McFile to create an "MSMount" directory within the Palm directory (see my page about McFile for detailed information about creating directories).

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Figure 3. "/Palm/MSMount"
In Figure 3, I have navigated to the "MSMount" directory itself, where I have placed several files. Most of the files there are Palm Doc files, but two of them are TomeRaider files. Note that the "movies" file is 4475k and the "websters" file is 3314k. Those two files by themselves would fill my Palm's internal memory.

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Figure 4. "/Palm/MSMount" has been specified.
In Figure 4, I have returned to MSMount and changed the "Mount Path" from "/Palm/Launcher" to "/Palm/MSMount." Unfortunately you'll need to write the entire path since there is no way to "select" the directory. Be sure to write out the name as it appears in McFile.
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Step 3. Enable MSMount

The last step is to "Enable" MSMount. As stated above, I would leave MSMount disabled except when you actually need to access the documents within the directory. This does require an extra step whenever you want to view those documents, but it may save you headaches in the long run.


Figure 5. MSMount has beeen Enabled.

Tapping the "Enable" button makes the "Mount Path" directory read-only, hides the "Settings" button and reveals two new settings:
  • "Enable after soft reset" will cause MSMount to be automatically re-enabled should you have to perform a soft reset. I recommend that you leave this setting unchecked - if MSMount is what caused you to perform the reset, you may be trapped in a reset "loop."
  • "Disable during HotSync" should be checked. This prevents the Hotsync application from trying to backup your mounted directory as if it were RAM. It may also prevent some other unpredictable behavior with applications that have their own conduits (e.g., WordSmith).�
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Step 4. TomeRaider "Documents" screen.

At this point, the task is completed. Open an application that reads the files placed into the directory, and you should see them listed.


Figure 6. TomeRaider Documents screen.

The TomeRaider Documents screen shows a list of documents that are in the mounted directory and documents that are on the Palm. For example, "The Fight Club" screenplay is on the card, whereas the "Phone Instructions" document is resident in the Palm's RAM. As you can see, the difference is transparent - you can not tell which documents are in RAM and which are not. (The different icons for the "movies" and "websters" files are due to the fact that they are TomeRaider, not Doc files; further, the "movies" file was the most recently opened, which is why it has a "darkened" icon.)
The "Settings" Button
You may find that some applications do not "play nice" with MSMount. For example, if you have FireViewer pictures in the mounted directory, FireViewer will cause a VERY NASTY crash when you next open it (the program attempts to incorporate those files into its own database).If you encounter such a program, MSMount can be made to automatically disable itself when that program is opened. To do this, you specify the offending program in the "Settings" screen of MSMount.�

Figure 7. MSMount "Settings" screen.
The "Settings" Button reveals a screen like the on shown on the left. In this case, I have added a series of applications for which I want MSMount to be disabled (e.g., BackUpBuddy VFS, FireViewer and JackFlash).

Tapping the "Add" button will open a dialog box that lists all the applications on your Palm.

Problems and Oddities

For the most part, recent versions (after 0.65) of MSMount have caused no significant problems. That is, few crashes and no loss of data. However, there are a few situations that require some caution:

  • Be sure that you disable MSMount before removing a card. I've had to perform a soft reset on several occasions due to leaving the card mounted when physically removing it.
  • Disable MSMount when modifying the contents of the mounted directory. I've gotten odd behavior (including a long series of very loud beeps) when I've forgotten to do so.
  • Do not place a file in the mounted directory if you plan to modify it. If you have a large WordSmith document that you are editing, for example, either leave the file in RAM or manually move it back and forth using McFile (or use PowerRUN to move the application and its data files to the card and back). Changes in the file do not seem to be saved, and you might see odd behavior (e.g., the file subsequently appearing both on the card and in RAM).

Using Palm m50X Expansion Card > Using MSMount

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