TotW: Rename Your Messaging Accounts

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

TotW: Rename Your Messaging Accounts

This weeks tweak is a great one for those who are, like me, a bit obsessive about having absolutely everything on their phone spot on ;)

This tweak works on both Smartphone and Pocket PC Phone Edition devices.

What does it do?

Exactly what it says on the tin of course... :D

You know how when you go into the 'Messaging' application you are presented with a list of accounts?

Well, my phone by default lists:

- Text Messages

- Outlook E-Mail

- MMS

And this kinda bugged me... firstly because i'd rather see 'SMS' instead of 'Text Messages', and secondly because i'd rather see 'Exchange' than 'Outlook E-Mail' (yes, I know, i'm a bit strange, hehe...)

Well, this tweak lets you make that change :D

Before:

After:

How difficult is it?

This tweak involves Registry editing. So, it's pretty straightforward if you are comfortable editing the Registry, maybe not so easy if not.

Disclaimer: As with all registry changes, you should be very careful when applying this tweak. Edit the wrong thing, and you could break something pretty bad :D

Of course, don't be too scared, you can always Hard Reset if you REALLY break something :D

What do I need to do it?

To apply this tweak, you need a tool that can edit the Registry on your phone.

I recommend (in this order...)

Mobile Registry Editor - This (free) application lets you edit your phone Registry from your PC - Click Here for details

Resco Explorer - This fantastic little (commercial) utility provides a top notch File Explorer on your phone, plus the all important Registry Editor - Click Here for details

PHM Registry Editor - This (free) utility is a standalone Registry Editor for your device - Click Here for details

How do I do it then?

Right!

First of all, spark up your Registry Editor of choice. I have included screenshots below using 'Resco Registry' on the Smartphone, but you'll see pretty much the same thing whatever you are using.

You will be presented with a screen that looks like the following:

Here you see a list of the 'Hives' in the Registry.

The Registry has a 'tree like' structure, which you can navigate by scrolling and clicking, and go back by hitting, well, back :D

So... where is the all important location for this tweak?

Navigate yourself to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Inbox\Svc\

This is where the fun starts... this, as the name suggests, is where the settings are held for the services in your Messaging Inbox :D

On the screen you now see before you, you'll see a number of 'keys', with names such as 'SMS'. Unsuprisingly, these correspond to the relevant services in your Messaging Inbox.

Now the fun part.

Say the name you want to change is for 'SMS'. Navigate to the 'SMS' key, and you'll see the following screen.

The value we need to edit is called 'FriendlyName'. In this screenshot it is set to 'Text Messages'. Click the value to change it, choose a new name (e.g. SMS), hit OK, and you're done!

If you DON'T see 'FriendlyName', you can create it! Use the 'New' function to create a new value of type 'String', call it 'FriendlyName', and enter your desired name for the value.

Repeat for the other Messaging accounts you wish to change, and you don't even need to reboot to see it's effect :D

And Finally...

All Done... Check back next Monday for another 'Tweak of the Week'!

:D

P

[Guest Uzay]

tnx alot !!!

now it looks the same as on my desktop... this means so much for me....

and i'm not pulling your leg ;-)

all neat and tidy ;-)

[edit] first reply on a post, never happend to me !!![/edit]

Edited April 18, 2005 by Uzay

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

Yay, so it's not just me ;)

P

[Guest nickcornaglia]

Nope...now there are two obcessive-compulsive wierdos to look out for! ;)

Nice Tweak. Thanx.

[Guest muddy250]

,Apr 18 2005, 11:34]Yay, so it's not just me ;)

P

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Afraid I have to everything just so as well but as yet haven't enough confidence with this thing to start buggering about with the registry..although I'll happily bugger about with the one in my PC! I usually play around, get to the final clickand say, this could all go pear shaped, cue spending the next few hours repairing the system..

Edited April 18, 2005 by muddy250

[Guest ctitanic]

Yay, so it's not just me ;)

P

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

with your permission Paul, I think that I'm going to include this trick in the next version of my program. :D I was about to release a new version this week including the trick of renaming the phone id from SmartPhone to anything you want and this trick is about the same from the point of view of how is done.

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

LOL... follow the instructions carefully, use the desktop registry editor and you should be fine ;)

P

[Guest ctitanic]

LOL... follow the instructions carefully, use the desktop registry editor and you should be fine ;)

P

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

in a few weeks he wont have to be afraid of anything :D :twisted:

[Guest muddy250]

,Apr 18 2005, 12:38]LOL... follow the instructions carefully, use the desktop registry editor and you should be fine ;)

P

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Couldn't even download the registry editors and get them to run so I'm gonna live with it...I know only too well what can happen to software I mess around with! It's all to do with your note about 'read the instructions carefully' I never read the instructions till I've cocked something up.

Edited April 18, 2005 by muddy250

[Guest mrplatypus]

Unfortunately, ;) :?: :oops: this doesn't seem to work with the Orange m1000 .. I used the PHM Registry Editor .. ??

[Guest ctitanic]

Unfortunately,  ;)  :?:  :oops: this doesn't seem to work with the Orange m1000 .. I used the PHM Registry Editor .. ??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Basically almost anything located under HKLM is locked.

[Guest tsutton]

Useful - I have always wanted to chnage the names. Thanks!

[Guest yoda6]

Doesn't work for me. I have an e200 and I created a FriendlyName string value for my POP3 account but even after a reboot it didn't make any difference.

[Guest mrplatypus]

Basically almost anything located under HKLM is locked.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, for being dull, but what exactly does this mean?

[Guest ctitanic]

Sorry, for being dull, but what exactly does this mean?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that only applications signed by your service operator are going to be able to change/edit/write in keys located under HKLM.

[Guest G x 2]

very cool...

is there anyone who knows how to add folders in message accounts?

[Guest mrplatypus]

that only applications signed by your service operator are going to be able to change/edit/write in keys located under HKLM.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is possible to change, edit and write (I take it you mean add?) keys into the registry, its just that they don't have any affect.

[Guest ctitanic]

It is possible to change, edit and write (I take it you mean add?) keys into the registry, its just that they don't have any affect.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I used change/edit/write because all them are the same. To answer your question. No I, that means that you or any unsigned application wont be able to change in anyway keys in the registry that have been locked.

[Guest madrascafe]

Great work Paul.. Keep the tweaks coming...

[Guest Hawko]

that only applications signed by your service operator are going to be able to change/edit/write in keys located under HKLM.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So that basically means we can't edit much on our SPV C500's??!

Or is there a way to fix this, inlocking it somehow??

[Guest ctitanic]

So that basically means we can't edit much on our SPV C500's??!

Exactly!

Or is there a way to fix this, inlocking it somehow??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, unless your service operator unlock your phone.

Edited May 17, 2005 by ctitanic

[Guest pmonchet]

Same Here. I have an e200 and below the SMS

(default)

DLL tpcutil.dll

Name SMS

UserCannotCReate 0x1 (1)

This is not for us? :shock:

[Guest Cybertronic]

This tweak doesn't work for my i-mate SP5 which MMS is renamed to Picture Messages and it doesn't change :?: