Announcements

• Need support or want to provide feedback? Please read this first.

  MSN Direct MobileMSFTThursday, February 28, 2008 3:25 PM

  Please include the following information when asking a technical support question on the forums. It will help us in finding a solution and/or reporting an issue with the software.

  
  

  To access the MSN Direct for Windows Mobile version, device, and config information:

  1) Go to the Sponsors channel and press the Options soft key.

  2) Select About and press the Select soft key.
  The information is displayed on the page.
  

  
  Device Brand:

  Device Model:

  Windows Mobile Version:

  Windows Mobile Edition:

  MSN Direct Version:

  MSN Direct Device #:

  MSN Direct Config #:
  
  Your question and/or report:
  

• MSN Direct for Windows Mobile F.A.Q.

  MSN Direct MobileMSFTWednesday, February 27, 2008 11:38 PM

  Last updated May 20th, 2008
  
  Hello. I'm a member of the team developing MSN Direct for Windows Mobile, here at Microsoft.
  
  We've had a lot of questions and comments submitted through our feedback page since we began the tech preview. I thought I would address them here to give you more information regarding our software. For general information, visit our webpage.
  
  Please, feel free to send me a personal message, or post them here if you have any questions! I'll try to respond as soon as I can.
  
  If you just want to leave us feedback, we have a feedback page available on our website. Keep in mind that the feedback page on our website is one-way and you will not receive a direct response from anything sent through it.

  Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

  Categories

  Compatibility

  Configuration/Installation

  Connection

  Channels/Articles

   

  Compatibility

  1.     What are the device and system requirements for MSN Direct for Windows Mobile?

  Software:
  We support Windows Mobile 6 Standard and Professional Editions.
  
  Hardware:
  We support Smartphones and Pocket PC phones.

  2.     How can I tell if I have a Smartphone or Pocket PC Phone?

  If your phone has a touch screen or if your phone’s Start button is located in the top left corner of the screen, it’s a Pocket PC Phone. Otherwise, it's a Smartphone.

  3.     Why don’t you support my device and/or operating system yet?

  If we attempted to support every possible combination of devices and operating systems out there we wouldn’t be able to release the application in a reasonable amount of time.
  
  If you have a device or OS you think should be supported, please contact us through the forum or our feedback page.

  4.     Will MSN Direct for Windows Mobile work if I live in a country other than the United States?

  Yes. The feeds that have been made available are focused on the U.S. but the software will work anywhere you have access to a data connection.

  5.     What does the message, “The installation file is not intended for this device.” mean?

  It means that your mobile device is not compatible with this release of MSN Direct for Windows Mobile. If you think your device should be supported, let us know which model you have, either through our forum or the feedback page.

  Configuration/Installation

  1.     Can I install MSN Direct for Windows Mobile to removable media (like an expansion memory card)?

  We don’t support this method of installation because it is not a best practice for applications that run on the home screen.

  2.     Is there a way to configure the home screen to cycle through news/stocks?

  It does cycle through, just not very often as that would diminish your battery life. Throughout the day, the home screen will rotate 3 or 4 times. So, if you pick up your phone later in the day, you will see a different channel.

  3.     I don’t see my city listed in the weather channel, is there a way for me to add my city to the list?

  You can only set cities that are already available in the “Select City” list. If you find that there are no major cities near you listed, please let us know through our feedback page.

  4.      After forcing a refresh of the data I noticed on the Stocks channel that the time isn’t correct.

  The time is taken from whatever your phone’s clock is set to. Check the time setting on your phone and confirm that it is correct. If the time is correct, try forcing another refresh. If it still doesn’t appear correct, then you may not be receiving data. See the “Connection Issues” section of this FAQ for more information.

  Connection

  1.     I installed MSN Direct for Windows Mobile, but it’s not receiving data.

  There could be a few different reasons for this. Please check the following:

  1)      Be sure your device is not plugged into your PC. MSN Direct doesn't pass through Active Sync or Windows Mobile Device Center by default.
  To find out how to get updates when connected to your PC, see the next question of this section.

  2)      Be sure you have a full data plan, not just HTTP support (like the $5.99/month plan from T-Mobile).

  3)      Be sure you’re not roaming. MSN Direct doesn’t update if you’re roaming by default.
  To find out how to get updates while roaming, see question 3 of this section.

  2.     I’m not receiving updates when I have my mobile device connected to my PC.

  The reason for this is that ActiveSync(for Windows XP) and Windows Mobile Device Center(for Windows Vista) prevent your device from accessing the internet through your device’s wireless connection by default.
  
  To enable your mobile device’s wireless connection while connected to your PC, do the following:
  For Windows XP-

  1)      Be sure that you have ActiveSync 4.5 installed.

  2)      Open ActiveSync.

  3)      On the File menu, click Connection Settings.

  4)      Select the Allow wireless connection on device when connected to the desktop check box.
  (This is not selected by default)

  5)      Click OK. 

  For Windows Vista-

  1)      Open the Windows Mobile Device Center.

  2)      Click Mobile Device Settings.

  3)      Click Connection Settings.

  4)      Select the Allow data connections on device when connected to PC check box.
  (This is not selected by default)

  5)      Click OK.

  3.     If I select Refresh Data, will MSN Direct update while I’m roaming?

  If you have the “Force refresh while roaming” option turned on, the device will update.

  To turn on Force refresh while roaming:

  1)      Press the Options soft key on any channel except Stocks.

  2)      Select Network Options.

  3)      Select the Force refresh while roaming check box.

  4.     How often does MSN Direct for Windows Mobile update the channel information?

  It updates every couple of hours automatically. The data on the servers is updated every few minutes. If you want to update the data immediately to see what’s new or changed, Press the Options soft key and select Refresh Data.

  Channels/Articles

  1.     I pressed “1” for more information on an article and received this message on my browser, “I’m sorry, but the page you requested is unavailable on your device. Please select a story below.” What does it mean?

  The news article is not formatted correctly to be read on your mobile device. Please let MSNBC know about the problem through their technical support form.

  2.     I pressed “1” for more information on an article and the article didn’t display anything more than the title and/or first few lines of the article in my browser.

  The news article is not formatted correctly to be read on your mobile device. Please let MSNBC know about the problem through their technical support form.

   

• Sign up for an email alert for when we release a version with Pocket PC support and more!

  MSN Direct MobileMSFTThursday, April 10, 2008 9:18 PM
  Sign up for email alerts at the following link: 
  http://phone.msndirect.com/phone/signup.aspx
  
  We will send you an email alert message letting you know when we come out with the version you are waiting for!