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Pocket PC Questions

Read this page to find answers to frequently asked questions about Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC.

General Questions What's new in Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC? Which Pocket PC devices include Microsoft Reader? Is Microsoft Reader available for other Windows CE-powered devices already on the market? What version of Microsoft Reader will be available with Pocket PC? Is Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC a separate download? Why don't old Pocket PCs support Owner Exclusive eBook content? Troubleshooting I see an error "Microsoft Reader is no longer able to access this eBook" on my Pocket PC. What can I do to troubleshoot? I've tried repagination, but I still see an error, "Microsoft Reader is no longer able to access this eBook" on my Pocket PC. What else can I do to troubleshoot? I have a Pocket PC with a VGA display: Microsoft Reader occasionally freezes.

What's new in Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC ?
Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC is setting a new standard for electronic reading by giving you the freedom to read premium eBooks on up to four of your favorite devices. The new and improved features in Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC let you enjoy:

• Innovative content support - enjoy Owner Exclusive eBooks on Pocket PC and other Microsoft Reader-enabled devices.
• Greater portability: Activate Microsoft Reader on up to four devices and take your eReading library wherever you go.
• Enhanced design, including better image scaling and compression, flexible tables, and consistent font treatment.
• External HTML linking, custom dictionary support, improved audio support, and completely re-designed Help with Quick Search.

Which Pocket PC devices include Microsoft Reader?
Microsoft Reader comes preinstalled on Pocket PC 2002 and Pocket PC 2003 devices from a variety of manufacturers, and you can activate and read copy-protected (Owner Exclusive) eBooks on these devices. Earlier versions of the Pocket PC feature Microsoft Reader 1.0 for the Pocket PC, which cannot accommodate activation or read Owner Exclusive eBooks. Most of these devices cannot be upgraded to Microsoft Reader 2.x, which requires Pocket PC 2002 or Pocket PC 2003.

Is Microsoft Reader available for other Windows CE-powered devices already on the market?
Microsoft Reader is not available for earlier versions of Windows CE-powered devices. We are working with various manufacturers to make Microsoft Reader available on consumer mobile devices in the near future.

What version of Microsoft Reader will be available with Pocket PC 2002 and Pocket PC 2003?
Microsoft Reader 2.2.2 for Pocket PC 2002 and Pocket PC 2003 helps provide fully enabled security for seamless access to all Microsoft Reader eBook titles.

Is Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC a separate download?
Microsoft Reader is not a separate download in most cases. Most manufacturers of new Pocket PC devices include all the features of Pocket PC 2002 and Pocket PC 2003—including Microsoft Reader —preinstalled. For cases where devices with limited memory can be upgraded, Microsoft Reader and other applications will be available as separate downloads.

Why don't old Pocket PCs support Owner Exclusive eBook content?
Ultimately, it's a question of customer experience. To support the security architecture that enables you to read an Owner Exclusive eBook, your device must have a unique hardware identifier. This identifier was simply not available on the first version of the Pocket PC. Microsoft dedicated an enormous amount of resources toward developing a software fix to overcome this inherent hardware shortcoming, but ultimately we found the technical hurdles made it impossible to develop a solution that provided an acceptable customer experience.

I see an error "Microsoft Reader is no longer able to access this eBook" on my Pocket PC. What can I do to troubleshoot?
When you first read a book using Microsoft Reader, the software paginates the eBook for you: as you read your eBook, Microsoft Reader software determines the length of the eBook according to the current font size setting and updates the .EBO file for the opened book with that information. If you hard-reset your Pocket PC, Microsoft Reader assumes you're opening an eBook for the first time, and the software paginates the eBook for you.

If you open an eBook for the first time, and turn off the device while Reader is performing background pagination, you'll receive an error, "Microsoft Reader is no longer able to access this book."

Here's how to fix the problem:

1. Shut down Microsoft Reader:
   a. From the Start Menu, tap "Settings"
   b. Select the System tab.
   c. Select the Memory icon.
   d. Tap the Running Program tab.
   e. Highlight Microsoft Reader on the Running Program list.
   f. Tap the Stop button.
2. Tap OK.
3. Start File Explorer
4. Navigate to My Documents/Annotations
5. Select and delete the .EBO file for the problem title. The correct .EBO file is the file that begins with the eBook title. If more than one .EBO file exists for the problem title, select and delete each one.
6. Start Microsoft Reader again.
7. Open the eBook. Let the device remain turned on, allowing Microsoft Reader to repaginate until it completes. This process should not take more than a few minutes. Microsoft Reader needs to perform this operation just once for each eBook.

How do I know if Reader is still handling background pagination on the title?

1. Open the eBook in question.
2. Begin reading the content.
3. On the bottom of the Reader page, tap and hold the page number for a couple of seconds — then release it. The Riffle Control should be displayed: its appearance may take a second or two.
4. The Riffle Control shows you where you are in the eBook. The leftmost number is the first page of the eBook; the rightmost number is the last page of the eBook.

If the right-most number is displayed in red, then the Reader is not done with background pagination. If the right-most number is displayed in black, then the Reader has completed pagination.

I've tried repagination, but I still see an error, "Microsoft Reader is no longer able to access this eBook" on my Pocket PC. What else can I do to troubleshoot?

Microsoft Reader keeps a catalog of all the eBooks on your device. This catalog is called litpath.LPT. The catalog contains a list of the books and their locations. Sometimes the litpath.LPT file can become corrupted, especially if you move your eBooks to a different location on your device. If the file does become corrupted, you may see an error message, "Microsoft Reader is no longer able to access this book," when you open your eBook from the Library.

Here's how to fix the problem:

• Shut down Microsoft Reader:
  a. From the Start Menu, tap "Settings"
  b. Select the System tab.
  c. Select the Memory icon.
  d. Tap the Running Program tab.
  e. Highlight Microsoft Reader on the Running Program list.
  f. Tap the Stop button.
• Cradle your Pocket PC
• Establish a connection to your Pocket PC device using ActiveSync
• From the ActiveSync file menu, select Explore.
• In the Explorer window that appears, double-click the My Pocket PC icon.
• Find litpath.LPT in the file list
• Delete litpath.LPT

When you run Microsoft Reader again, give it a little time to rebuild its eBook catalog. If you have a lot of eBooks, it can take some time. If you would like to read an eBook while the catalog is rebuilt, use your File Explorer to open an eBook on your Pocket PC; while you're enjoying your eBook, Reader will continue to rebuild its catalog of your titles.

I have a Pocket PC with a VGA display: Microsoft Reader occasionally freezes.

Try downloading the latest version of Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC (version 2.4, released in March, 2005). This version specifically addresses display and performance errors that occurred when the prior release was run on Pocket PC devices with VGA displays.