Since I developed Stay Unlock two years ago, it had received numerous feedback. I had also started the habit or was it a hobby, of developing small software utilities to do stuff that default Windows Mobile does not provide, e.g. Bluetooth Notification hack, and most recently LED notification. From applying my knowledge of Windows Programming acquired 10 years ago in Windows Mobile development, I have also finally decided to take the opportunity to explore C# and .NET programming. For sure, these development toolkits make development life of a Windows Programmer much easier, as compared to say 10 years ago. You always learn something new but it is also important that you know the fundamentals!Anyway, inspired by the comments from Stay Unlock users, I have decided to pull forward the upgrade effort which I had originally planned for during my year end vacation (now it looks like I can take a good break in December!). It took me a day, and I’m hoping that it will be useful for existing users of Stay Unlock, although I know during the last one year, many variant of Stay Unlock had surfaced. Anyway, here’s what you can expect from the new version of Stay Unlock
- Supports both Smartphone and Pocket PC Phone platform (WM5.0, WM6.0, WM6.1)
- Stay Unlock will always run in silent mode, and will never prompt. A log file is created instead.
- Stay Unlock now has a separate configuration tool, to support the following options
- Turn on/off Stay Unlock, i.e. override security policy enforced by your Exchange IT admin
- Always Stay Unlock
- Overriding Timeout setting
- Once you save your setting, the tool will prompt you if you want your running instance of Stay Unlock to reload this setting
- Stay Unlock will also allow override of time out value enforced by Exchange Server. This will address situation whereby users wants the device lock function but prefer a longer time out threshold value than what’s defined by their IT admin
- Stay Unlock will also default the timeout to 24 hours, when you set “Always Stay Unlock. There are technical and security reasons behind this implementation, instead of completely disabling device lock function. However, you can still turn off device lock by going to Settings > Personal > Lock, and turn off the checkbox “Prompt if unused for”. Stay Unlock is not responsible for your action to unsecure your device!
Stay Unlock Download Links
Click Here for WM5 PocketPC Phone, WM6 and WM6.1 Professional platform
Click Here for WM5 Smartphone, WM6 and WM6.1 Standard platform
If you appreciate my work, please feel free to donate your token of appreciation by clicking the icon below
Posted by Jaap on July 8, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I have been using your small program already for some time on my PDA. Recently I update to your version 2. Everything works fine in keeping my device unlocked and I am very satisfied with this.
However recently I discovered, after updating my device from WM5 to WM6, that the security policy of my company’s Exchange Server also enforces encryption on my SD card (the program to change this setting is now greyed-out and does not function anymore). And I am not so happy with that. Do you know a method to also override this?
Posted by Rathna on July 17, 2009 at 9:31 pm
will it work with WinMo 6.5?
Posted by zen on July 27, 2009 at 4:54 pm
yes it’ll work in Winmo 6.5
Posted by Dennis on July 26, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Hi,
I just found your program, and it seems great! Unfortunately I can’t get it running though. I have a HTC runing WM 6, in Swedish. The error message I get is the same as the other guys running non english OS. However, when I do a soft reset (couldn’t remember how to do it, but I removed the battery which should be the same, right?) and restart my phone the Stay unlock settings have not been saved. And thereby (I suppose) the password screen keeps popping up.
I do have the Stay unlock file in windows/autostart. I can’t see that Stay unlock is running in the open programs box, but maybe it’s not supposed to show there?
I would greatly appreciate if you could help me get you great stay unlock program running.
/Dennis
Posted by zen on July 27, 2009 at 4:57 pm
if you run Stay Unlock in the windows/startup, do you see a pop up message asking you if you want to stop the service?
Posted by Alfons on July 30, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Hi Zen! Stay Unlock installed without problems on my Samsung SGH-i200 (Windows Mobile 6.0 standard, English), the config screen and the log file look fine, but the security settings remain the same: 15 minutes max.
Manually setting the registry key HKLM\Security\Policies\Policies0001023 (with PHM Registry Editor) gives an error: ‘Unable to perform this operation’.
Figuring it must have something to do with the security policy on my device, I downloaded and installed ’secpolicies.cab’ (http://sems.org/content/download/secpolicies.cab). Then used Device Security Manager PowerToy from Microsoft to set the configuration to ‘Security Off’. This temporarily helps but the next day it’s back to default.
Could you please tell me how to make it work on my device? Thanks for your great utility!
Posted by zen on August 2, 2009 at 4:13 pm
could you run the secpolicies, and then run the stay unlock program?
Posted by Alfons on August 2, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Hi Zen! In answer to your question: Running secpolicies alone doesn’t do the trick. Only after setting the configuration to ‘Security Off’ (and restarting my phone) it’s possible to set the timeout longer than 15 mins. using Stay Unlock.
Thanks for your quick reply!
(P.S. my Windows Mobile version is 6.1)
Posted by Chris on August 14, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Hi Zen
I also installed your prog on my HTC Touch Diamond 2 (German) and get the above by michael mentioned error-messages when I save the settings.This happens also after a restart.
But my real problem then is, that the lock settings of my device still are fixed (time limit max 10 min., checkbox to switch locking off is greyed out).
Do you have an explanation for this?
Thx
Chris
Posted by zen on September 7, 2009 at 8:15 pm
can you check if this registry value “00001023″ in \hklm\security\policies\policies, has been set to 1? This is to check if the utility is running properly.
Posted by Chris on September 9, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Hi Zen
For some other reasons I had to do a hard reset on my Touch Diamond 2 some days ago.
After this I installed stay unlock again, and now it seems to work.
I hope, this time the funcionality persists, not like the first time when I installed it, when after some time it did not work anymore.
So thanks for your answer. i’ll be back if I get problems again …
Chris
Posted by marcoose on September 3, 2009 at 3:15 am
hey Zen,
running 6.1 pro on Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and it works a treat (you don’t know how long I suffered between unlock 1.0 and 2.0 when I upgraded and you didn’t!) but I’m still forced to use an 8 digit pin if I want to continue with ’some’ level of security. on unlock 1.0 you could override and use 4 digit pin if you so wished. Any way of controlling that now?
thx
Posted by zen on September 7, 2009 at 8:03 pm
hi marcoose, I believe the password complexity level can be controlled by registry, which is enforced by the remote server iirc. However, I have no chance to look at the exact registry values at the moment.
Posted by mantispid on October 9, 2009 at 3:17 am
Your program doesn’t seem to work with Windows 6.1 as of October 8, 2009. The log file states “Your Exchange Server has enforced security policy (value = 0)”, but Stayunlock doesn’t do anything to stop it! So, the security policy gets enforced.
Now, perhaps I am misunderstanding something. Does Stayunlock only work to block the settings for the unlock policy, or does it block *all* exchange security policy changes?
If it only blocks the unlock policy, then it may actually still work. I need it to block all exchange security policy changes… such as the policy that prevents unsigned applications from being run or installed…
Posted by zen on October 12, 2009 at 9:52 am
@mantispid,
on the version to install/apps that are not digitally signed, I need to look at it first.
on ur other question, stay unlock basically reverse the enforcement of the policy where pin lock is concerned, and the lock time out setting. it doesn’t do anything beyond that since 3 yrs ago (or maybe 4, I can’t remember) when I developed this app, this is the main thing that the policy is about, and obviously I wasn’t keeping abreast with the introduction of new policies, so that’s why you are getting those problem.
Posted by mantispid on October 9, 2009 at 7:51 am
Is there any way to make a version of this that also blocks the security policies that make it impossible to install or run apps that are not digitally signed?
Posted by Krystof on October 10, 2009 at 8:59 am
hey Zen, exists something similar for Symbian esp. for Nokia E51?
Thx
Krystof
Posted by zen on October 12, 2009 at 9:45 am
I don’t know, I’ve never touched Symbian platform, so you have to search for it in those Symbian forums. My guess is there isn’t, but I could be wrong.
Posted by Chris on October 16, 2009 at 9:22 pm
I love the features in your app. Can you ad this registry key so it does not change back anymore?
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\StorageManager\Filters\E NCFilt]
‘EncryptByDefault’=dword:1 Needs to be: 0!
This is a key that enforces data encryption for SD cards. It screws up my data turning it in to .menc files. If I change it in the registry from 1 to 0 the security policy eventually turns it back to 1 again. Would love to see this included in your app.
Thanks,
Chris
Posted by zen on October 20, 2009 at 3:27 pm
no promise, but I will see what I can do, along with other things suggested.
Posted by ken on October 19, 2009 at 6:54 am
This app ROCKS! I have 1and1 exchange hosting and they enforce an immediate lock-out, which required me to enter a password every single time I went to use the phone (Treo Pro) for anything. We were about to move our hosting account just because of the frustration their policy caused.
Thanks!
Posted by Markland on October 28, 2009 at 7:35 am
Nice App. I used it on WM 6.1, Since then I have upgraded to WM 6.5 and noticed exchange admin has stopped policy or something, as the HKLM\Security\Policies\Policies0001023 is always disabled. But the admin has disabled the camera on the phone. I cant figure out how he did that but the error i get is “Camera has been disabled for security reasons”. I have not installed this app, since you stated its not to disable all policies. I have been searching all the forums to see how this can be enabled again and yet to find a solutions. Any help from you will be highly appreciated.
Posted by Andreas on October 21, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Hi, have you done any testing on a Windows Phone 6.5? It doesn’t seem to work at all
I have checked all three boxes
– Override Exchange Security Policy
– Always stay unlock
– Turn on logging
When I return to the config program only “Override Exchange Security Policy” and “Turn on logging” is checked.
In the StayUnlock.txt:
[09:12:39] Stay Unlock initialised and started
——————————————
[09:12:39] Initialising Exchange Policy Override
[09:12:39] Registering callback function
Is there a way to manually disable this in the registry?
Best regards,
Andreas
Posted by zen on November 4, 2009 at 10:46 am
sorry I’ve not tested this on WM6.5 yet, but maybe folks who had it run successfully can verify.
Posted by Bart on November 17, 2009 at 8:18 am
Dear Andreas,
I am a WM6.5 user and my first impression was also that it did not work. Did you restart your device after installation? And maybe it’s useful to verify whether StayUnlock has been added to your Startup folder (which was done automatically on my handset).
I also checked all three boxes in the configuration screen, but later found out that only checking the middle box (always stay unlock) also does the trick. I received an error message (see in my entry below) when saving the settings, but they turned out to be effective after a new restart of my device (the StayUnlock configuration screen shows changed settings after the restart).
After this, I went to “password” in the Windows settings and unchecked the box “prompt if device is unused for…”, which was greyed out before installing StayUnlock. This completely bypasses the security interval. And I suppose a lock after 24 hours is practically the same as getting rid of the lock all together, isn’t it?
Posted by Tom on November 14, 2009 at 7:17 am
Hi Zen,
Love this utility! Been using it for a year now, but it crashes with my latest ROM.
I get the following error:
Stay Unlock Config.exe
MissingMethodException
File or assembly name
‘System.Window.Forms,
Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral,
PublicKeyToken=969DB8053D3322AC’, or
one of it’s dependencies, was not found
Let me know if I can help debug this…would love to get this working again!
Posted by zen on November 23, 2009 at 7:44 pm
check if you have .NET 3.5 running. If not, the config tool will not run well. you can still manually edit the config via registry, if it’s still not working properly.
Posted by Tom on November 23, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Zen, thanks for the reply…turns out my latest ROM does not have .net 3.5. After installing that I am back up and running. Thanks again for the great work!
Posted by Pete on November 17, 2009 at 12:18 am
on my latest official windows 6.5 (HTC diamond 2) it crashes
. Can’t get it to work. It worked on 6.1 and cooked 6.5 roms…
Posted by Bart on November 17, 2009 at 7:55 am
I am a Windows Mobile 6.5 user, with a HTC HD2 phone.
On my old phone (HTC Touch HD with WM6.1), I had no real objections against my company’s the 15-minute security policy, but on WM 6.5, the policy also kicks in as soon as I switch of the screen, and thus does not take the 15-minute window into account.
This is why I installed StayUnlock. I also receive error messages when saving the settings, but after a soft reset, the settings appear to have been saved.
There does however appear to be a slight glitch, which takes away some of the joy of StayUnlock: activesync ignores the synchronisation interval that I set and only refreshes manually.
ActiveSync shows a message “attention requested”, with supportcode 0×80072F0D (invalid security certificate).
Is there a way to configure my handset and/or StayUnlock to return to automated synchronisation?
And to be complete, the error I receive when saving changed settings is a Win32 Exception at
System. Diagnostics.Process.StartWithShellExecuteEx()
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start()
Stay_Unlock_Config.Form1.menuItem1_Click()
System.Windows.Forms.MenuItem.OnClick()
System.Windows.Forms.Menu.ProcessMnuProc()
System.Windows.Forms.Form.WnProc()
System.Windows.Forms.Control._InternalWnProc()
Microsoft.AGL.Forms.EVL.EnterMainLoop()
System.Windows.Forms.Application.Run()
Stay_Unlock_Config.Program.Main()
Posted by zen on November 23, 2009 at 7:43 pm
@Bart/Pete,
yes, the glitch is due to a poor design of the config tool that’s only tested against english rom, it’ll crash as you have experienced if you have non-english rom.
for folks who had problem running on wm6.5 or other roms, also make sure you have valid .net framework installed. it requires 3.5 (although it should run on 2.0)
i will see what i can do to remove all these bug but the main unlock service will still function well. it’s a small set of codes that should run regardless of the windows mobile build/version.
lastly, for the invalid cert, this is a problem not due to the stayunlock program, but your admin has recently updated a cert in your server so you need to have a valid client cert to match along with it.
Posted by Dennis on December 8, 2009 at 8:30 am
How do I check what .NET framework I’m running? (I also have the HTC HD2) How do I uppgrade the .NET framework?
Posted by Joel on November 20, 2009 at 12:28 am
Tried on HTC Touch HD with WM 6.5. Dont work. Freezes my phone. Worked like a charm on WM 6.1
Posted by zen on November 23, 2009 at 3:51 pm
@Joel, did it freeze your phone for config tool, or even for the background utility/service? i.e. when did you have the freeze?
Posted by Prometeo on December 4, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Nice apps, tanks.
Work fine on my DIA100 6.5.1 (28004)
Posted by Dennis on December 8, 2009 at 8:48 am
Hi,
I’ve been using StayUnlock on my old phone. Since it has a swedish OS I remember I had to copy files around some to get it working. And it did work as a charm.
Now I’ve bought a HTC HD2 though (swedish OS), but I can’t get StayUnlock working. I suppose the HD2 does have .NET 3.5, and I downloaded the Professional platform which I also suppose is correct?
After installing and running the setup I first got an error when saving, but then I:
– Then I created a “Program files” directory and copied the whole Zenyee/StayUnlock content to it.
– Also created a Startup folder in the windows folder and copied the StayUnlock content from Autostart (swedish startup folder) to it
That removed the error when saving. After restarting (removed the battery) I still need to enter code every time I turn off the screen (button to the lower-right).
Can anyone help me get StayUnlock working? The HD2 is friggin useless when it goes to sleep all the time and forces you to log in again…
Posted by zen on December 8, 2009 at 10:21 am
you need to run the config tool to enable stayunlock, and then go to the lockscreen (settings > lock) to disable thep in lock.
Posted by Dennis on December 8, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Simple as that! Thanks!
Posted by Erik on December 26, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Interesting. I also have a Touch HD and my WM6.5 is completely freezing every 1 or 2 days. No problems om WM6.1.