Windows Mobile 6 app not showing MenuBar on 6.5 scanner - menubar

Question

We have a Windows Mobile 6 application used on Motorola scanners. For years, this app has worked fine with the X in the upper right corner (TaskBar) for users to close/minimize the screens. We recently got new scanners that have Windows Mobile 6.5 and suddenly the X has been replaced with the time. For some reason the bottom MenuBar does not show up on these new devices either, so users have no way to close/minimize the screens. I've tested the app with the 6.5 emulators in the Windows Mobile 6 SDK and the X in the taskbar shows fine (instead of the time). I've downloaded the 6.5 and 6.5.3 DTK and tried those emulators, too, and they all show the X in the taskbar. The app was written in VS2005 and will not allow me to convert it to VS2008 as it tells me it will not run on the new version. I tried changing the target platform to 6.5 or 6.5.3 but those options don't show up in the platform dropdown box even though I've installed both DTKs. I downloaded and installed the "Refresh" as instructed in some of the posts I've read, but still no option to change the target platform. Perhaps there is no need/way to change to one of these platforms since I see 6.5 emulators in the current SDK?
Is there a way to either (1) get the X to show up in the taskbar instead of the time or (2) get the bottom menubar to show up?
Thanks,
Gina

Answer 1

Windows Mobile UI layout has changed with Windows Enbedded Handheld 6.5.3 (WEH): http://www.hjgode.de/wp/2013/04/19/windows-mobile-6-5-changed-screen-geometry/
The Close (X) or OK button will be in the menu bar at the bottom right of the screen. The task bar is the bar at the top of the screen.
if your form has "ControlBox" as false, there will be neither a X or OK in the menu bar
if your form does not have a menu bar and is maximized, there will be no menu bar and so no place for (X) or [OK] button.
if the registry of the WEH device says 'Hardware done key available' there will be no Close or OK button for any new window: http://www.hjgode.de/wp/2010/10/11/windows-mobile-hide-startbutton-in-winmo-6-5-x/
if you target and develop as "Windows CE" app, the menu will be at top of form and the close/OK will be in the title of the form.
Test app and code:
http://www.hjgode.de/wp/2012/05/10/windows-mobile-kiosk-mode-series-part-1/
"The app was written in VS2005 and will not allow me to convert it to VS2008 as it tells me it will not run on the new version"
That is interesting. Do you have any more details? Normally you simply have to open the 2005 solution in VS2008 and will convert in-place. This will not work, if the Target framework is Windows CE and you do not have WindowsCE available in VS2008.
Possibly post some screen shots of the vs2005 solution with a form design view.