Why aren’t my files displayed in Crippin’s main window?

In line with Microsoft’s recommendations for Pocket PC applications, Crippin assumes all user files are either in, or immediately below, specific top-level folders. These folders can be either in main memory, or on storage cards. If in main memory, the folder is “\My Documents” (or the equivalent, in the language of your Pocket PC’s operating system).

The location of the personal folders on any storage cards depends on the version of Pocket PC software running on the device. For Pocket PC 2000 devices, the folder is at the top level of the storage card, and named “My Documents” (or the equivalent, in the language of your Pocket PC’s operating system). Pocket PC 2002 (and later) devices simply use the root folder of each storage card. Crippin can handle files in either location, provided the relevant option is set appropriately, but it will not display files in any folders other than the designated personal folders and their immediate sub-folders.

Another reason why files may not be listed, is that they are not suitable candidates for encryption or decryption. For example, read-only files are not listed because there’s no point in encrypting a file if the original can’t be destroyed.

If you can’t see your files listed in Crippin, they are either:

1. in the wrong folders (perhaps the “Use Storage Root” option is set wrongly), or
2. created since Crippin was last invoked, and you need to tap the “refresh” button to see them, or
3. unable to be modified (i.e. they are in ROM, or are read-only or system files).

The second most frequently asked question is:

I’ve just upgraded from the free version of Crippin to the full version, and the full version rejects my password. How can I recover my old files?

The only difference between the free and full versions of Crippin, is that the free version truncates all passwords to two characters. You can type in a password of any length but the free version will only use the first two characters. The full version uses up to 255. So to decode a file encrypted with the free version, make sure you only type the first two characters of the password.

Another (occasionally asked) question is:

I get an “overwrite” warning when I tap on a file. What should I do?

If you’ve got the same file listed twice, it means that you may have an encrypted (Crippin) file and an unencrypted (plain) file with the same name. If you get an “overwrite” warning, it means both files are in the same folder. If only one file is listed, it means one or other file is un-modifiable, and therefore not a candidate for encryption or decryption.

Whatever the cause, the plain file cannot be encrypted, and the Crippin file cannot be decrypted, without overwriting the other file. To keep both files intact, use the Pocket PC file explorer to move or rename the unencrypted file, then try again. If the plain file is hidden, it can still be accessed from a desktop PC via an ActiveSync connection, by setting the desktop file explorer to display hiddn files and folders.