If CaptureCE worked the way I expected it to, a file should have been stored somewhere on my device that contains an image of what was on the screen when I tapped on the icon. So, it's time to do a little exploring on the device. Fortunately, you don't have to go too far if you start by double-tapping on the My Handheld PC icon. CaptureCE creates a bitmap file when it takes the screenshot and stores it in the root folder of your device. Figure F shows a file listing of the bitmap files. You will see that the files are named sequentially and with an extension of .BMP.

FIGURE F

Here's a listing of screenshot image files on my device. Click picture for a larger image.

You can display the image file by simply double-tapping the image file name. Pocket Internet Explorer will start and display the graphic file. To copy the file to your desktop computer you connect your device and use ActiveSync and Explorer to copy the file.

Rolling your own Print Scrn key
Now I have a program that runs on my MobilePro that can create screenshots. All I have to do is tap on the camera icon whenever I want to capture what is being displayed on the screen. But the icon isn't exactly the same as the trusty Print Scrn key on your computer keyboard. Can we create a Print Scrn key?

Most handheld PCs come with programmable function keys. The MobilePro has 12 function keys along the top row of the keyboard. If you have a MobilePro you can use the MobilePro Settings applet in the Control Panel to program the function keys.

Figure G shows you the MobilePro Settings Properties dialog box. The QuickLaunch tab shows you the keys that you can program which can either be the function key itself or a combination of the control key and the function key. Since all of the function keys were already used I selected Ctrl+F10 to be my Print Scrn key.

FIGURE G

Here is the MobilePro Setting Properties dialog box that started me on my quest for a screen capture program. Click picture for a larger image.

At the right of the dialog you see a Browse button that you can use to browse to the location where CAPTCE.EXE is located. Use it to select the file so that it's populated in the Application Program field and then tap on OK. To test your Print Scrn key, hold down the Ctrl key and then press F10. You should hear the shutter sound just as if you tapped on the camera icon.

If you need to create screenshots of your device I think you will find that CaptureCE does the job very nicely. There is really no documentation available so it may be a little difficult to figure out how to use, although I hope this article will help remedy that. One thing's for sure, it's easier than lying your device face down on a flat bed scanner! That technique is best left for scanning images of your favorite body parts!

Frank McPherson is an Advanced Systems Engineer at EDS. He is a Microsoft Windows CE Most Valuable Professional, and Assistant Forum Manager of MSN's Computing Central Windows CE forum. He maintains the Windows CE Knowledge Center at http://start.at/know_ce, and he can be reached via e-mail at frank@fmcpherson.com.