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I'm not sure if it was T-Mobile, HTC, or Microsoft, but someone missed something with profiles (and given the Home Screen reset, I'm saying T-Mobile). The problem is that if you have reminders set to play sound on your Normal profile and then switch to the Vibrate or Silent profiles, you'd lose your reminder sounds on all profiles. It would still vibrate for you, but no volume. Which I'm sure the majority of my cube-mates have loved since it's been quieter in the workplace. But even so: it's a bug.

The bug is a part of the Normal profile file: where Vibrate and Silent turn off the sound, Normal simply never turns it back on. I've tried mucking with the Normal.def.prof.xml that is in the \Windows directory, but that seemed to make the phone unhappy... but I found another workaround.

Read on for more - update: it's been looking like Vista has been persisting the System attribute flag for this file where as XP and 2003 have been losing it. I've added two more steps to this list that should help out.

Here's the short story on these .def.prof.xml files... they are there for defaults [duh] and they are baked into the ROM. When you modify your profile settings in Settings app WM6 reads in a copy of this file, modifies it based on your settings, and stores this new copy in:

\Application Data\Profiles

So here's the workaround, and because of the new security for OS files in Vista, you might have to jump through some hoops - you will have to change your Folder Options (via Control Panel) and uncheck "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)". Also the XML file comes over as System/Read Only/Hidden so you might have to attrib it as well.

Step 1: Make a change to your Normal profile. Raise the volume of some alert or something. Change something to get the device to create the following file: \Application Data\Profiles\Normal.prof.xml

Step 2: Connect via ActiveSync on XP or WMDC on Vista and copy this file to your desktop.

Step 3: Edit this XML file - add the following blurb to the SoundCategories section (Sorry for the image - script wouldn't take - thanks Bruce!):



Step 4: Save this file on your PC.

Step 5: Set the System flag on this file. You can do this with a right click on the file and setting the properties or via a command prompt: attrib +s normal.prof.xml.

Step 6: Now copy it back to \Application Data\Profiles

That's it. I've switched to and from Vibrate mode both via menu and by holding the # key - both have been fine. I've also had Reminders with sound since making this change and across reboots.

One thing to note: I want my Reminder alerts to vibrate and play sound (hence the Script setting of v0p) as well as playing at level 4 volume. I know that InitVol can be values from 0-5. I would guess that v0 would be "voice only" but I don't know for certain - you can certainly play with Alarm settings via the UI and see what the values are before making those changes...

--- And as always: Of course as this is a registry change to your phone, please use it at your own risk and don't yell at me if you tap something wrong or don't work with other handsets! I used it on a Dash - use at your own risk on your Blackjack, Q, Windows Mobile Professional, or Windows Mobile Standard phone. I'm just passing on what I've learned from other WM users in the hope that I help someone else out! ---