DinarSoft MemMaid 1.73

The Memory Tweaks menu option allows the user to set where Pocket Internet Explorer stores its cache, as well as set how many KB to allow for the PIE files. If the user has AvantGo installed, its cache location can also be set here. There is also a memory slider that many of you will recognize from Pocket PC 2002 and 2003; it does nothing in WM5 and up.  According to the DinarSoft site, the DLL Optimizer screen allows the user to "move DLLs (program extensions) from the main memory to other memory cards. Leaving the main memory for what is most important for (Running Programs)." This isn't an option I have ever felt the need to use.

Figure 11: The Memory Tweaks screen	Figure 12: The DLL Optimizer screen

The Storage Usage screen is a handy feature which allows the user to see exactly how much memory is being used by a particular folder. These folders can be explored through this screen, and items may be examined and even deleted if desired.  The File Finder allows the user to search for a particular file by name, extension or by size. This feature is much more robust than the built-in Pocket PC Search.

Figure 13: The Storage Usage screen	Figure 14: The File Finder screen

The Databases screen shows a tree of the installed databases on the device; databases can be deleted from within this screen should the user want.  The Running Processes menu option pulls up a utility similar to that on a desktop computer - it shows exactly what is running in the background on the Pocket PC at that exact moment; this screen also shows exactly how much memory each running program is consuming. 

Figure 15: The Databases screen	Figure 16: The Running Processes screen

The Reclaim Memory menu option closes running programs (if the option is checked) and it shows any reclaimed RAM once the programs have been closed.  In general, this has become less of an issue with Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices but still can crop up from time to time.  Older devices can really benefit from this feature. 

The Tools menu on the left side offers the user the options to power off the PDA, perform a soft reset while the Device Info menu allows you to see specific details on your device including available memory.

Figure 17: The Reclaim RAM screen	Figure 18: The Device Info screen

MemMaid can be as simple or as complicated as the user needs it to be: those that simply want to clean up stray data trash can use it for that purpose, while more confident users can use the program to dive deeply into their Pocket PC's system. As I mentioned before, the program's Clean Up utility is worth the price on its own, but the extra tweaking power afforded by the other options makes MemMaid a great tool for anyone that wants more control over their Pocket PC's memory, processes, and storage functions. This is one of the first programs that I load on every Windows Mobile device I own, and I consider it to be a "must have". 

The full MemMaid FAQ may be read here. 

DinarSoft's MemMaid is available from the Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com! store for trial or for purchase.  The purchase price is $14.99 and can be purchased here. 

Judie Hughes
Owner:  Gear Diary
Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com! Contributor