Windows Phone 7 registry tweak enables speedy multitasking [video]

By Tom Warren, on 20th Mar 11 1:01 pm with 14 Comments

One of the basic criticisms of Windows Phone 7 is the slow resume times for applications when multitasking.

A recently discovered registry tweak appears to address these concerns by speeding up resume times of applications to instant. The folks at Windowsphonehacker.com revealed a registry tweak that allows games and applications to resume instantly and run in the background fully on Windows Phone 7. The hack is reversible and takes effect immediately. Unfortunately only officially unlocked Windows Phone developer devices can enable the registry change.

Microsoft has previously promised, and demonstrated, full multitasking on the Windows Phone 7 platform, due in an update later this year. It appears the functionality is already half baked judging by this latest registry tweak. If you have an officially unlocked developer device then try the steps below:

  1. Download and deploy the Windows Phone 7 registry editor
  2. Navigate to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\TaskHost
  3. set “DehydrateOnPause” to 0 (defaults to 3)

If you experience any battery issues or memory problems then you can always revert the setting back to its default of 3. Checkout the tweak in action below.

  • Steve Jobs

    Very Interesting!

  • Tim

    Interesting. I just did this on my Focus and played around with it. It’s nice, though its kind of weird that it works when you hit the Back key to get back to the app, but doesn’t work if you directly load the app again.

    • http://twitter.com/EShy E-Shy

      That’s because when you open the app again with win7, it starts a new instance which needs to be loaded and intialized. It’s not just bringing back an app from the background.
      It seems MS did have support for saving the full state of the app and ‘freezing’ it, but for performance reasons decided to go with tombstoning for now. they already showed the multitasking demo, so we know they are working towards that as a real solution

  • http://twitter.com/Irdawood Irfaan Dawood

    Tom, how did you unlock the nodo phone? was it via chevron?

    • shinygerbil

      I’m assuming it’s a genuine developer unlocked device.

  • GP007

    This is pretty nice but I’ll wait for the full on multitasking UI so you can hold back and then jump between apps that are running as you want. Plus I haven’t unlocked my phone since NoDo is close.

  • http://twitter.com/S_Twitta SwaggaXL

    Hey guys, I need some advice, I have like 400-500 dollars I can spend on a phone, i’m not really interested in an iPhone right now so which windows phone device do you recommend I get, or should I wait (kinda want to order one really soon though)

    • Dasd

      Unlocked phones? I recommend HTC HD7
      AT&T recommend Samsung Focus
      TMobile recommend HD7

    • http://twitter.com/S_Twitta SwaggaXL

      If I get an unlocked Samsung Focus, u think I sould go with that?

    • FoCo

      I have the focus and love it… it works very well and I havent (knock on wood) experienced any of the issues listed on these sites…

    • http://twitter.com/S_Twitta SwaggaXL

      OK I saw some unlocked on eBay, I think ill get it 2day r 2morro

  • David G.

    I would be totally happy to experience slow resume times. Unfortunately this dang thing hasn’t shown up on Verizon yet!

    Please tell me Windows Phones are coming to Verizon soon!

  • Manish

    Very nice. The MS should be very quick in delivering basic functionality those even aging and outdated symbian low-leve phones have. I dont understand why MS not even able to deliver NODO

  • http://w1ngnut.myopenid.com/ w1ngnut

    Wow, cool! Hope MS pushes it by default shortly.