Change the Maximum Size for Ringtones

I’ve never had a problem loading my ringtones onto my Windows Mobile devices. Typically I use files that a small and sharp so they can easily grab your attention. Recently I was point to some free ringtones being offered by Cisco (Thanks Clinton!) and I thought I would give them a try. Only problem was that they don’t show up in the list of ringtones available on the device. I know that they have been put in the right folder as all the other sounds I have loaded the device with are displayed just fine.

The problem is that there is a limit on the maximum file size for ringtones. I would imagine that this is done to prevent the phone from having to load a 10MB MP3 every time there was an incoming phone call. I can understand that, but at the same time the 307200 bytes just doesn’t seem like enough. Especially since these Cisco ringtones started at 450+KB.

Thankfully the solution isn’t a hard one. Simply modify a registry setting and away you go. Best of all, you don’t have to restart your phone after making this change. Grab your favourite registry editor and you’ll be off and running in no time. For people that like to work from their desktop, I would suggest a tool like SOTI’s Pocket Controller. Otherwise, grab PHM registry editor and you can modify this setting directly from the device.

1. Browse to HKEY_Current_User / ControlPanel / Sounds
2. Under the Sounds key, you should see a value by the name of FileSizeLimit
3. Highlight the FileSizeLimit value and edit it
4. The default Value Data for this value is 307200 – at least that’s what I see on my BlackJack. Change this to a value that better suits your needs. I would recommend a reasonable amount as you don’t want to use all system resources to load up your ringtone. I would think that 807200 would be a reasonable size for most people.
5. Save your changes and you should now be able to select those larger files as your ringtones.

About Mike Temporale

Mike Temporale has written 497 posts on Mobile Jaw..

Mike Temporale grew up fascinated by computers since an early age. His first hands on with a computer came when he was 7 years old and a travelling lab of Commodore PET computers made a stop at his school. Hooked on the new world these devices offered, he took any chance possible to get in front of a computer. When Compaq launched the iPaq 3600, he was hooked again. This time on a whole new world of mobile computing. Today, Mike spends his day helping clients deploy and manage their mobile device around the world. From installing custom software, to locking and securing data, and everything in between. He is also the Editor in Chief at Mobile Jaw - a site focused on today's mobile world.

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