[Upgrading, Modifying and Unlocking] denali:
OK, so this is what I tried, following a one-bite-at-a-time strategy.

I extracted XML code and cleaned it up in Notepad, previewed it in IE with no glaring issues to my eye.

<wap-provisioningdoc>
<!-- 2-1. Home Screen Plug-in
<characteristic type="Registry">
<characteristic type="HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Today\Items">
<characteristic type="Get Xpress Mail">
<parm name="Order" value="5" datatype="integer" />
</characteristic>
</characteristic>
</characteristic>	-->

<!-- 3-2. Ringtone-->
<characteristic type="FileOperation">
<characteristic type="\Windows\Rings\gm sunny audio2.wav" translation="install">
<characteristic type="Copy">
<parm name="Source" value="\Windows\gm sunny audio2.wav" translation="install"/>
</characteristic>
</characteristic>
</characteristic>
<characteristic type="Registry">
<characteristic type="HKCU\ControlPanel\Sounds">
<characteristic type="RingTone0">
<parm name="Sound" value="\Windows\Rings\gm sunny audio2.wav" datatype="string"/>
<parm name="Category" value="Ring" datatype="string"/>
</characteristic>
</characteristic>
</characteristic>

<!--4-1. PIE home page
<characteristic type="FileOperation">
<characteristic type="\Windows\default.htm" translation="install">
<characteristic type="Copy">
<parm name="Source" value="\Windows\_default.htm" translation="install"/>
</characteristic>
</characteristic>
</characteristic> -->
<!--Delete Favorite-->
<characteristic type="Registry">
<nocharacteristic type="HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FavoritesEntries\MSN Mobile" />
<nocharacteristic type="HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FavoritesEntries\Pocket PC Web Guide" />
</characteristic>

<!--Add Favorite-->
<characteristic type="Registry">
<characteristic type="HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FavoritesEntries\MEdia Net" translation="filesystem" >
<parm name="Order" datatype="integer" value="0" />
<parm name="ReadOnly" datatype="integer" value="1" />
<parm name="URL" datatype="string" value="http://home/" />
<parm name="Icon" datatype="string" value="\windows\MEdia_Net_Home_01.bmp" translation="filesystem" />
</characteristic>
<characteristic type="HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FavoritesEntries\PocketPC" >
<parm name="URL" datatype="string" value="http://pocketpc.com"/>
<parm name="Order" datatype="integer" value="1" />
</characteristic>
<characteristic type="HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FavoritesEntries\AT&T Support - Pocket PC">
<parm name="URL" datatype="string" value="http://www.cingular.com/customer_service"/>
<parm name="Order" datatype="integer" value="2" />
</characteristic>
<characteristic type="HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FavoritesEntries\My Windows Mobile">
<parm name="URL" datatype="string" value="http://www.mywindowsmobile.com/"/>
<parm name="Order" datatype="integer" value="3" />
</characteristic>
<characteristic type="HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FavoritesEntries\WindowsMedia.com">
<parm name="URL" datatype="string" value="http://windowsmedia.com"/>
<parm name="Order" datatype="integer" value="4"/>
</characteristic>

<!-- 4-3. Settings View & Zoom -->
<characteristic type="HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main" translation="filesystem">
<parm name="ZoomSetting" datatype="integer" value="4" /> <!--zoom:medium-->
<parm name="MakeFit" datatype="integer" value="1" /> <!--view:default-->
</characteristic>
</characteristic>

<characteristic type="Registry">
<!-- 5-2. Show PIN2 Page -->
<characteristic type="HKLM\SOFTWARE\OEM\PhoneSetting" translation="filesystem">
<parm name="ShowPIN2Page" datatype="integer" value="1" />
<!-- Enable NITZ -->
<parm name="ShowNITZPage" datatype="integer" value="1" />
</characteristic>
<characteristic type="HKLM\Drivers\BuiltIn\RIL" translation="filesystem">
<parm name="NITZEnable" datatype="integer" value="1" />
<!-- Set SMS Service -->
<parm name="SMSService" datatype="integer" value="1" />
</characteristic>
<!-- SMS Settings -->
<characteristic type="HKLM\System\Inbox\Settings" translation="filesystem">
<parm name="SMStoSMTPShortCode" datatype="integer" value="121" />
<parm name="AllowSMStoSMTPConcatenation" datatype="integer" value="1" />
<parm name="AllowSMStoSMTPAddress" datatype="integer" value="1" />
<parm name="CurServiceName" datatype="string" value="SMS" />
</characteristic>

<!--Operator name string and service provider name showing rule-->
<characteristic type="HKLM\SOFTWARE\OEM\PhoneSetting" translation="filesystem">
<parm name="ONSDisplayRule" datatype="integer" value="4" />
<parm name="EnableUsimEF" datatype="integer" value="1" />
<parm name="Enable3GLongNamePrefix" datatype="integer" value="0" />
</characteristic>

<!--Override the GSM Short String Rule-->
<characteristic type="HKLM\ControlPanel\Phone" translation="filesystem">
<parm name="ShortStringExclusionList" datatype="multiplestring" value="*0","*1","*2","*3","*4","*5","*6","*7","*8","*9","#0","#1","#2","#3","#4","#5","#6","#7","#8", "#9""/>
</characteristic>
<characteristic type="HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Diagnostics" translation="filesystem">
<parm name="ShowLogCode" datatype="integer" value="65535" />
<parm name="DiagCode" datatype="integer" value="65534" />
</characteristic>

<!-- WiFi QoS Settings -->
<characteristic type="HKLM\Comm\TNETWLN1\Parms" translation="filesystem">
<parm name="WME_Enable" datatype="integer" value="0" />
</characteristic>
<!-- 0: Disable QoS feature -->
<!-- 1: Enable QoS feature -->

<!-- Disable IPv6
<characteristic type="HKLM\Comm\AFD" translation="filesystem">
<parm name="Stacks" datatype="multiplestring" value="tcpstkirdastkbtd" />
</characteristic>
<nocharacteristic type="HKLM\Comm\Devices\TCPIP6" translation="filesystem"/>
-->
<!-- 1.3.03 4. Remove "Disable IPv6" settings in Generic UI, Line 199. -->

<!-- Set GSM/UMTS band. -->
<characteristic type="HKLM\SOFTWARE\OEM\UMTS\BandSelection" translation="filesystem">
<parm name="Band" datatype="integer" value="0" />
<!-- (0:AUTO, 1:Euro band, 2:US band, 3:Japan band) -->
</characteristic>
<!-- 1.3.06 1. Set both "Network type" & "GSM/UMTS band" to "AUTO". -->

<!-- Remove "Band" page of phone "Options". -->
<characteristic type="HKLM\SOFTWARE\OEM\PhoneSetting" translation="filesystem">
<parm name="ShowUMTSBandPage" datatype="integer" value="1" />
<!-- (1: show GSM/UMTS band page) -->
<!-- (0, none : hidden GSM/UMTS band page) -->
</characteristic>
<!-- 1.3.06 2. Remove "Band" page of phone "Options". -->

<!-- 1.3.03 3. Add the correct "USB to PC" related settings in Generic UI, Line 201. -->

<!-- Set USB to PC Unchecked -->
<characteristic type="HKLM\Drivers\USB\FunctionDrivers" translation="filesystem" >
<parm name="DefaultClientDriver" datatype="string" value="Serial_Class" translation="filesystem" />
</characteristic>

<!-- Wireless Modem default APN setting -->
<characteristic type="HKLM\SOFTWARE\OEM\WModem" translation="filesystem" >
<parm name="Preset GPRS APN" datatype="string" value="isp.cingular" translation="filesystem" />
</characteristic>
<!-- 1.3.03 5. Update the Wireless Modem default APN to "isp.cingular" -->

</characteristic>
</wap-provisioningdoc>

Then I renamed it to "_setup.xml" and excuted makecab _setup. xml PP_Generic_UI_Hermes_CWS.cab; a CAB was generated w/o an error message. I copied the CAB to my Storage Card via USB/Activesync 4.5; it failed to install w/ the "Installation ... was unsuccessful" message.

Then I found a signing util in this link (http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=250216&highlight=sign), ran it w/ only an error message saying it was signed but not time stamped. I tried install this "signed" CAB via the method above, with the same results.

Any thoughts? Anybody?

denali