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December 25, 2010
PUBLISHED: BCS Part 2: Advanced Data Access Techniques
February 3, 2011

Windows Phone 7 Application Screenshots

Here’s a great tool I’ve been using to take screenshots of the Windows 7 Phone applications I’m developing.  Yesterday I used it to take screenshots of a new application I just published to the marketplace.  Today I received an email that my application did not pass the certification process.  I thought to myself oh boy now I have a bunch of work to do to get my application published to the marketplace.

Luckily I was wrong!  It turns out that all I did was submit screenshots that showed the emulator chrome. 

I submitted a screenshot that looked like this (which failed the certification process):

RedBlitzScreenshot_12-27-2010_20.35.46.113

When it should have looked like this:

RedBlitzScreenshot_12-29-2010_15.28.29.131

In case you are wondering, the email I received outlines the requirements and expected test results for screenshots, as follows.

Requirements

For each application, you must provide at least one or up to a maximum of eight screenshots. The users see this screenshot in the details page of the catalog before they make a purchase.
The screenshot should be a direct capture of the phone screen or emulator. Graphically-enhanced screenshots are not allowed.
The following table lists the size and file type requirements for application screenshots.
Screenshot : Size (Pixels) : File Type
Details page screenshot : 480 x 800 : PNG.

Expected Result

Test Process Required:
1. Locate application screenshot files for the submission.
2. The submitted screenshots must be direct captures of the phone screen or the emulator with the application running.
3. Screenshots must not be graphically-enhanced.
4. Screenshots are 480×800 pixels PNG images.
5. Ensure the emulator chrome is not visible in the screenshot.

As you can see, the following comments at the bottom of the email clearly described the changes I needed to make. “Comments: The submitted screenshots depict the application running with the emulator border around it.”

So if you use the tool I linked to above, make sure you uncheck the Show Device checkbox before you take your screenshots!

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