I have a Windows Mobile handheld device on which I installed several applications and libraries and set all settings and configuration options (like network, etc) to the correct values for the application(s).
Now I need to do the same to multiple other handheld devices. Is there a way to create an imagine of one device and load that image onto the other devices?
Yes - create a cab file that does all the registry changes and deploys the files to the right paths.
If your changes only include registry changes you can use mdsoft registry editor along with ActiveSync. It has an import and an export option, but it still means that you have to connect one device at a time to your desktop (ActiveSync limitation).
I am not familiar with an automatic way to detect files that were newly added, but with the registry you will find the option with the registry editor in case you have a "clean" device to compare with. The editor also provides you a cab wizard for the registry if I am not mistaken.