01-28-2003, 04:53 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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A Curious Calendar Sync Problem
The only thing worse than running into a Pocket PC problem that I can't solve right away is when it happens on a Pocket PC that isn't mine (like a client's), and I have to say "I don't know what's going on." For someone like me, that's a painful admission. So here's what's got me stumped:
The problem is that appointments created on the desktop PC in Outlook XP don't sync over to the Pocket PC unless they have a category applied (either Personal or Business). I know what you're going to say "The ActiveSync Calendar settings are set to only sync those two categories" - they're not. I double-checked the settings, and it's set to sync all future appointments and four weeks of past appointments. I could create an appointment on the desktop computer without a category, and ActiveSync would do nothing - no sync. As soon as I assign a category, the appointment syncs over. 8O Also, Outlook XP was somehow configured to create every single new appointment as a full day event, and I can't seem to find the setting that controls that.
Now here's where it gets even more odd: there was an appointment on the Today screen of the Axim, but when I opened the calendar application, that appointment wasn't shown on that day. Wait, you're thinking calendar was set to only display appointments from certain categories? I checked that - it was set to display all categories (Personal and Business). And, no, they weren't all invisible because they were full day events - I changed them to normal appointments. So how can you have an appointment displayed on the Today screen that doesn't exist in the database?
I'm totally stumped - I've never seen anything like this before, or even heard of it, and I can't figure out the twisted logic of what Outlook XP and the Pocket PC are doing. Help? :?
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01-28-2003, 04:59 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Something is screwy with Outlook XP on the desktop. I'd run a detect and repair on it. Appointments shouldn't default to all day.
Once that is done, try syncing again. If they still don't sync without categories, change your preferences in ActiveSync to only sync some categories. Then reboot a Win9x/ME box or log off/on a WinNT/2K/XP box. Now open ActiveSync and change the settings back to your preferences. Sometimes those AS settings in the options and what is actually in the registry don't always match.
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01-28-2003, 05:19 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 333
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PST?
Is his Outlook XP mail in a PST? If so, I'd try running scanpst.exe against it. Something sounds corrupted somewhere. Thry this after Ed's Detect and Repair Suggestion.
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01-28-2003, 05:20 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 258
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I had that same problem when generating SATALERT reminders - I had to assign a category (any category) to the reminder calendar item before it would sync over to my Pocket PC.
But I may be wrong... maybe the problem I had wasn't that it didn't sync over if there was no category, maybe the reminder did sync over even without a category, but the problem I saw was that the calendar item wasn't visible in the built-in pocket calendar app unless it had a category. You might want to experiment with Pocket Informat (or another calendar app) and see if it sees the non-category calendar appointments.
UPDATE: It seems the only way to see an appointment with no category is to uncheck all of the categories in the "view" list of Pocket Outlook. So, even if you have all of your categories checked (i.e. "Personal" and "Business"), it won't display any appointments without a category.
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01-28-2003, 05:51 PM
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5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 5,133
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by John Cody
UPDATE: It seems the only way to see an appointment with no category is to uncheck all of the categories in the "view" list of Pocket Outlook. So, even if you have all of your categories checked (i.e. "Personal" and "Business"), it won't display any appointments without a category.
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That would seem to make sense... Perhaps adding an option for "No Category" should be put on the ActiveSync wishlist on that other thread.
So unchecking syncs all appointments, checking only syncs those appointments with the given categories.
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01-28-2003, 06:21 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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I agree with the ideas of nuking (renaming) the PST and resetting the Axim, and trying again. Nothing like working with a clean slate. As long as he's not running Exchange, this should be OK.
Also, he's not using multiple data files, is he? Just making sure, because I think ActiveSync will only work with the primary data file. (Although, if he is, you shouldn't be able to succeed, category or not.)
--janak
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01-28-2003, 06:22 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 26
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On a similar topic, if I try to import a number of calendar appointments from a .vcs file, they get copied to the PocketPC as all day appointments. If I import the same appointments from a tab-delimited file, they transfer over fine...
Any ideas on this one?
Chris
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01-28-2003, 06:45 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by C Brandt
On a similar topic, if I try to import a number of calendar appointments from a .vcs file, they get copied to the PocketPC as all day appointments. If I import the same appointments from a tab-delimited file, they transfer over fine...
Any ideas on this one?
Chris
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Sounds like a VCS issue with whatever created those. I import .VCS files all of the time into Outlook and they sync to the Pocket PC correctly.
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01-28-2003, 07:06 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 740
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This is what I would do: (You may want to rearrange the order of these)
1. Detect & Repair (Ed's Suggestion)
1.a) Try Syncing
2. Run ScanPST (rlobrecht's Suggestion)
2.a) Try Syncing
3. Rename the existing PST and create a new one
3.a) Try Syncing
4. Delete the PPC Partnership and Recreate it
4.a) Try Syncing
5. Hard Reset the Device
5.a) Try Syncing
6. Uninstall and Reinstall Office XP
6.a) Try Syncing
7. Nuke the PC and Reinstall the OS, and Office XP and ActiveSync (in that order)
7.a) Try Syncing
I've noticed that Office XP (more than Office 2000) ties itself very tightly to the OS (more so with WinXP than Win2000). Also, if you're using Win2K and Office XP, consider switching to Office 2000. Office XP is problematic on Win2K. Office XP really wants to live on Windows XP (either Home or Pro). In the long run, you'll be happier with the results.
If after wiping the device, you still have problems, then its obvious to me that there is corruption in the PST or Information Store.
I've trouble shooted (??) a lot of problems like this for every company that I've worked for. No one that I know personally is a PPC MVP, and as I write for now 3 different Pocket PC sites, I am the defacto GTG (go to guy) for PPC problems.
Let me know if I can be of help. If you need to chat, Jason, give me a shout via e-mail or on my cell phone. You should have the number.
Kind Regards,
Christopher Spera
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01-28-2003, 07:23 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 12
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Outlook XP
In the first version of Office XP that I installed I found similar problems (every appointment was a full day) I installed using a more up to date CD and the problem went away. I was not connected to my PocketPc at the time so I did not see the effect on it. Check the SR patch or try another install of Office with different CD.
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