Kill ActiveSync when you are not using it

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.micrologics.co.uk/library/ast/">http://www.micrologics.co.uk/library/ast/</a><br /><br />Reading Jason's thought <i>(rant)</i> on ActiveSync reminds me of a little app called ActiveSync Toggle. Not everyone likes ActiveSync running in the background 24/7 and would prefer to free up some RAM as well as real estate in the windows System Tray, where the clock is. ActiveSync Toggle allows you to either load or unload ActiveSync from memory whilst also removing the registry key that automatically loads it upon starting Windows, but best of all, it's free. Perhaps Jason should install this and "kill" ActiveSync a few times before he continues <i>(launches into another tirade)</i> his <b>ActiveSync is Evil, Part II</b> thoughts. :-)

[Sanjay Srikonda]

I love this program. I can't remember how many times I have had a problem with activesync not shutting down or just acting freaky.

this is great, the kind of stuff we could use more of.

[gadgetguy804]

I was excited at first, but then realized it was for the PC. My complaints are about AS on the PocketPC. It seems to have a memory leak! I have it attached with a serial cradle and have it set to update constantly. I have set the screen to memory and watched it slowly decrease over time. I have even gotten a warning message that I need to close some programs (and only ActiveSync is running!). I know that messages coming in will take up space, but this behavior occurs even with no mail activity going on. Am I alone in seeing this?

[lar3ry]

http://www.micrologics.co.uk/library/ast/
ActiveSync Toggle allows you to either load or unload ActiveSync from memory whilst also removing the registry key that automatically loads it upon starting Windows and best of all, it is free. Perhaps Jason should install this and "kill" ActiveSync a few times before he continues (launches into another tirade) his ActiveSync is Evil, Part II thoughts. :-)
There's another freeware app that I have been using called "Kill ActiveSync" available at PocketGear that does the same thing. I don't really like the user interface for Kill ActiveSync, but it does the job.

My problem with ActiveSync is that it occasionally refuses to see my iPAQ on the cradle. The iPAQ will give the "connection beep" -- followed by the PC -- followed by the iPAQ sending the "disconnect beep." When this happens, Windows slows to a crawl. Sometimes, I can get ActiveSync to work again if I disable USB from the connection settings, and then re-enable it afterwards. Sometimes, it takes a full reboot. It's a real problem.

I haven't had Jason's "loss of data" but I do tend to keep important things on my CF, and synchronize that with my Linux box using a CF reader and "rsync." I'm not much of a Windows user (I'm still "getting ready to replace PocketPC with Linux" one of these days), so my home-brewed solutions that I completely understand (because I wrote them) tends to be less of a hassle for me.

I currently use AvantGo and Mazingo as my main "synchronization" needs on my iPAQ. The former requires ActiveSync, which means that I'll still be running it, but Mazingo can sync to the CF card directly without having to use ActiveSync. It would be nice if I could write a similar app for ARM Linux; I'd be weaned of PocketPC completely!

[David Bowrah]

There's another freeware app that I have been using called "Kill ActiveSync" available at PocketGear that does the same thing. I don't really like the user interface for Kill ActiveSync, but it does the job.

Not trying to put down the competition but... :-)

Kill ActiveSync only does that, kills it from memory. ActiveSync Toggle allow's you to toggle the loading/unloading with the click of a button, it will even shut itself down after ActiveSync has unloaded.

ActiveSync Toggle also shuts down the Sync Window if it's already open (the System Tray and Sync Window's are two seperate programs) where-as Kill ActiveSync requires the Sync Window to already be closed.

If we get enough positive feedback on this, we will try and develop it further, hopefully including features like Disabling (unloading) ActiveSync even if the PDA is attached etc.

Regards
David Bowrah
Micrologics Ltd

PS: If I have to write the word ActiveSync one more time, it'll be a padded room for me :-)

[Sanjay Srikonda]

maybe you should call it deactivate sync

[David Bowrah]

My problem with ActiveSync is that it occasionally refuses to see my iPAQ on the cradle. The iPAQ will give the "connection beep" -- followed by the PC -- followed by the iPAQ sending the "disconnect beep."

Forgot to add...

This also happens to us, one of the reasons for developing ActiveSync (arrghh I said it again) Toggle in the first place.

When this happens, remove the PDA from the craddle, use AS Toggle to Disable/Enable AS then just re-attach the PDA and it should connect correctly this time.

Regards
David Bowrah