Active Sync 4.1

[honeybee]

I've been using the ActiveSync 3 for years with my Jornada 568. I just purchased the iPAQ hx2495 and installed the ActiveSync 4.1 to get going.

Comment: I SWEAR I recall the ActiveSync 3 version allowed me to decide which way to sync if there was a conflict. All I can find in the ActiveSync 4.1 is "replace data on device" or "replace data on computer"

I tried to sync it last night. Unfortunately, the setting was set to "replace data on device" and it wiped out the new appointments I had put in my calendar. No questions asked...

AND I noticed that options isn't even available until it gets started on the synchronization. Is that efficient? :wink:

Or do I just have a different perspective of how it is supposed to work?

[Sven Johannsen]

There is not much difference now than there used to be. On initial sync 3.x and 4.x do ask if you wish to replace items on the device or combine. There has never been a replace items on PC option, still isn't one. This is an option only when you first form the partnership.

Both versions have an option to determine what is done on a conflict after the initial sync. In AS 4 it is found under tools>options, you will see the list of things that are set to sync, under the PC they are set to sync with. You highlight the PC name and select settings, and you get to pick Replace Item on Device, or Replace Item on Desktop. You are right, AS 3 had a third option, 'Ask for each item'. I miss that too.

This should ONLY come into play if a change was made to the same item, contact entry, individual task, on BOTH the PPC and the PC between syncs. For example if you change Bob's title on the PPC and his phone # on the PC, Bob's record has a conflict, it has a change flag on both devices, and the rule will apply.

A new item on either device should never be picked up as a conflict since there is nothing on the other device to conflict with.

Now, if you had a calendar item that was sync'd already and changed the place or time on the PPC and deleted it on the PC, yes the conflict resolution would wipe it off the PPC, - if replace on device was selected.

I wish I could give you an answer as to why what happened did, but all I can suggest is that it was an anomaly caused be the upgrade to a radically different AS and the resync of a previously partnered item.

All I could suggest for others is to do a good sync before upgrading, delete partnerships, Upgrade, and establish new partnerships, letting the desktop overwrite the PPC for that initial population.

You are correct that you do not have access to options until that device is connected in AS4, though you did in AS 3. That is a bit disconcerting for WM2003 devices as you have to be sync'd before you can change what you wish to have sync'd. In WM5 though it is not as big an issue as you have control over what you wish to sync with either partner through the AS interface on the device itself.

[Brad Adrian]

...you have to be sync'd before you can change what you wish to have sync'd. In WM5 though it is not as big an issue...
Yeah, I've wondered where that little gem of code came from. Even though you're supposed to be able to select/deselect items on the device, when I've had synch errors that ability is often greyed out.

I recently had horrible time synching, with errors every time. Of course, I hadn't turned on logging, so I had no clue what the glich was. It turns out that I had some demo software installed that had expired and it kept anonymously choking Activesync. So, it always pays to check that if you're having consistent problems.