ActiveSync 4.2 Released

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/downloads/activesync42.mspx">http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/downloads/activesync42.mspx</a><br /><br />Microsoft has released ActiveSync 4.2 for Windows Mobile 5 devices. While it will work with Windows Mobile 2002, 2003 and 2003SE clients, I don't recommend you upgrade unless you have a WM5 device as 4.x removes your ability to remote sync via the network, either via WiFi or over the internet. The fixes include:<br /><br />• Resolves issues relating to error code 85010014.<br />• Proxy/DTPT interaction Improvements: Improved auto configuration of device Connection Manager settings when desktop has no proxy path to the internet.<br />• Improved Desktop Pass Thru behavior with ISA proxy failures.<br />• Partnership improvements: Better resolution of multiple devices with the same name syncing with the same desktop.<br />• Connectivity Improvements: Better handling of VPN clients (resolve unbinding of protocols from our RNDIS adapter). New auto detection of connectivity failure with user diagnostic alerts.<br /><br />It is a 7MB download.

[ipaq_wannabe]

still not able to turn on "manual sync"...?

[jalex]

Well, I guess I really was born under a lucky star. Monday I removed a bunch of extraneous junk from my Dell laptop (AOL, earthlink trial, netzero trial, Norton, etc.) and got the dreaded 85010014 error of doom!

After much pain and frustration, and just before I threw my laptop through the nearest window, MS release this little puppy ... and guess what! I'm all working perfectly again!

[haesslich]

This doesn't appear to be fixing my issue with the USB Sync problem - it still stops recognizing the PDA after about a minute. :P

Go go ActiveStink. :P

[Jason Lee]

Works perfect for me... of course so did the last version.

[haesslich]

Works perfect for me... of course so did the last version.

I still don't know why it's doing this to me, despite a complete reformat of Windows, and even replacement of hard drives and motherboard. :P

[rookcnu]

For those of us who are not in the know,... can you explain to me what you mean by "Better handling of VPN clients"?

I use a VPN client on my laptop when I am out of town and connect back to my office PC. Are you saying that I could sync my Pocket PC with my office computer while out of town using the VPN client on my laptop?

Or, are you saying that the Pocket PC is using a VPN client to connect with something? If this is the case, can you let me know what VPN clients are available for my Cingular 8125 running Windows Mobile 5? Because I have been trying to find one that will work for me.

Thanks!

[Janak Parekh]

I still don't know why it's doing this to me, despite a complete reformat of Windows, and even replacement of hard drives and motherboard. :P
If you haven't tried a hard reset of the Pocket PC, then you might want to try that. Otherwise, it sounds like a hardware issue. Have you gotten it reliably syncing on any PC ever?

--janak

[Janak Parekh]

For those of us who are not in the know,... can you explain to me what you mean by "Better handling of VPN clients"?
If I understand correctly, it's a lot less exciting than you think. ActiveSync 4.x uses 169.254.*-based IP connections between the Pocket PC and the desktop. Many VPN clients shut down access to any IPs except the VPNed network, and this would break AS functionality. I'm not sure how MS would have worked around this, but I'd assume this is a functionality MS has improved, although do note network sync has not returned to AS 4.2, even over a VPN.

--janak

[haesslich]

I still don't know why it's doing this to me, despite a complete reformat of Windows, and even replacement of hard drives and motherboard. :P
If you haven't tried a hard reset of the Pocket PC, then you might want to try that. Otherwise, it sounds like a hardware issue. Have you gotten it reliably syncing on any PC ever?

--janak

Did the hard reset too, and I've only got one PC to work with, unless you count the complete MB swap and Windows reinstall (to a new hard drive) as a second PC. It'll connect fine the first time, but then you have to reboot to get it to connect again. Or if you leave it alone for about 20 minutes, that also causes it to go away - and I can't find any sort of 'timeout' feature in Activesync's options. This is with it in the cradle, too - so it's got AC power, and is set NOT to auto-shutdown while on External Power.

Another fine MS product. :P

[servoisgod]

This doesn't appear to be fixing my issue with the USB Sync problem - it still stops recognizing the PDA after about a minute. :P

Go go ActiveStink. :P

This is typical for when some other software is installed that interferes with the synchronization. Like old Palm Hotsync software or anything else that touches the USB. I see this all the time from our users here at work.

Aaron

[Janak Parekh]

Another fine MS product. :P
As servoisgod implies, I don't think we have enough data to pin this on MS yet. If you do have a chance, I'd suggest you plug it into someone else's machine just to see. I can say that I've never had this problem.

By the way, do you use any 3rd-party firewalls?

--janak

[haesslich]

Already thought of the third-party firewalls - none are in use anymore after the reformat and reinstall of Windows. And given this is directly connected to the PC, routers shouldn't be a problem - I also don't have any other third-party sync software, as I've never had a Palm on this computer.. or the last one, for that matter. ActiveSync WORKS... on first boot... for a minute or three, then times out if left connected too long. Afterwards, you can't synchronize via BlueTooth, IR, or USB; it just fails to detect the device, even though ActiveSync on the PocketPC sees a connection - but cannot sync. I'll check the Network Adapters properties to see if there's some sort of timeout feature in there.

Edit: Just checked the properties for the Windows Mobile device under Network Adapters - no timeout feature is mentioned in there in the Advanced properties. Rebooting fixes the issue... at least temporarily, so I can actually install software for the few minutes it works. I don't dare run ROM updates because of this issue; having the connection cut out during a ROM update's pretty much guarantees a brick, IIRC. I'll try another PC to see if it also has this issue, but I suspect it MAY not; this sort of thing seems to happen on some machines, but not others - which is a little infuriating, given that some applications don't have nice CAB installers to use.

[bkerrins]

Finally I'm able to sync again! It's been months because I installed 4.1 when it was set up for WM2003SE. I read that I could install 3.8 again and change my registry...but I'm not skilled enough to reset my registry and kill off a bunch of important things :) (Someone mentioned the USB problem and I bet it has to do with their registry keys.)

[DaViD_BRaNDoN]

Do we need to uninstall previous version (AS4.1) before proceeding with the AS4.2 installation? Also, will the existing partnership works if we were to install over the previous version?

[Jason Lee]

Do we need to uninstall previous version (AS4.1) before proceeding with the AS4.2 installation? Also, will the existing partnership works if we were to install over the previous version?

I installed right over the top of 4.1. It told me it was going to upgrade AS and i clicked ok. :)

[haesslich]

Do we need to uninstall previous version (AS4.1) before proceeding with the AS4.2 installation? Also, will the existing partnership works if we were to install over the previous version?

I installed right over the top of 4.1. It told me it was going to upgrade AS and i clicked ok. :)

Same - the main improvement with 4.2 was that I -COULD- sync with the PDA after the upgrade, keeping the existing relationships; before that, 4.1 wouldn't even detect the PDA after it was installed the first time... and subsequent reboots didn't fix that issue. In some ways, you could call AS 4.2 an upgrade which actually fixed problems.

On the downside, I did find that after 20 minutes, after first installing it, AS lost the PDA again. But it did redetect after a reboot, although killing all the AS proccesses and restarting AS didnt' let it redetect the device.

[yardcat]

When I went to MS website to download 4.2, under system requirements says: Microsoft® Outlook® 2000, Microsoft® Outlook® XP, or Microsoft® Outlook® 2003 messaging and collaboration clients required for synchronization to the desktop or portable computer of e-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes. (Outlook 2003 is recommended).

No mention of Outlook 2002, which came with my N560. Can one assume that these requirements are for marketing purposes and I am safe to use 4.2 with Outlook 2002 ? yardcat.

[Mark Kenepp]

No mention of Outlook 2002, which came with my N560. Can one assume that these requirements are for marketing purposes and I am safe to use 4.2 with Outlook 2002 ? yardcat.

Outlook 2002 is Outlook XP. I have Office XP and when I look at the about window in Outlook, it says Outlook 2002.

I just ordered a N560 through Clove a few days ago. Can't wait until it arrives.

[yardcat]

Thanks Mark,

Just curious, will most current WM5 devices come with this outlook XP? My previous 700W Trio, and my N560, I now believe both these came with "Outlook 2002" on the installation CD. AKA Outlook XP. - yardcat

[Darius Wey]

Just curious, will most current WM5 devices come with this outlook XP? My previous 700W Trio, and my N560, I now believe both these came with "Outlook 2002" on the installation CD. AKA Outlook XP. - yardcat

Yes, they tend to come with Outlook 2002 on the installation CD, not the latest Outlook 2003.