07-16-2007, 12:00 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Using Windows Live Messenger Mobile on Windows Mobile 6? Be Careful!
http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=3985
I have been using Messenger on my Pocket PC since 2002 when it was first released. It has always been an acceptable client, though not a great one. Things like emoticons never worked, and contact listings were downloaded each time - a lengthy process if you had a lot and were on GPRS - and were not sorted by categories as they were on the desktop. Still, it was more than functional.
Windows Mobile Messenger for WM6 fixed a few of these issues. Emoticons work, contacts are stored on the device and they are grouped now. However, while the ideas are great, the implementation is less than stellar. First of all, contacts in WML are sync'd to your contact database. So, if you have Joe Smith in your Outlook contacts and also in Messenger, you'll now have two "Joe Smith's" in your Contact application on your Pocket PC. 8O
Second, there is no way to turn this sync off. If you answer "No" to the question of whether or not you want to sync, WML simply exits. No sync, no chat.
Third, I found after syncing, some contacts in Messenger on my desktop were gone. I assumed it had to do with my Pocket PC syncing to that database, so I immediately killed my passport userID on the device, essentially rendering Windows Live Mobile totally inert. I started hearing of others who had lost contacts as well, and many were complaining of the duplicates in their contact database. My suspicions were confirmed. WML Messenger is causing problems.
So, for the first time since Pocket PC 2002, I am not using Messenger on my device. This implementation of Messenger is two steps forward, and three steps back. The contact duplicate alone is enough to cause me to disable its use. However, my experience is nothing like that of Arne Hess! Click the link above to read his horror story in dealing with WML on his Windows Mobile 6 device.
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07-16-2007, 12:52 AM
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Mystic
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,768
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Like everyone else, I was confused at first by this feature but now appreciate it.
First, I had the problem with duplicates of my Messenger contacts and Outlook Contacts until I realized that one of my Outlook contacts was actually not duplicated but showed the online status in my Contacts window. I realized that one contact had his passport email address entered in my desktop Outlook for his MSN/IM account. I then went through my list of duplicates, deleted the new entry and put their email address in the IM space of the Outlook contact and on the next sync, the Exchange hosted Outlook contacts got pushed to my device and then my Hotmail contacts list got updated with the correct contact information. Now, everything is correct and when I browse my contact list, I get real-time online status in the Contact application on my Smartphone (and my HTC Wizard - WM6 Pro). In addition, the contacts now show status of their online status on my desktop Outlook too.
I think this could be better explained by Microsoft and a setup wizard to assist in getting things integrated like I have done... but even if you do it manually the first time, it will be great for those like me with both an Exchange based contact list and and a passport (MSN, Hotmail, etc) account to sync with using Live Messenger.
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Jonathan (JonnoB)
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." -Edmund Burke
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07-16-2007, 01:33 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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Also, while you can't prevent the Outlook contacts-Messenger contacts sync, isn't there a checkbox that says to not merge the two? That would eliminate duplicates, shouldn't it?
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07-16-2007, 02:09 AM
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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 DaleReeck
Also, while you can't prevent the Outlook contacts-Messenger contacts sync, isn't there a checkbox that says to not merge the two? That would eliminate duplicates, shouldn't it?
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Unfortunately, no. If you answer "no" to the setup wizard on syncing your contacts, it simply exits.
And contrary to Jonno's experience, it still duplicated a lot of my contacts where I had their IM address in the right field in Outlook, so I still got dupes.
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07-16-2007, 02:28 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 80
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Nuking WLM?
How do I kill the passport userID on my device, thereby rendering Windows Live Mobile totally inert? Does this disable all of the WML functionality (i.e. maps)?
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07-16-2007, 02:31 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
Quote:
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Originally Posted by DaleReeck
Also, while you can't prevent the Outlook contacts-Messenger contacts sync, isn't there a checkbox that says to not merge the two? That would eliminate duplicates, shouldn't it?
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Unfortunately, no. If you answer "no" to the setup wizard on syncing your contacts, it simply exits.
And contrary to Jonno's experience, it still duplicated a lot of my contacts where I had their IM address in the right field in Outlook, so I still got dupes. |
Granted, I'm not much an IMer, but I answered "yes" in the setup wizard, then went to Live Messenger app, Options, (2) Sync Options and unchecked under what I wanted to sync: Contacts and Messenger, Merege Duplicates with Outlook. The few contacts I have under Messenger didn't duplicate and didn't touch my Outlook entries. Unless I'm missing something 
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07-16-2007, 02:39 AM
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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 DaleReeck
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
Quote:
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Originally Posted by DaleReeck
Also, while you can't prevent the Outlook contacts-Messenger contacts sync, isn't there a checkbox that says to not merge the two? That would eliminate duplicates, shouldn't it?
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Unfortunately, no. If you answer "no" to the setup wizard on syncing your contacts, it simply exits.
And contrary to Jonno's experience, it still duplicated a lot of my contacts where I had their IM address in the right field in Outlook, so I still got dupes. |
Granted, I'm not much an IMer, but I answered "yes" in the setup wizard, then went to Live Messenger app, Options, (2) Sync Options and unchecked under what I wanted to sync: Contacts and Messenger, Merege Duplicates with Outlook. The few contacts I have under Messenger didn't duplicate and didn't touch my Outlook entries. Unless I'm missing something |
Wow. I unchecked "sync" and my account got disabled on the device, which was what I wanted.
Maybe I am not using it right. Then again, if it is this difficult to get working...
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07-16-2007, 02:55 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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For me personally, my main concern was setting up my MSN email account, which is what Live Messenger does - it configures MSN email in Pocket Outlook. You can't just create a MSN pop account in Pocket Outlook because it uses special ports (of course, thanks Microsoft) that can't be configured in Pocket Outlook like they can in desktop Outlook. So you need Live Messenger to configure Pocket Outlook.
Microsoft's reasoning behind how this whole Messenger thing works escapes me.
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07-16-2007, 04:57 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 194
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After having a mess made of my contacts, I have just moved on to Fring from www.fring.com . Worked well, joined my different IM accounts on one and even gave me voice communication.
Won't be going back, since this is a free software like the live messenger.
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07-16-2007, 12:43 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 heliod
After having a mess made of my contacts, I have just moved on to Fring from www.fring.com . Worked well, joined my different IM accounts on one and even gave me voice communication. |
But you have to give them your cell phone number? No thanks. 
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