Tag Archives: activesync

ActiveSync not working

By my latest synchronization last night, I think Exchange ActiveSync to Live Mail is not working. Well, partly because the e-mail still works fine.

The problem is, the main thing I used ActiveSync is not for the e-mail (I rarely had any) but for the contact and calendar sync. If that doesn’t work, there’s not much reason to use it from the first place.

I’m thinking of doing another full synchronization, but if that actually failed, then I would be left with a blank address book, which is not fun at all. Not to mention even if it’s successful I’d still be left with doing lots of contacts merging with duplicates from other IM accounts.

At least, the error notification

When using the N900, one of the annoying thing I regularly get is the ActiveSync error. There are message about error connecting to the server or something like that, but on observation the mail and calendar is already synchronized. Contacts in the other hand… too much to check.

Anyway, it’s just me, but the error notification in the notification area is like a sore thumb and it won’t disappear until a successful synchronization is made, which could be god knows when.

Until lately, I could synchronized just the mail part from the mail application and it usually succeed (which probably means either I had too much data, or something with the contacts). When this one succeed, the notification is gone.

This doesn’t actually fix the real problem though. I think I read somewhere that having merged or duplicated contact in some way in the device could contribute to such synchronization errors.

Windows Live ActiveSync

Server name: m.hotmail.com
SSL: Enabled
User name: [Windows Live user name]
Password: [Windows Live password]
Domain:

And thus… the setting for Windows Live Mail’s ActiveSync as leaked out to websites like LiveSide not a long time ago.

Personally, a very helpful feature because 1) Windows Live client for phones are slow to update with needed feature, even on Microsoft’s own OS. In the other hand, they seem to show more love to the more user crowded platform though.

2) Lack of love would be given to other not really popular platform, such as Maemo 5 I’m currently using right now. Android too didn’t seem to have 1st party client (but I think they have 3rd party client). Having a generally implemented think like IMAP and ActiveSync is really helpful to free us from limited choice when needing specific feature.

This feature enable us to synchronize not just mail, but also calendar and contact list to the phone.

Been using this feature for a while and although not perfect, it managed to help me with one of the main purpose I need it. To synchronized my online address book in Windows Live to my phone. No need to keep both place on sync manually anymore.

Parts that I’m not satisfied though, is…

  • Contact picture is not synchronized. Albeit a lot of my contacts don’t have it, but since Facebook connect is implemented, my contact book is not so void of colours anymore.
  • Calendar only synchronize the main online calendar. I had most of my day out plan in Mixin so my contact list remains empty.
  • Older mail item seems to disappear. Failed synchronization perhaps.
  • Synchronization often fails, requiring me to repeat the process again and again. Probably internet connection and server load problem.