Last fall, Microsoft released the latest update for ActiveSync version 4.1. This article looks at some of the common problems that users have experienced with ActiveSync 4.1 and Windows Mobile 5.0 devices, and some of the solutions they've discovered. I keep an up-to-date list of these problems and solutions on my ActiveSync 4.x Troubleshooting Guide (http://www.pocketpcfaq.com/faqs/activesync/tshoot-as4x.htm). This online resource covers this topic in more detail.
If you have a Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition or earlier device and do not own a Windows Mobile 5.0 device, I suggest that you stick with ActiveSync 3.8. ActiveSync 4.1 does not add any significant features that pre-WM5 devices can take advantage of.
Device detection: Install ActiveSync before connecting!
One of the common mistakes that users make is to connect their Windows Mobile device to their PC's USB port before installing ActiveSync. If you do this, your PC will have a problem "seeing" the Windows Mobile device (i.e., sensing that the device has been connected.) If you have done this, then you can fix it by installing ActiveSync. Then, plug in your device and open the Device Manager (Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager). There you will see an unknown device. Go ahead and delete the unknown device. Then unplug the device. Now go ahead and plug in the device and it should be detected correctly by ActiveSync.
Firewall conflicts: Add ActiveSync to "exceptions" list
One of the most common user issues is with software firewalls installed on your PC. ActiveSync uses TCP/IP to communicate with your Windows Mobile 5.0 device. So a software firewall can prevent you from synchronizing. Microsoft has created an online "ActiveSync 4.0/4.1 USB Connection Troubleshooting Guide" with instructions on how to add ActiveSync to the "exceptions lists" of a number of common firewalls (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/help/activesync/default.mspx). Links to these instructions are in the "Desktop Firewall Applications" section.
If your firewall software is not mentioned in the section mentioned above, consult your firewall application documentation on how to add ActiveSync application to the exception list. You'll need the following information:
- ActiveSync uses the following programs: WCESCOMM.EXE, WCESMGR.EXE, RAPIMGR.EXE, and CEAPPMGR.EXE.
- ActiveSync uses the following TCP and UDP ports (this information may change in future releases of ActiveSync):
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