Big Deal by Angus Kidman

Industry veteran Angus Kidman casts his cynical eye over what passes for news in the world of ICT. He exposes the deep disconnect between what vendors claim is the next big thing and what IT managers are really looking for to help them do their job. This often bitter and twisted rant comes to you courtesy of ZDNet Australia and any venue game enough to host Kidman during his extensive travels.

28Apr 06

ActiveSync: why is it so awful?

Posted by Angus Kidman @ 14:09 29 comments

As a user of Microsoft's ActiveSync for some years, I've always viewed it as an essential but utterly shoddy piece of software...

It's essential because I need it to sync my Outlook data with my portable device; it's shoddy because it regularly hangs, crashes and misaligns that data for no apparent reason.

I had hoped these issues might have been finally resolved by shifting to a more recent device. I've long been using a PDA from Toshiba -- who ditched that market some time ago -- which is running an older version of the Pocket PC operating system.

However, testing an O2 XDA Atom, running Microsoft's much-hyped Windows 5.0, I've run into all the same problems plus a whole batch of new ones.

Indeed, it took me several attempts just to get the device to sync to Outlook on my desktop, and ActiveSync was, unsurprisingly, the main culprit -- the Atom itself works very nicely so far otherwise.

The selling point for Windows Mobile devices is supposed to be easy integration with desktop Windows platforms.

To my mind, easy integration is not defined by any of the following:

An online troubleshooter that can't download its own graphics correctly.
An inability to deal with any kind of firewall software.
Having to spend 40 minutes upgrading ActiveSync with the usual compulsory reboot rubbish.
Watching Windows try and install the same device as "new" three times in a row.
Displaying a synchronisation screen with absolutely no indication of progress.

A quick roam over the Web suggests that I could actually be suffering from even more problems -- getting ActiveSync to work with any kind of direct USB connection seems to be more a matter of good luck than good management.

That said, knowing I'm not alone doesn't make the endless waiting any easier.

Microsoft has always been something of an also-ran in the mobile arena, overtaking Palm just in time to see BlackBerry grab all the enterprise mindshare.

If Bill Gates and company are even vaguely serious about this space, though, the software is going to have to actually work out of the box, not after hours of tinkering.

Talkback 29 comments

Couldn't agree more http://andyhoward.id.au -- 29/04/06 (in reply to #120133564)

I couldn't agree more Angus, thankfully I only my O2 XDA with Windows for my day job. There's no way I'd ever be using this setup for my personal organisation and communication, it's way too unreliable.

Absolutely Anonymous -- 01/05/06

I couldn't agree more. I too have an O2 Atom and I'm frustrated how unbearably slow it takes to synchronise my items.

GPRs John -- 01/05/06 (in reply to #120133686)

I do it over GPRS and it was a dream to configure, no more than 10 minutes. Works all the time and in every location locally and internationally

no longer available! Anonymous -- 04/02/08 (in reply to #120133704)

And yes, MS have removed this one working feature from WM2005! Nice!
I bet their manager has pointy hair.

Not my experience Jordan Green -- 02/05/06

I have to say that while Microsoft has many targets worthy of criticism, ActiveSync has not been, in my experience, one of the culprits.

I have been syncing several times a day my Win2K desktop and iPaq running PocketPC 2003 routinely via a USB cradle for over three years. Never the problems you describe.

I would like it if it were smarter and more versatile so that I had more control over the time and bandwidth it consumes during synching. I'd also like a better protocol for deciding on which data has authority rather than just the blanket answer always the PDA or always the desktop.

Huh? Anonymous -- 03/05/06 (in reply to #120133785)

I've been using ActiveSync for years. It works very well for me.

I've had various W2k and WinXP PCs and laptops in that time. I've had Compaq iPAQs then iMate Smartphones (in fact, I've given up on Nokia phones after half-a-dozen models over many, many years, because ActiveSync and an iMate phone is vastly superior if you use Outlook).

This article is just wrong. 'No status bar'? Yes there is! (leave your desk for a day and then sync emails - it's fast, but you'll see the status bar. USB problems? Just plug it in, and start working.

My main criticism of ActiveSync is that there are too many minor releases. I dutifully upgrade, and it all seems to be the same as it was before the upgrade - it's just a waste of the 2 or 3 minutes I spent downloading and installing.

REplies Ivanka marenjak -- 25/01/08 (in reply to #120133823)

I agree with Activesynch 3.8, never had a problem with it. But with ActiveSynch 4.5, having alot of issues with it, not in a LAN environment, but when on a broadband environment, and there is no outlook configured, then it fails to connect.
I need to find a way to resolve this.

When i SSL into my work network, this is where the problem arises. If i manage to get on because i have outlook mail configured and If i disconnect active synch 4.5, i need to log out of SSL, re-synch my device and then log into SSL.

Problem here is i have a symbol mc35, and if it stays connected via USB coninueously the PC drains the battery completely as it has OS5 on it and its very powerful.

Regards Ivanka.

AS 4.xx Anonymous -- 02/05/06

I've seldom had problems with AS, though syncing via WiFi leaves a lot to be desired and BT setup is a real pain.

Reliability wise this program is top notch; Try a syncing a Backberry device and you will know what i mean.

synce Anonymous -- 03/05/06

The linux option is slowly making its way forward:

http://synce.sourceforge.net/

Unfortunately, they recieve little help from the manufacturers and so even tho I own an iPaq I'm not using it as well as I could. I refuse to be forced into using Outlook.

Agree totally Anonymous -- 03/05/06

Had an xda IIi and it would not sync after Windows was running for more than a few hours without having to reboot. I have given up on the pda altogether. On top of this the phone component would sometimes crash and not pick up calls or in most cases I would miss calls due to the OS not kicking in for the first 3-4 rings. The phone would ring once then go to voice mail. grrrrr

Two things... Anonymous -- 05/05/06

First, I've lost count of the number of times I've discovered that the synch has deleted contacts and Notes when trying to keep two pcs synched with the phone as per the instructions. It works happily then voompah! Fred Nurk is history, as is the note that contains the IP Address i desperately need off site.

Secondly, trying to sort out the other issues of ActiveSync's interoperability with Outlook and it's plugins. The main one being that it kicks off a (sort of) session of Outlook in the background if Outlook isn't already running, or keeps it open in the background when you close Outlook if you are connected to an exchange server. These sessions don't let the plugins behave properly which means that you can only connect or disconnect the phone while outlook is running. At least the Blackberry tool does the sync with your exchange mailbox by itself without having to bother with Outlook.

This second point is no big problem unless you have other software that relies on Outlook opening and closing properly to start and stop the addins for things such as VOIP voicemail integration or document management system integrations.

Two more things Anonymous -- 20/05/06 (in reply to #120133943)

I use active sync and it works very well, however, I do have some expectations. One of these expectations is that it will fail at some point, usually when I least want it to. This is not unreasonable, it is a Microsoft product after all, they have a history of such 'happenings' spanning decades now. So do you blindly trust all your info to sync between machines without a problem ? Or do you have a contingency?
Back the PDA up, use the utility it has and run it regularly. Do whatever you must in order to backtrack to a point in time when it was working, both PC and PDA. The technology is NEVER clever enough NEVER to go wrong.The other point is that I use Lotus Notes and so have to use something called Easysync Pro which is another link in the chain. So it can go belly up more often and is less robust. Using this technology is great, it is very useful, but it should have a bigger warning on the packet !

ActiveSync: why is it so awful? Spagman -- 05/05/06

HUH? I'm running activesync on my xp box and have had no problems, EVER with my XDA Mini II syncing with my Outlook.

I repeat... no problems EVER!

Active Sync ralph -- 05/05/06

i was using as with the i-mate sp2. got rid of both as i got sick of the updates, crashes and inconsistencies. the last straw was that - after wasting hours upgrading both phone and as - the phone went awol when entering text. e.g. would not stop repeating a character until the display was full of said letter. tried all the resets, re-upgrades etc, over 2 hours wasted. best bit was that after three on-line chats with i-mate 'support' techs nothing was fixed and in fact, the last two just disconnected me. now i have a wonderful n70 and abs. no problems with syncing to outlook. having said that, outlook - after upgrading to 2003, now has multiplicated all personal folders and business folders 5 times... next step, get rid of outlook. i've taken the first step and bought achieve planner after checking out zdnet downloads. excellent tool.

Worked first time Anonymous -- 06/05/06

My O2Mini and Active Sync has worked first time. Can't say much good about Optus GPRS email though.

ActiveSync..........eeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrr Anonymous -- 09/05/06

You will love this one..my wonderful activesync...made not only my desk top...crash ..back to year dot...it made all my lap top setting go nuts....is there any help out there!!!is there a substitute that works??????????

sync drew -- 13/05/06 (in reply to #120134106)

l have used https://www.alwaysonmail.com/ and it works well for mail and calendar.. and contacts.. works with my lotus notes

We use with Kerio Greg -- 15/05/06

We use Kerio Mail Server in our office (which is terrific) and Outlook with the Kerio Outlook Connector for the clients. Some users have PalmPilots and others PocketPC�s and they update their Calendars with ActiveSync. Seems to work fine around 70% of the time. The 30% is a living hell to fix.

Issues I�ve found: just sporadically stops sync�ing; just sync�s one way; even worse � all the calendar entries completely disappear on either the workstation, the handheld, or both!

TechNet references are largely deficient; Kerio�s support site is much better, but still not enough answers to address the gamut of issue with this little �joy�.

Has anyone else found that it�s a bit of a trick to actually completely remove ActiveSync? There are registry entries and sync files all over the shop to remove.

I plead with the users not to use it but they want it so I got to support it. That�s the job isn�t it. As much as I normally enjoy my job, sometimes I hate it, having to bear responsibility for someone else�s god-awful software that I didn�t even recommend bringing in in the first place.

Thanks Bill.

ActiveSynch Anonymous -- 20/05/06

Spot on. This is the first time I am trying to use e-mail etc. on a mobile device and was not pleased at all with the experience.

None of the connection methods ie. Bluetooth, IR, USB worked. I was just about to give up when I tried to synch over GPRS and guess what - it worked. It is just about the only way it works now. Now I need to sort out synching via GPRS while roaming.

I concur with the sentiments of the author completely.

ActiveSync Is A Total PIG jon minee -- 22/05/06

And I thought it was just me. Like so many of the thousands of hours of my time Microsoft has wasted, ActiveSync is no exception. And tothink I was the only one. Painful shoddy workmanship again Microsoft

ActiveSync: why is it so awful? Ross -- 23/05/06

I have been using Active Sync for 6 months syncing Outlook at both home (calendar) and work (calendar & mail). I use Windows Mobile 5.0 on an HTC Apache PDA CDMA EVDO phone. It's never put a foot wrong, logs on through the work firwall in a second and does the sync in 10 secs, every time.

Lucky? Good management? Anonymous -- 23/05/06

Hey all - have had the XDA 11s for about 11 months. ActiveSync works a treat. XDA is fairly robust as long as you don't overwork it. Does also need a reboot once in a while. Could it be a better product - yes. Does it suit my needs - yep - beats taking a notebook with me as I use the word/excel/ppt programs as well as emails quite successfully.

Sounds like someone determined to be upset Brian Inca -- 26/05/06

Geez, I've been using ActiveSync since 2002, am on my 4th CE device (2xIpaq's, Asus 730, Dell X50v, all of which still function fine), and had been through 2 Palm's previously (IIIXe and a IIIc). Compared to Palm Destkop, ActiveSynch rules. I've had far fewer support issues after switching users to CE/AS devices than I had with Palms (III and V). Sounds like a slow column day needs a M$ bash-fest to get some traffic.

100 % gosple Anonymous -- 10/01/07

Amen, Angus !
I couldn't agree more.
I too have an O2 Atom and I'm frustrated how unbearably slow it takes to synchronise my items.
Not effective at all and hopeless at best.
I waited 45mins to SYNC and with no result :(
Thanks for nothing Microsoft

microsoft activesync Anonymous -- 19/05/07

Just upgraded to activsync 4.5 as 4.2 would not sync properly.
I use an SPV phone M3000 (QTEK)
Activesync took four hours to sync 1200 contacts which were mainly already in the portable.
When I make ONE minor change it tries to synch th entire 1200 entries again; just another cople of hours! Pathetic but how can you configure it?
I use Norton Symantec virus/firewall and maybe that is causing the problem as I jst paid goo dmoney to upgrade it as well!

Active Sync 4.5 problems Anonymous -- 27/08/07

I completely agree. I have updated to the XDA Atom and active sync 4.5. I have had no end of problems. You can tell the application is badly written, takes too long to synchronize and hangs far too often. It is a piece of rubbish and typical of Microsoft half hearted applications. Can someone develop a better utlity please ... and quickly.

Activesynch 4.5 problem with outlook2002 Ivanka Marenjak -- 10/10/07

I have the Symbol MC35 which active synch's on my laptop successfully, at work LAN, at home on ADSL, AS A GUEST. There is no need for a partnership. All i need is to browse files on device and use my work VPN-SSL activity to fresh a inhouse program.

YET, i have a WINXP PC i have build has Outlook 2002, no exchange account configured.

When connected on the work LAN, I can automatically synch the symbol MC35 to the PC, and use its connectivity to see data on my company network using the inhouse app.

But when i connect from home on ADSL, VPN-SSL into my company network choosing net connect, it works OK, yet when i choose i a privately only home PC, it will not connect.

When i run a check, it seems to want to setup an exchange account, and this is not what is required on this PC.

Anyone know how to successfully synch on 4.5 with a Symbol MC35 via ADSL and outlook2002.

Regards Ivanka.

Unhappy Long Time Active Sync User Vincent Brown -- 25/02/08

For those of you who haven't encountered problems YET with Active Sync...
I've been using Active Sync and Pocket PCs now since about 2001 or so. Trust me, Active Sync has many problems and over the years, Microsoft basically ignores the problems or adds to them.
This is also pretty much true for the Pocket PC/Windows Mobile operating system too.
as one example among many, how many more years will it take them to respond to customers demand for an 'X' button that terminates a program instead of just minimizing it and leaving it open to hog memory. To actually terminate a program, you have to click start, settings, system, memory, and then finally running programs. This pulls up the equivalent of 'Ctrl-Alt-Delete' where you can view all the programs running you thought you'd already closed and actually close them.
The other option is to spend additional money to buy a third-party program from another company that supplies the missing feature, such as (in this case) magic button.
Or if you want to sync files on your storage card, a separate program for that, etc etc etc.
Microsoft, on the small chance that your pointy haired bosses are reading this, if you don't start paying more attention to adding features and fixing ongoing problems with Active Sync and the Windows Mobile/PocketPC operating systems, people will stop buying them.
When a company keeps ignoring the same problems for this many years, that really says something to me.
For the end user thats a lot more likely to read this, we're basically left with helping each other on forums to help each other make our phones and PDAs work and third party software by independant companies who do pay attention to what people want.
Our other option is to buy Palm, I-phones, blackberrys, etc the next time around and give Microsoft the middle finger.

active sync with WM6 no better Anonymous -- 29/04/08

AS forces outlook.exe to remain open even after closing outlook. This forces outlook to investigate all the pst files for errors on next start. Major annoyance!
Uninstalled AS and the error was gone.

Totally shoddy software - seconded!

Angus Kidman

1) Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB	34 plans	8%
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3) Sony Ericsson mobile phones	4%
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5) Blackberry mobile phones	3%

Big Deal by Angus Kidman

ActiveSync: why is it so awful?

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Talkback 29 comments

Couldn't agree more http://andyhoward.id.au -- 29/04/06 (in reply to #120133564)

Absolutely Anonymous -- 01/05/06

GPRs John -- 01/05/06 (in reply to #120133686)

no longer available! Anonymous -- 04/02/08 (in reply to #120133704)

Not my experience Jordan Green -- 02/05/06

Huh? Anonymous -- 03/05/06 (in reply to #120133785)

REplies Ivanka marenjak -- 25/01/08 (in reply to #120133823)

AS 4.xx Anonymous -- 02/05/06

synce Anonymous -- 03/05/06

Agree totally Anonymous -- 03/05/06

Two things... Anonymous -- 05/05/06

Two more things Anonymous -- 20/05/06 (in reply to #120133943)

ActiveSync: why is it so awful? Spagman -- 05/05/06

Active Sync ralph -- 05/05/06

Worked first time Anonymous -- 06/05/06

ActiveSync..........eeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrr Anonymous -- 09/05/06

sync drew -- 13/05/06 (in reply to #120134106)

We use with Kerio Greg -- 15/05/06

ActiveSynch Anonymous -- 20/05/06

ActiveSync Is A Total PIG jon minee -- 22/05/06

ActiveSync: why is it so awful? Ross -- 23/05/06

Lucky? Good management? Anonymous -- 23/05/06

Sounds like someone determined to be upset Brian Inca -- 26/05/06

100 % gosple Anonymous -- 10/01/07

microsoft activesync Anonymous -- 19/05/07

Active Sync 4.5 problems Anonymous -- 27/08/07

Activesynch 4.5 problem with outlook2002 Ivanka Marenjak -- 10/10/07

Unhappy Long Time Active Sync User Vincent Brown -- 25/02/08

active sync with WM6 no better Anonymous -- 29/04/08

Angus Kidman

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