Understanding Common Outlook Sync Questions/Problems
There is no shortage of questions posed related to syncing mobiles devices (or other software programs) with Microsoft Outlook. While this article essentially addresses the same problem as in the <Understanding Outlook addin problems after upgrading> article, it is being addressed separately purely because of the sheer number of times “sync” issues are asked in the Outlook forum.
The most common of these are along the general lines of:
- How do I sync my <devicename> with Outlook?
- What settings do need to set in Outlook in order to do ???
- My <devicename> no longer syncs contacts correctly?
- My Outlook data is completely messed up after syncing with <devicename> – how do I fix this
- Upgraded to Outlook ’2013 – why won’t my <devicename> sync anymore?
etc etc etc
Outlook plays absolutely no part in <any> sync process with any 3rd party device / software application. There are absolutely no “sync” functions built into Outlook. The sync program uses the Outlook data file and it may or may not utilize Outlook directly via the programmatic interface but that is not the same things as Outlook playing a role in the process. The entire sync process is controlled by the sync software in use which will have been obtained in/from one of the following ways:
- Software supplied with the device
- Sync software downloaded from the vendor’s website
- Free sync software downloaded from the web
- Sync software purchased from a vendor specializing in “mobile sync’ing”
Whatever the question/problem/issue is, the first step is to contact the vendor that has created the sync software. If you do not have any sync software, contact the vendor of your device or search the web for free solutions that may exist.
The minimum information that is important to include when asking about any sync related problems to the appropriate vendor is:
- Outlook version and whether it’s 32 or 64 bit
- Type of default Outlook account in use (POP, Exchange, IMAP etc)
- Operating system and whether it’s 32 or 64 bit
- Version of the sync software in use
Category: Outlook Sync, Understanding Outlook
