How to sync your Windows Mobile device to a Windows Vista PC
November 22nd, 2007 by Ross McKillop |
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This article will take you through the steps to set up and sync your Windows Mobile device with a PC running Windows Vista.
Before you get too far into it, make sure that you meet the following requirements:
System Requirements
Microsoft Outlook 2003 or Microsoft Outlook 2007 are required for synchronization of e-mail, contacts, tasks and notes to your PC.
Supported Devices
As long as you have one of the above mentioned versions of Vista, and a mobile device/PDA running one of the above listed operating systems, you should have no problem setting everything up.
Setting Up the Windows Mobile Device Center in Vista
- When you plug your Windows Mobile device into a PC running Vista for the first time, you should be notified the device drivers are being installed, and eventually a window similar to the screenshot below will pop up. Just close this window if it appears.
- Navigate to your Control Panel and double-click the Windows Mobile Device Center icon. If it’s not there, don’t worry - just skip down to step 4.
- When opened, you can set a couple (not many) of the Windows Mobile device connection settings. Make sure at least one of the connection methods is enabled.
If you’re not presented with the window below (Connection Settings), scroll down and see if the window similar to the one in step 6 is displayed. If it is, that means you have the full Windows Mobile Device Center already installed, and can continue on at step 6.
- In order to sync your email, notes and calendar from Outlook, you’ll want to download Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 for Windows Vista. Save the file to your desktop (or any folder) and once the download has completed, run it.
- Follow the few installation steps (which mostly consist of clicking ‘Next’ a few times).
- Now go back to the Control Panel and double-click on the Windows Mobile Device Center. Make sure your Windows Mobile device is plugged in and the status is set to Connected. Click the Set up your device button.
- Select the elements you want to sync to your mobile device and then click Next.
- Give your device a name, and if you want to quickly access the Windows Mobile Device Center from your desktop, leave the Create a shortcut option selected. Click Set Up to continue.
- Your mobile device and PC will now start to synchronize.
- And once completed, you’ll be presented with the Device Center ‘home’ screen.
- You’ll know when your device is synchronizing by the small ‘green arrows’ system tray icon (very similar to the Active Sync icon you may have seen/used in previous versions of Windows).
- From the Windows Mobile Device Center ‘home’ screen you can change your device settings, upload and download files to/from your device etc. Select the Change content sync settings in the Mobile Device Settings window.
- Below you’ll see the options for changing the sync settings. Select the Sync Settings link in the E-mail section.
- From here you can customize exactly how you want your email to be synchronized. Make any changes you wish, and then click the Save button.
- Repeat step 13 but choose the Calendar settings. Again, make any changes you deem appropriate.
- Clicking Save will make the changes immediately.
11 Responses to “How to sync your Windows Mobile device to a Windows Vista PC”
By Victor on Nov 22, 2007 | Reply
I can’t stand microsoft products anymore.. In my opinion Microsoft Office is the only thing that they did well..
I got impressed by the new mac os x Leopard…And thats why I moved to apple’s OS..
You should do what this mac ad says: give up on vista!
weshow.com/us/p/24256/apples_ad_dont_give_up_on_vista
Apple FTW!
By Lily on Dec 6, 2007 | Reply
This article is a Godsend. Maybe you can share it with Microsoft so they can publish it in their help system. I wouldn’t have been able to perform this task without it. Thank you!
By Ross McKillop on Dec 6, 2007 | Reply
@Lily -
Wow thanks for the cool compliment. I’m glad it helped someone.
I actually kinda prefer this new interface to ActiveSync, once you get used to it.
By John Pardoe on Dec 11, 2007 | Reply
@Lily
Let me add my thanks. I’ve been going round in circles wondering why I can’t sync and searching microsoft (some hopes!) and elsewhere for some basic straightforward instructions. Thanks for a very clear presentation - exactly what we’ve become used to NOT expecting from Microsoft.
By Inder on Dec 21, 2007 | Reply
Thanks for the article. Key thing to remember is that you have to have Outlook 2003 or better to synchronize with Vista. I was trying to synch with my old Office 2000 suite and was having trouble. This article solved the mystery. Thanks!!
By Catherine on Apr 15, 2008 | Reply
good outline. I found all these things previously and completed them all except …
Your list at the start says you can link notes but notes is not an option in the elements list. How do you link notes?
By Pamela on Apr 27, 2008 | Reply
I spent all day trying to get rid of using Outlook 2003 as a “pass-through” for both my BlackJack II and Blackberry 8200; I got too frustrated with the Windows Device Manager.
It took forever to start up and it only worked intermittently.
By sandra on May 8, 2008 | Reply
thanks for the manual how to sync a smartphone with the Windows Mobile Device Center.
Unfortunately i’m not allowed to install in the office
does anybody knows another possibility to sync a mobile (outlook calendar and contacts only) with vista?
thanks in advance
By Pamela on May 8, 2008 | Reply
I finally found a program called “OggSync” for my Google Calendar…
http://www.oggsync.com
Works like a charm! (Except for the duplicates which Google creates…makes me mad that Google can’t do recurring appts!)
Does auto sync…
As far as my Outlook Calendar…I just have to use the Active Sync on my BlackJack II and pray it works…I hold my breath every few days when I have 1 1/2 hours to “waste”…