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.
