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ActiveSync

{{Distinguish|Exchange ActiveSync|ActiveX}}

{{Primary sources|date=October 2010}}

{{Infobox software

| name = ActiveSync

| logo = Activesyncicon.svg

| screenshot = Activesyncnew.png

| caption = ActiveSync 4.5 on Windows XP

| developer = Microsoft

| released = {{Start date and age|1996|09|10}}

| latest release version = 4.5.5096

| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2007|02|13}}

| operating system = Windows 9x, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP

| replaced_by = Windows Mobile Device Center and Zune Software

}}

ActiveSync is a mobile data synchronization app developed by Microsoft, originally released in 1996. It synchronizes data with handheld devices and desktop computers.

Overview

ActiveSync allows a mobile device to be synchronized with either a desktop PC or a server running a compatible software product.

On desktops, ActiveSync synchronizes emails, calendar, contacts and tasks with Microsoft Outlook, along with Internet bookmarks and files. ActiveSync does not support all features of Outlook. For instance, contacts grouped into subfolders are not transferred. Only the contacts which are not in a subfolder are synchronized. In case of Exchange Server, only emails, calendar, contacts and tasks may be synchronized.

In the Windows Task Manager, the associated process is called wcescomm.exe.

ActiveSync also provides for the manual transfer of files to a mobile device, along with limited backup functionality, and the ability to install and uninstall mobile device applications.

Supported mobile devices include PDAs or smartphones running Windows Mobile, Windows CE,{{cite web

|url=http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/features/owa_mobile.mspx

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501143334/http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/features/owa_mobile.mspx

|archive-date=1 May 2008

|title=Exchange Server 2007 Support for Mobile Devices

|work=Microsoft Exchange portal

|publisher=Microsoft

|date=27 March 2007

|access-date=20 November 2012

}} BlackBerry 10 or iOS but not the older BlackBerry versions, Palm OS and Symbian platforms. Windows Phone 7 doesn't support desktop ActiveSync synchronization.{{cite web

|url=http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/how-to-sync-windows-phone-7-with-outlook

|title=How to Sync Windows Phone 7 with Outlook

|work=Pocketnow

|date=17 September 2010

|access-date=20 November 2012

|first=Adam Z.

|last=Lein

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627011711/http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/how-to-sync-windows-phone-7-with-outlook

|archive-date=27 June 2013

|url-status=dead

}}

Starting with Windows Vista, ActiveSync has been replaced with the Windows Mobile Device Center, which is included as part of the operating system.{{cite web

|url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/7/0/9/70964f31-bac7-4379-b8bf-17ef35301ace/MEDC/Windows+Mobile+Enterprise+Features+-+Derek+Snyder.pdf

|title=Windows Mobile Enterprise Features

|work=Mobile & Embedded DevCon 2006

|publisher=Microsoft

|year=2006

|first=Derek

|last=Snyder

|access-date=20 November 2012

}}{{dead link|date=September 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

Release history

{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2013}}

class="wikitable"
Version

! Operating systems

! Release date

! Major changes

1.0Windows 95

| 1996-09-10

|

  • Initial version (under name H/PC Explorer)
1.1.7077

|rowspan="3"|{{ubl|Windows 95|Windows NT 4.0}}

| 1997-03-19

|

  • NT4 support
  • Stability and compatibility fixes
  • Revised EULA
2.0

| Fall 1997

|

  • Renamed to Windows CE Services
  • Support for Windows CE 2
  • Windows CE 1 support dropped
2.1

| 1998-02

|

  • Support for Windows CE 2.1x
2.2

|rowspan="3"| {{ubl|Windows 95|Windows NT 4.0|Windows 98}}

| 1998-09

|

  • NT4 installation easier
  • 33% faster than 2.1
3.0.0.9204

| 1999-08-16

|

  • Renamed to ActiveSync
  • Faster, simplified, and vastly improved.
  • Removed the association between RAS/DUN and the Windows CE connection stack
3.1.9386

| 1999-11-24

|

  • USB synchronization and the inclusion of the AvantGo host client
  • Auto-adjusting baud rate
3.1.9439

| rowspan="2"| {{ubl|Windows 95|Windows NT 4.0|Windows 98|Windows 2000}}

| ?

|

  • Sync fixes
3.1.9587

| 2001-07-31

|

  • Added synchronisation support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2000
  • Fixes for Outlook 98 / 2000 Security updates
  • Fixed a problem with the USB sync option
3.5.1176

|rowspan="2"| {{ubl|Windows 95|Windows NT 4.0|Windows 98|Windows 2000|Windows XP}}

| 2001-08-06

|

  • Integrated support for new Windows XP and Office XP releases and Pocket PC 2002
  • Improved USB functionality, security and sync performance
  • New connection sounds
3.5.12007

| 2002-03-01

|

  • Revised high color program icon
3.6.2148

| rowspan="5"| {{ubl|Windows 95|Windows NT 4.0|Windows 98|Windows 2000|Windows XP|Windows Server 2003|Windows Home Server}}

| 2002-11

|

  • Support for the new range of Smartphone devices
  • Customary security updates and synchronisation performance improvements
  • New Get Connected Wizard
  • Improves on remote synchronisation by preventing error messages and dialogues from halting sync process
3.7.3083

| 2003-05-06

|

  • Minor updates to internal icon set
  • Corrects a discovered security flaw in ActiveSync
  • Improvements to the synchronisation wizard, other UI changes and general enhancements
  • Improvements to support forthcoming Microsoft Office 2003 release and Windows Mobile 2003
3.7.1.3244

| 2003-10-10

|

  • Improvements to USB drivers and issues related to synchronisation
  • Get Connected Wizard's interface modified slightly.
3.7.1.4034

| 2004-03-26

|

  • Fixed reported bugs with Windows Explorer and XP Firewall integration.
3.8.0.5004

| 2005-01-06

|

  • Secure functionality and provide updates for Windows XP SP2 systems
  • Performance improvements in synchronisation
  • Circumvents XP Firewall prompts that users experienced with other program versions upon first run.
  • Disables the Ethernet (LAN, Bluetooth) and RAS (Modem and WAN) connection method by default
4.0.4343

| rowspan="5"| {{ubl|Windows 2000|Windows XP|Windows Server 2003|Windows Home Server}}

| 2005

|

  • Users able to specify installation directory
  • Removal of on-personal area connectivity options from the synchronisation mix.
  • Services for connections with Microsoft SQL server are included, along with a synchronisation update for Windows Media Player 10
  • GUI refresh
4.0.4358

| 2005

|

  • Retail version included only on Windows Mobile 5 device CDs
4.1.0.4841

| 2005-11-18

|

  • Critical update
4.2.0.4876

| 2006-06-06

|

  • Microsoft Outlook improvements: Resolves issues relating to error code 85010014
  • Proxy/DTPT interaction improvements: Improved auto configuration of device Connection Manager settings when desktop has no proxy path to the Internet
  • Improved Desktop Pass Thru behavior with ISA proxy failures
  • Partnership improvements: Better resolution of multiple devices with the same name syncing with the same desktop
  • Connectivity improvements: Better handling of VPN clients (resolve unbinding of protocols from our RNDIS adapter). New auto detection of connectivity failure with user diagnostic alerts
  • New troubleshooting utility
4.5.5096

| 2007-02-13

|

  • Faster file transfer speed and photo sync via Outlook are only available for Windows Mobile 5.0 powered devices.
  • Users of Microsoft Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2 with devices running the Messaging and Security Feature Pack for Windows Mobile 5.0 will benefit from the following feature enhancements included in ActiveSync 4.5: Direct Push Technology, local device wipe, and certificate powered authentication to Microsoft Exchange.
  • Microsoft Office Outlook 2000 not supported
  • Conversion of database files for use on a mobile device is not supported
  • Conversion of font files for use on a mobile device is not supported by ActiveSync 4.5

See also

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

;Software

;Devices

;Concepts

;Protocols

{{div col end}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998357%28v=exchg.150%29.aspx Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20070416081650/http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/activesync/default.mspx Microsoft ActiveSync]

{{Windows Mobile|show=yes}}

Category:Discontinued Microsoft software

Category:Data synchronization

Category:Windows Mobile

Category:Discontinued Windows components