How come this hasn't been talked about here?

At 21 Jul 2008 19:19:20 -0400 Carl wrote:

> In doing so, I have learned that many people are having trouble syncing
> their iPhones (and Touches) to MS Outlook. I, for example, cannot get my
> calendar to sync at all, in one direction or the other, though I've
tried
> many things.
>
> This appears to me to be a HUGE flaw in the iPhone/iTunes technology and
> would certainly lock out any serious business users, and apparently
render
> an important part of the iPhone useless.
>
> For one citation regarding this issue, look at
> http://discussions.apple.com/thread....sageID=7648777
>
> I am just so surprised that this issue, which is not that new, has not
come
> up here before.

To be fair to the iPhone, the Windows Mobile newsgroups are full of folks
having trouble synching Outlook 2007 calendar, tasks and notes items to
WinMo devices, and they're running an MS OS!


> In the meantime, does anyone know of a solution, fix, or patch for the
> problem?


I'm not an iPhone user, as you know, ;-) but I can suggest a few "generic"
sync troubleshooting ideas from the WinMo world. Typically sync problems
ocur when the mobile device "chokes" on content in an Outlook item that the
device doesn't know what to do with- Contacts with unsupported embedded
objects in their "notes" field, recurring calendar items with no ending date,
etc. or simply a (slightly) corrupted or damaged .pst file might be the
culprit.

First would be to run scanpst (the inbox repair tool) in the "\Program
Files\Microsoft Office\Office12" folder. If this solves your problem
(unlikely) great. If not, we do a little more detective work...

To figure out if you have a "poison" item blocking the sync, move
(cut/paste) ALL of your calendar items into a newly created Outlook folder
outside the "Personal Items" hierarchy (I make a subfolder in "Archive
Folders" for example.) Selecting a list view (like "Oulok Data File" under
"View" rather than a calendar view makes this MUCH easier.

Now try synching with the empty calendar (this sync usually works!) ;-)

Now copy a few items back into your normal default calendar folder a few at
at a time, syncing after each few- evenually you should find the items that
stubbornly refuse syncing. Simply retyping the item and deleting the
original fixes the stubborn ones, unless you see a pattern (like no end
date on recurring items, or unsupported files attached, etc.) you can
correct.


Good luck!

David Moyer wrote:
> Charles <fort514@mac.com> wrote:
>
>>> sounds more like a HUGE flaw in Outlook for Windows, not the iPod
>>> Touch.
>>>
>>> get a Mac i'll bet all those problems will disappear.
>>
>> Real helpful.....you are just confirming you are an idiot troll.
>
> no charles, i provided the very best solution. so if you don't solid
> answers, then leave these fixes to the professionals like me.
>
> your noise helps no one.
>
No David, I'm afraid I felt the exact same way as Charles when I read your
post. It is a trolling post which actually helps no one, but your own need
to think you're quick-witted.

MS Outlook is a business standard. There is no replacement for it on a Mac.
Many people are currently scambling to get their iPhones/Touches working
with their Outlook. Google it.

Outlook has synced perfectly with the Palm Pilot I had many years ago, it
syncs flawlessly with my Dell Axim, and it syncs without question with my
Blackberry Curve. I would suggest that you face the reality that Apple is
not perfect, and that the iPhone system may have a flaw in it which needs
addressing.

In the meantime, I would suggest that if someone asks a legitimate question,
and if you don't have the answer, you refrain from hijacking the thread with
your nonsensical fan worship of a toy.

DevilsPGD wrote:
> In message <davmoy-9DFACE.18043421072008@news.qwest.net> David Moyer
> <davmoy@world.com> wrote:
>
>> "Carl" <crothman@NOSPAMoptonline.net> wrote:
>>
>>> I bought an iPod Touch in order to experiment with the iPhone
>>> interface because I have been considering switching carriers and
>>> getting an iPhone. Mine had the latest software and I immediately
>>> upgraded to Version 2.0 to achieve 100% iPhone similarity.
>>>
>>> In doing so, I have learned that many people are having trouble
>>> syncing their iPhones (and Touches) to MS Outlook. I, for example,
>>> cannot get my calendar to sync at all, in one direction or the
>>> other, though I've tried many things.
>>>
>>> This appears to me to be a HUGE flaw in the iPhone/iTunes
>>> technology and would certainly lock out any serious business users,
>>> and apparently render an important part of the iPhone useless.
>>>
>>> For one citation regarding this issue, look at
>>> http://discussions.apple.com/thread....sageID=7648777
>>>
>>> I am just so surprised that this issue, which is not that new, has
>>> not come up here before.
>>>
>>> In the meantime, does anyone know of a solution, fix, or patch for
>>> the problem?
>>
>> sounds more like a HUGE flaw in Outlook for Windows, not the iPod
>> Touch.
>>
>> get a Mac i'll bet all those problems will disappear.
>
> Given how many applications out there do manage to synchronize with
> Outlook just fine, I'd suggest that the problem might be on the iTunes
> side.
>
> For my own part, I played with the Outlook sync, found it
> unsatisfactory and disabled it. When upgrading to iTunes 7.7, iTunes
> helpfully duplicated dozens of appointments in Outlook. Calendar
> synchronization is disabled.
>
> A bit of group policy magic and iTunes' Outlook extension is
> administratively prohibited from running on any PC under my control,
> so the problem has been effectively solved here.
>
A note to David and other unshakable fans of The Big Apple: this appears to
be how many people handle technical issues with their Apple devices. They
tend not to be vocal about them, but they just shut down the functions that
don't work and move along. Thus the question posed by me in my OP: why
hasn't this been talked about before? Believe me, there are a lot of
closet, less-than-satisfied Apple owners out there. Posts like mine will
bring them out. The Apple store was full of them yesterday.

In the meantime, it would be much more helpful if one of you boy-geniuses
found a solution to the problem instead of defending the damn device as if
it was God-given.

Only the verrrry good fruitphony stuff is talked about here
Flathead >


> sounds more like a HUGE flaw

Charles wrote:
> In article <488519c1$0$7354$607ed4bc@cv.net>, Carl
> <crothman@NOSPAMoptonline.net> wrote:
>
>> In the meantime, does anyone know of a solution, fix, or patch for
>> the problem?
>
> Have you tried this?
>
> http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1692
>
Actually, yes, I found that article and tried all those suggestions,
including resetting the sync history several times. But I do appreciate
your sincere attempt at finding an answer. Thank you.

One of the things I've found is that Apple is surprisingly unaware of the
general problem (or at least pretending to be). In my own "research", it
seems that the problem is related mostly to the iTunes 7.7 upgrade. Some
'upgrades' just ruin everything I guess. Apparently many people had the
syncing process working well until they upgraded iTunes. Of course Apple,
in its infinite wisdom, makes it particularly hard to revert backwards to an
earlier version: I have read that you will lose the tunes you've paid for
under the latest version, though I haven't confirmed that. Besides, who
wants to go backwards in order to get a new device to work?

I'm discouraged. I've already spent well over 7 or 8 hours trying to get
something to work from a company which promotes itself as having the most
successful work-out-of-the-box success. It has not been my experience so
far.

Larry wrote:
> Charles <fort514@mac.com> wrote in news:220720080346244971%fort514
> @mac.com:
>
>> http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1692
>
> "Troubleshooting iPhone and iPod touch contact and calendar syncing
> via USB on Windows
>
> * Last Modified: July 10, 2008
> * Article: HT1692
>
> * Old Article: 305845
>
> Summary
>
> If you're having difficulty syncing your contacts or calendars to
> iPhone or iPod touch with iTunes for Windows via USB, this article
> can help. Note this article does not apply to wireless syncing with
> Exchange ActiveSync or MobileMe.
> Products Affected
>
> iPhone, iPhone 3G
> Verify that you are using compatible software
>
> Syncing contacts or calendars to your iPhone or iPod touch requires
> that the latest version of iTunes is installed. Refer to "iPhone and
> iPod touch: Minimum system requirements" or the iPhone Users Guide for
> supported contact and calendar software on your computer.
> Reset Sync History
>
> If you find that some of your data syncs to your iPhone or iPod touch,
> but you see an unexpected number of changes or modifications, you may
> need to reset your sync history. This causes iTunes to prompt to Merge
> or Replace information on the device when you next attempt to sync
> your information. To reset your Sync History:
>
> 1. Open iTunes.
> 2. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
> 3. Click the Syncing tab.
> 4. Click the Reset Sync History button.
>
> If the issue continues and you know all of the data is on the
> computer:
>
> 1. Reset the Sync History again using the steps above.
> 2. Select the device in iTunes and click the Info tab.
> 3. Scroll down to the Advanced section and under "Replace
> information on this iPhone/iPod" select Contacts and/or Calendars.
> 4. Click Apply.
>
> If the issue continues and you know all of the data is on the iPhone
> or iPod touch:
>
> 1. Reset the Sync History again using the steps above.
> 2. Remove all of the contact and calendar information from Outlook.
> 3. Select the device in iTunes and click the Info tab.
> 4. Scroll down to the Advanced section and under "Replace
> information on this iPhone/iPod" make sure Contacts and Calendars are
> not selected.
> 5. Click Apply.
>
> Disable third-party Outlook add-ins
>
> Outlook add-ins created by other manufacturers may interfere with the
> communication between iTunes and Outlook. If you are using Outlook
> 2003 or Outlook 2007 and your calendars and contacts are not syncing
> properly to your iPhone or iPod touch, disable any third-party
> Outlook add-ins that are installed.
>
> For Outlook 2003, follow these steps to disable third-party add-ins:
>
> 1. Open Outlook 2003
> 2. From the Tools menu, choose Options.
> 3. Click the Other tab.
> 4. Click the Advanced Options button.
> 5. Click the COM Add-Ins button.
> 6. Determine whether any third-party (non-Apple) add-ins are present
> in this list. The add-in "iTunes Outlook add-in" is made by Apple and
> can be left alone.
> 7. Deselect the checkbox for each third-party add-in in this list.
> 8. Click OK.
>
> For Outlook 2007, follow these steps to disable third-party add-ins:
>
> 1. Open Outlook 2007
> 2. From the Tools menu, choose Trust Center.
> 3. Select Add-ins from the left column.
> 4. Look at the list of add-ins beneath "Active Application Add-Ins"
> and determine if anything is listed other than the "iTunes Outlook
> add- in." If so, continue on to disable those add-ins.
> 5. In the Manage box, click COM Add-Ins, and then click Go.
> 6. In the COM Add-Ins dialog, deselect the checkbox for each third-
> party add-in in this list.
> 7. Click OK.
>
> Attempt to sync content in a new Windows user
>
> It can be useful to determine if the issue affects a specific Windows
> user account or all accounts. Follow the steps below to create a new
> user account in Windows XP:
>
> 1. From the Start menu, choose Control Panel.
> 2. Open User Accounts.
> 3. Select Create a new account and follow the instructions to
> complete the account setup process.
> 4. Once the new account is created, choose Log Off from the Start
> menu.
> 5. Log into the newly created user account.
>
> In Windows Vista, follow these steps instead:
>
> 1. From the Start menu, choose Control Panel.
> 2. Open User Accounts.
> 3. Select Manager another account.
> 4. Select Create a new account and follow the instructions to
> complete the account setup process.
> 5. Once the new account is created, log off.
> 6. Log into the newly created user account.
>
> Once you are logged into the new user account, create a few test
> contacts and/or calendar events in your compatible application of
> choice and attempt to sync that data to your iPhone or iPod touch.
> Does this newly created data sync properly? If so, you likely have an
> issue with your content in the original user which you will need to
> isolate. Reinstall the iTunes software
>
> A bad installation of the iTunes software could prevent your contacts
> or calendars from syncing to your iPhone or iPod touch properly. To
> reinstall the necessary software for syncing data to your iPhone or
> iPod touch you will need to remove Apple Mobile Device Support and
> iTunes from your system before installing the latest version of
> iTunes.
>
> Windows XP
>
> 1. Quit iTunes.
> 2. On the Start menu, click Control Panel.
> 3. In Control Panel, open Add or Remove Programs.
> 4. Select iTunes from the list of currently installed programs, then
> click Remove.
> 5. When asked if you would like to remove iTunes, select Yes.
> 6. After the uninstallation is complete, do not restart if you are
> prompted to.
> 7. If other entries were present for iTunes remove those as well.
> 8. In Add or Remove Programs, remove Apple Mobile Device Support in
> the same fashion as iTunes was removed.
> 9. Restart your computer.
> 10. After the computer restarts, open Local Disk C: in My Computer or
> whichever disk programs are installed on.
> 11. Open the Program Files folder.
> 12. Right-click the iTunes folder and select Delete and choose Yes
> when asked to confirm the deletion. Note: This folder may have already
> been deleted if iTunes was successfully removed in steps 1-7.
> 13. Right-click on the Recycle Bin and on the shortcut menu, click
> Empty Recycle Bin.
> 14. Restart your computer.
> 15. Install the latest version of iTunes from
> www.apple.com/itunes/download.
>
> Windows Vista
>
> 1. Quit iTunes.
> 2. From the Start menu, click Control Panel.
> 3. In Control Panel, click Uninstall a program. The Programs and
> Features control panel opens.
> Alternately, in Classic Panel of Control Panel, click Programs
> and Features.
> 4. Select iTunes from the list of currently installed programs, then
> click Uninstall.
> 5. When asked if you would like to remove iTunes, select Yes.
> 6. After the uninstallation is complete, do not restart if you are
> prompted to.
> 7. If other entries were present for iTunes remove those as well.
> 8. In Programs and Features, remove Apple Mobile Device Support in
> the same fashion as iTunes was removed.
> 9. Restart your computer.
> 10. After the computer restarts, open Local Disk (C:) in Computer or
> whichever disk programs are installed on.
> 11. Open the Program Files folder.
> 12. Right-click the iTunes folder and select Delete and choose Yes
> when asked to confirm the deletion. Note: This folder may have already
> been deleted if iTunes was successfully removed in steps 1-7.
> 13. Right-click on the Recycle Bin and on the shortcut menu, click
> Empty Recycle Bin.
> 14. Restart your computer.
> 15. Install the latest version of iTunes from
> www.apple.com/itunes/download."
>
>
>
> Sure glad I don't have one.....(sigh)
>
And I wouldn't mind all of that (I actually did it all), if it actually
worked. But it didn't. It would be nice if Apple actually openly
acknowledged the problem and came up with a patch for its iTunes 7.7. Or at
least educated its in-store technicians (Geniuses) about it. None of them
know in the store I go to.

David Moyer wrote:
> Mark Crispin <mrc@Panda.COM> wrote:
>
>> Too bad that some Macs are incapable of upgrading the software on an
>> iPhone or iPod Touch (attemping to do so results in an error).
>> Apple has known about that for years as well, but as of 7.7 that
>> remains unfixed. So, owners of the affected Macs must own a Windows
>> machine to upgrade their iToys!
>
> that's complete BS mark.
>
> there is no modern mac that cannot update any ipod / iphone. as long
> as that mac is running the minimum required software version, ANY mac
> will update ANY apple device without issue.
>
How do you KNOW this? Have you personally checked all "modern macs" David?
And, by the way, what is a "modern mac"?

Todd Allcock wrote:
> At 21 Jul 2008 19:19:20 -0400 Carl wrote:
>
>> In doing so, I have learned that many people are having trouble
>> syncing their iPhones (and Touches) to MS Outlook. I, for example,
>> cannot get my calendar to sync at all, in one direction or the
>> other, though I've
> tried
>> many things.
>>
>> This appears to me to be a HUGE flaw in the iPhone/iTunes technology
>> and would certainly lock out any serious business users, and
>> apparently
> render
>> an important part of the iPhone useless.
>>
>> For one citation regarding this issue, look at
>> http://discussions.apple.com/thread....sageID=7648777
>>
>> I am just so surprised that this issue, which is not that new, has
>> not
> come
>> up here before.
>
> To be fair to the iPhone, the Windows Mobile newsgroups are full of
> folks having trouble synching Outlook 2007 calendar, tasks and notes
> items to WinMo devices, and they're running an MS OS!
>
>
>> In the meantime, does anyone know of a solution, fix, or patch for
>> the problem?
>
>
> I'm not an iPhone user, as you know, ;-) but I can suggest a few
> "generic" sync troubleshooting ideas from the WinMo world. Typically
> sync problems ocur when the mobile device "chokes" on content in an
> Outlook item that the device doesn't know what to do with- Contacts
> with unsupported embedded objects in their "notes" field, recurring
> calendar items with no ending date, etc. or simply a (slightly)
> corrupted or damaged .pst file might be the culprit.
>
> First would be to run scanpst (the inbox repair tool) in the "\Program
> Files\Microsoft Office\Office12" folder. If this solves your problem
> (unlikely) great. If not, we do a little more detective work...
>
> To figure out if you have a "poison" item blocking the sync, move
> (cut/paste) ALL of your calendar items into a newly created Outlook
> folder outside the "Personal Items" hierarchy (I make a subfolder in
> "Archive Folders" for example.) Selecting a list view (like "Oulok
> Data File" under "View" rather than a calendar view makes this MUCH
> easier.
>
> Now try synching with the empty calendar (this sync usually works!)
> ;-)
>
> Now copy a few items back into your normal default calendar folder a
> few at at a time, syncing after each few- evenually you should find
> the items that stubbornly refuse syncing. Simply retyping the item
> and deleting the original fixes the stubborn ones, unless you see a
> pattern (like no end
> date on recurring items, or unsupported files attached, etc.) you can
> correct.
>
>
> Good luck!
>
Hey thanks for some reasonably sound advice. I actually got started on part
of your suggestion yesterday (I created another calendar in Archives) but I
didn't have the rest of your suggestions to go along with the move. I'll
give them a try, but I don't know that I can (or want) to devote another 7
or 8 hours to getting this thing to work.

You're correct about certain items causing syncing problems. When I
initially synced my BB, a few items were replicated on the device. But they
were clever enough to have color-coded them for me so that I could find them
easily, delete the red ones, and re-sync. And, generally speaking the BB's
syncing program (Desktop Manager) warns you of potential problems (as does
the Dell Axim's Activesync program) and gives you options about how to
handle the discrepancies during the syncing process.

Those are serious syncing devices with serious syncing software. I would say
that if Apple wants to be in the synced-device business, it needs to develop
better syncing software.

"Carl" <crothman@NOSPAMoptonline.net> wrote:

> I'm discouraged. I've already spent well over 7 or 8 hours trying to get
> something to work from a company which promotes itself as having the most
> successful work-out-of-the-box success. It has not been my experience so
> far.

the near perfect "work-out-of-the-box success" is based on you having a
normal mac, but when you start to venture into the problematic windows
world, all bets are off. microsoft is well known for breaking
competitors software, so much of your experience is based on that.

don't fight the rising tide, just get a mac and you'll be much happier.

http://www.apple.com/mac/

"Carl" <crothman@NOSPAMoptonline.net> wrote in
news:4885d752$0$7319$607ed4bc@cv.net:

> And I wouldn't mind all of that (I actually did it all), if it
> actually worked. But it didn't. It would be nice if Apple actually
> openly acknowledged the problem and came up with a patch for its
> iTunes 7.7. Or at least educated its in-store technicians (Geniuses)
> about it. None of them know in the store I go to.
>
>

I like the part where stupid Apple tells you to uninstall all your USABLE
plug ins....just to get their shitware to sync.

How stupid!