taboo Subject fields in Outlook 2007 Notes (ActiveSync 4.5, WM 6.1

ActiveSync 4.5 can fail with misleading error messages when synchronizing an
Outlook 2007 Note whose Subject field contains characters that are forbidden
in filenames of Windows Mobile 6.1.

The problem apparently stems from the fact that individual Notes are stored
by Windows Mobile as individual files (*.pwi), whereas they aren't stored
that way in Outlook 2007. If the Subject field of a Note in Outlook 2007
contains a character that is not allowed as part of a Windows Mobile *.pwi
filename, ActiveSync 4.5 silently replaces the offending character with an
underscore (_) in the Windows Mobile filename; but it also seems to maintain
some record of correspondence between the Outlook 2007 Subject field and the
modified Windows Mobile filename. So long as that record of correspondence
is maintained, synchronization is successful and the discrepancy between a
note's Outlook 2007 Subject field and the underlying filename in Outlook
Mobile is hidden. However, if that correspondence is lost (for instance,
when a hard reset is needed on the mobile device), two problems seem to
arise. First, multiple versions of notes accumulate. Second, ActiveSync 4.5
fails during Notes synchronization--perhaps because its silent replacement of
a forbidden character with an underscore (_) collides with an
already-existing file of that name in Windows Mobile.

To avoid this problem, regard the Subject field of an Outlook 2007 Note as
though it were a Windows Mobile filename. In other words, do not include in
it any of the reserved characters, which are listed below.

/ \ ? % * : | " < > .

Although ampersands (&) are not generally designated as reserved characters,
the "Explore Device" feature of ActiveSync 4.5 seems to tolerate them when
then are sandwiched between letters (as in "A&B"); but it objects to them
when they have spaces on either side (as in "A & B").

How does one fix this problem if it has already started?

I first tried to fix the problem by editing the Subject fields of notes in
Outlook 2007. That failed because such editing only affects the Content
field of a note. It produces the initial appearance of fixing the problem,
but the editing is overwritten with the next synchronization. Evidently
because notes in Outlook 2007 are not freestanding files, there is no direct
way within Outlook 2007 to modify a Subject field in a manner that won't be
undone by the next synchronization.

I then renamed Notes files in Windows Mobile. That works, but it is tedious.

The most efficient remedy was to establish a connection with the mobile
device, choose the "Explore Device" icon in Microsoft ActiveSync, and rename
the offending *.pwi files through that interface.

I think I corrected the "bad" symbols in the Mobile Device, but I still have
the problem... I sync and the first parts goes fast (contacts, Calendar,
Tasks), but when starting NOTES, it counts about double and crashes without
finishing, with this message: ActiveSync Application has encountered a
problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience. I have
wrote the number of notes when it crashes: 259/475... 35/474... 233/468...
226/466... 255/464... 273/463... I have about 230 real NOTES. PLEASE
HELP...!


"Gary Glen Price" wrote:

> ActiveSync 4.5 can fail with misleading error messages when synchronizing an
> Outlook 2007 Note whose Subject field contains characters that are forbidden
> in filenames of Windows Mobile 6.1.
>
> The problem apparently stems from the fact that individual Notes are stored
> by Windows Mobile as individual files (*.pwi), whereas they aren't stored
> that way in Outlook 2007. If the Subject field of a Note in Outlook 2007
> contains a character that is not allowed as part of a Windows Mobile *.pwi
> filename, ActiveSync 4.5 silently replaces the offending character with an
> underscore (_) in the Windows Mobile filename; but it also seems to maintain
> some record of correspondence between the Outlook 2007 Subject field and the
> modified Windows Mobile filename. So long as that record of correspondence
> is maintained, synchronization is successful and the discrepancy between a
> note's Outlook 2007 Subject field and the underlying filename in Outlook
> Mobile is hidden. However, if that correspondence is lost (for instance,
> when a hard reset is needed on the mobile device), two problems seem to
> arise. First, multiple versions of notes accumulate. Second, ActiveSync 4.5
> fails during Notes synchronization--perhaps because its silent replacement of
> a forbidden character with an underscore (_) collides with an
> already-existing file of that name in Windows Mobile.
>
> To avoid this problem, regard the Subject field of an Outlook 2007 Note as
> though it were a Windows Mobile filename. In other words, do not include in
> it any of the reserved characters, which are listed below.
>
> / \ ? % * : | " < > .
>
> Although ampersands (&) are not generally designated as reserved characters,
> the "Explore Device" feature of ActiveSync 4.5 seems to tolerate them when
> then are sandwiched between letters (as in "A&B"); but it objects to them
> when they have spaces on either side (as in "A & B").
>
> How does one fix this problem if it has already started?
>
> I first tried to fix the problem by editing the Subject fields of notes in
> Outlook 2007. That failed because such editing only affects the Content
> field of a note. It produces the initial appearance of fixing the problem,
> but the editing is overwritten with the next synchronization. Evidently
> because notes in Outlook 2007 are not freestanding files, there is no direct
> way within Outlook 2007 to modify a Subject field in a manner that won't be
> undone by the next synchronization.
>
> I then renamed Notes files in Windows Mobile. That works, but it is tedious.
>
> The most efficient remedy was to establish a connection with the mobile
> device, choose the "Explore Device" icon in Microsoft ActiveSync, and rename
> the offending *.pwi files through that interface.
>