Sync Contacts by Categories?

[citapinc]

I now have two PocketPC devices - a Dell Axium PocketPC 2003 and a Verizon XV6700 PocketPC 5.0 device.

With my Dell Axium PocketPC 2003, I have the ability to define which catgetory of contacts I want to sync with my pocketPC. This is great since I have over 6000 contacts in my outlook and I only want about 50 of them in my PocketPC at any time.

However with my PocketPC 5.0 device, I don't have the option of which category I want to sync, so all 6000 contacts are now in my PocketPC device. This makes using the contact list almost useless because I have to scan through all contacts to find the one I want.

Is there a hack or registry setting either on the PC or on the PocketPC device that will enable the ability to select which contact category I want synced with the phone?

Thanks!

Dean Penderghas

[Pony99CA]

I haven't heard of a way. Thank Microsoft for that one. That's one of the changes they made in ActiveSync 4.x -- along with removing the ability to sync over a LAN and backup/restore your PDA. :mad:

Oddly, ActiveSync 4.x still allows syncing by categories and backup/restore when used with a WM 2003 SE or earlier PDA. I know that they removed LAN syncing for "corporate security" (which I think was stupid, but that's another story), and they might have removed backup/restore because the need was reduced with WM 5's persistent storage (although that also seems like a faulty decision), but I have no idea why they removed category syncing.

If possible, maybe you can put your contacts into different folders in Outlook. I think ActiveSync will only sync one folder, so if you only keep the contacts you want to synchronize in the main folder, that might work. Of course, with 6000 contacts :eek: that might be way too much work now.

Steve

[citapinc]

Well that sucks!!!

I like your idea of creating another PST file. Where in ActiveSync do you change which PST file to look at? Is there a way to choose which PST file to look at for contacts vs emails vs calendar?

[Pony99CA]

I like your idea of creating another PST file. Where in ActiveSync do you change which PST file to look at? Is there a way to choose which PST file to look at for contacts vs emails vs calendar?
I'm no expert with PST files, but I wasn't suggesting doing that (I don't think). I have heard of people using different PST files in different Windows accounts, but that's all that I can remember.

What I was suggesting was adding a "Non-synchronized" folder in your Contacts and moving the contacts you didn't want to synchronize there. I just confirmed that works on my Motorola Q.

However, that means that you might not get to see all of your contacts in one view. Using a separate PST file would make viewing them even more difficult, I think.

Steve

[citapinc]

What I was suggesting was adding a "Non-synchronized" folder in your Contacts and moving the contacts you didn't want to synchronize there. I just confirmed that works on my Motorola Q.


BRILLIANT!!!!

I didn't realize I can create multiple contact folders!! I'll do that tonight and see if it works with my XV6700 and report back to you.

Dean Penderghast

[Pony99CA]

BRILLIANT!!!!
As much as I'd like to claim that, it's just something I learned reading various Pokcet PC sites over the years (including here, of course :D). I've never used it, but fortunately I have a decent memory.

Steve

[dfleisc]

Along the same lines as the previous posts and this might be an easy fix (hopefully) –The 1K of contacts I want to keep in the Q but not have to constantly filter through them. Using the filter I’ll click my ‘friends’ category and everything works fine. After the call I’ll go back into the contacts list and sure enough all contacts are showing again. Is there anyway to just keep the filter on? When I need the business contacts I’ll go back in and change it but on the weekends they are the last people I want to see in my phone!

Thanks,

[sirsparc]

did this work and how did you do it?

[Maximillian]

I have had both of the previous problems and find it quite frustrating that Microsoft would take a perfectly functional product and then dumb it down in a so-called upgrade.
Is there anyway we can make our feelings known to them? I loved my previous smartphone with the previous version of Windows Mobile. I really hate my new one with WM 5.

[Pony99CA]

I have had both of the previous problems and find it quite frustrating that Microsoft would take a perfectly functional product and then dumb it down in a so-called upgrade.

Is there anyway we can make our feelings known to them?
Yes. Visit their site and look for suggestion or feedback links. There are also blogs by people in the WM development group, and maybe one of them discussess ActiveSync and you could post there.

Steve