Editorial Exchange 2007 and WM6.x task sync broken

windows · #1 (**permalink**) 09-12-2008, 06:21 PM

Editorial: Exchange 2007 and WM6.x task sync broken

One of the selling points of the Windows Mobile devices is that they are designed to work with the Enterprise marketplace. That is that the devices can be synced over the air (OTA) with Exchange Server 2007 to gain benefits such as push email.

All well and good, Push Email, Contacts and Calendar sync all works wonderfully.

One area that does fail unfortunately is that of task synchronization. This used to work perfectly in WM5 and Exchange 2003, but somewhere in the 'update' process of Exchange 2007 and WM6.x being developed the sync process was broken.

If you use non-repeating tasks then you'll be fine no problems occur, but if you create a repeating task, either in Outlook or on the WM device and let it sync onto the device (if created in Outlook) you will have issues when you come to complete the task on a WM device.

When a repeating task is completed on a WM machine the task on the device itself is indeed checked off properly and a new occurrence is indeed generated..... but .....

When that task syncs back to the Exchange 2007 Server and Outlook 2007 you end up with one instance of the task shown as non-repeating and completed (which is correct), but the new task instance is created on the same date as that of the completed task.

If that task is examined then it can be seen that the effectivity date in the recurrence editor has been set with the correct date, just not the Start and Due Dates.

You can see this by looking at the 'Clean Tiggy' task in the attached images.

It is important that Microsoft take action on this issue and resolve it as Task Management is a very important part of the Enterprise management system.

If you are a Microsoft Connect member you can see the bug reported here - and it would be appreciated if you have seen the issue yourself if you can validate the bug report!

neilm · #2 (**permalink**) 09-12-2008, 08:00 PM

My MS Connect membership doesn't cover Exchange so I can't go there to validate this; however I can verify that I see exactly the same issue using my WM6.1 and Exchange 2007 via 4Smartphone.net

I don't use a lot of tasks, so had not seen this before, but ironically in the course of preparing the review of SBSH Calendar Touch this week I did need to test the Task functions, and came across this issue

windows · #3 (**permalink**) 10-12-2008, 06:34 PM

Hmm this is just a straight Connect ticket Neil so you shoudl be able to validate it as it is set to public?

neilm · #4 (**permalink**) 10-12-2008, 07:48 PM

I tried and it kept bouncing me to the following page:

Page Not Found

The content that you requested cannot be found or you do not have permission to view it.

If you believe you have reached this page in error, click the Help link at the top of the page to report the issue and include this ID in your e-mail: 6a3251e1-6ec5-4bf1-95ab-7c8090d4fcfa

Just tried again with the same result (from different PC and ISP!)

fowljr · #5 (**permalink**) 11-12-2008, 02:29 PM

I can confirm that I jsut completed a repeating task, and it is showing correctly in Outlook 2007 in my tasks list.

I think it validates what you are seeing guys as we are still on Exchange 2003 at work, and I am on the early adopter trial for Office 2007 internally which is why I have OUtlook 2007...

So, tasks still work for me at the moment, but the uplift to Exchange 2007 is coming.

windows · #6 (**permalink**) 12-12-2008, 07:07 PM

Weird that you can't acces that page. Jim can you get to it at all?

Be interesting if you see the problem Jim when you migrate as that will then tie the problem straight into Exchage 2007 and not WM.

fowljr · #7 (**permalink**) 12-12-2008, 09:53 PM

I can get there, I had to sign in with my live ID... I've opted to go on the Exchange 2007 early adopters list at work, I'm the first entry so hopefully I'll get in!!