This is New - but Strange

BenH · 03-28-03, 07:55 PM

After two months of Active Sync doing exactly what it was supposed to do it is now not working right and not syncing files.

Active Sync shows that the Desktop is connected to the PDA with the green disk and the ability to access all the files on the PDA, but none of the settings or option selections are available on the Desktop Active/Syn Window. You can copy files but as in the case of Word files they don't get converted so that they can be read by MS Word on the Desktop computer.

Further when every a sync session is started another Window pops up saying that a "critical communication program has not started and Windows must be exited for it to start."

I searched
Anyone have have a similar experience or a suggested answer.

komes · 03-28-03, 08:08 PM

Well with my knowledge in this field , would say it is a windows problem , where the problem is i dont know , but what you can do , is reinstall activsync using the dell disk , if that does not work upgrade to the newer version , if that does not work do hard reset to axim and make a new activesync account , and if that dont want come back to me

JakeRich · 03-28-03, 11:05 PM

A couple of things to check:

1. Have you changed your firewall? Activesync uses TCP/IP for communications and firewalls interfere sometimes.

2. What have you changed recently that might cause this? What have you installed/removed from the PC?

3. Are you connecting as the same partnership, or is it as Guest? From the symptoms, it sounds like you are connected as Guest.

BenH · 03-29-03, 01:15 AM

Nothing new on the Axim, but I can't even get to the "options" to see if it is loading as a Guest. It is not giving me anything with regard to partnerships.

I assume that the only way to correct this is re-install. Currently running Activ 3.6

Currently have:
Agenda as Demo
DEXplor
WisBar
Pocket Plus

JakeRich · 03-29-03, 11:54 AM

On the desktop, does it give the name of the Axim, or does it say Guest when connected?

BenH · 03-29-03, 02:52 PM

If I disconnect the unit from the cradle and check the MS Active Sync window under Mobil Device it names it "1 Pocket_PC". No reference to "Guest" In fact no list of number or names of partnerships.

If I reconnect the unit I still can't check for partnerships because they are grayed out. Currently from the Desktop there is no way to create new Partnership. I could delete a partnership but that is all in that area.

During all of this the green icon is just sitting there indicating everything is fine. Mouse over the tray icon confirms connected yet MS Artive Sync or more likely Windows 2000 has sent the Error statement:
"Critical communication services have failed to start. To correct the error quit all programs and restart windows."

Did that and nothing.

JakeRich · 03-29-03, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BenH
If I disconnect the unit from the cradle and check the MS Active Sync window under Mobil Device it names it "1 Pocket_PC". No reference to "Guest" In fact no list of number or names of partnerships.

If I reconnect the unit I still can't check for partnerships because they are grayed out. Currently from the Desktop there is no way to create new Partnership. I could delete a partnership but that is all in that area.

During all of this the green icon is just sitting there indicating everything is fine. Mouse over the tray icon confirms connected yet MS Artive Sync or more likely Windows 2000 has sent the Error statement:
"Critical communication services have failed to start. To correct the error quit all programs and restart windows."

Did that and nothing.

Connect the Axim. Open Activesync on the PC. Look in the window that opens up on the PC desktop for Activesync. In the line beneath the icons you should see the name you gave your Axim, or the word "Guest." If it has your Axim's name, you are connected through the partnership. If it says "Guest" you are connected, but not through the partnership.

See the attached portion of the Activesync window where it says "DellAxim." That's what I am talking about. If connected, it should show "Connected" where the picture says "Not Connected."

Check your TCP/IP installation. The "Critical communication service" is TCP/IP. Check your firewall that it is not blocking TCP/IP in any way.

BenH · 03-30-03, 11:49 AM

This is what I get once I connected. Wrong it it and I need to re-install but becuse it had worked so well I wondered about the cause before I re-install.

BenH · 03-30-03, 11:57 AM

The second part of this situation is this window which once "Ok"ed leaves a connected window behind.

AximGeek · 03-31-03, 09:51 AM

It seems alot of people are getting this error, yet microsoft has not owned up to this

There is probably a common thread amongst all these errors, maybe another program installed/uninstalled on your machine that is interfering with ActiveSync (or maybe vice-versa).

Calling Dell for support on this would be a waste of time, IMHO.

I would stick on the safe side and:

1. back up the data/programs to a CF/SD card
2. HARD reboot the Axim
3. Reinstall Activesync

This *should* get rid of any corrupt .dlls that could be generating the error. If it doesn't work after this, then there may be a problem with the OS on the workstation itself.

BenH · 04-02-03, 12:12 AM

JakeRich you hit on the problem when you siggested a Fire wall setting. Dug into the ZoneAlarm setting and after trying a bunch of differenty settings we got the proper name of the Axim and again started to get some correct syncing happening.

Thanks - I thought I had done the fire wall checks but your reminder forced the re-check -

THANKS

lunaIpaq · 04-04-03, 06:46 PM

what *are* your zonealarm settings for the activesync programs?
When I had this problem, I just uninstalled ZoneAlarm, and everything worked perfectly. I would like to run it again, though.
The problem I had, was it allowed all normal syncing, but blocked the "explore" function...that is when I would receive the
"critial communications failed to start" type message.

I'd like to know how you set up ZoneAlarm.

Thanks!

Tokyo J · 04-08-03, 02:37 AM

lunaIpaq,
Afternoon.
I came across a MS forum that talked about Norton's Firewall causing havic on Activesync. (unfortunatley can't find it again.).
It might be worth a search through MS's support page.

Hope it helps.
Cheers
Tokyo J

BenH · 04-08-03, 10:59 AM

Hi lunaIpaq

As to my settings I don't really know anymore because I changed them so much -- now I run with the program control off and Active Sync works every-time.

Other programs don't work and I can't figure why -- If the Program Control is off why would it impact on any out going program but it does so I just turn it off (when I should have it on).

Went to the Zone Alarm site to find out some info about the problem and it was a mess of people all with problems and Zone Alarm doing all kind of things to their operation and system.

Makes me think that Zone Alarm Pro may have been a bad buy.

And to think I was a Zone Alarm cheerleader up until I bought Pro a month ago.