ActiveSync Slow When Synchronizing "Favorites"

FrinkTL · 03-28-08, 11:04 AM

I noticed that it was taking a LONG time to synchronize my device after it finished synching the Calendar, Contacts and Tasks. It would take a timed 90 seconds to finish the synchronization.

Then I removed "Favorites" from the list of items to synchronize. Now it synchronizes fast.

Does it make any sense that the Favorites would take so long to synchronize? If so, why? It never took this long with the Axim X51v with WM5. Is anyone else experiencing this?

FrinkTL · 03-31-08, 08:31 AM

UPDATE: I have removed both "Favorites" and "Notes" from my synchronization list, but it is still slow. MUCH slower (up to 4 times) than it ever was on my Axim X51v. I'm not sure why. I synchronize the same items I always did and the same number of Calendar items and Tasks and Files (all fairly large quantities on my list).

These are some possible explanations for that behavior:

The iPAQ writes to and reads from FLASH memory much slower than the Axim does
ActiveSync 4.5 is simply synchronizes slower than ActiveSync 4.2
Something is defective with my iPAQ 211 that is causing the nearly-device-stopping slowness

Before I consider cause #3 as the culprit, I thought I should ask the forum how fast syncronization is working for you AND how many items you synchronize. I synchronize:

a few hundred (about 300) calendar items (on average)
about 3,000 tasks (nope, that's not a typo; I mean three thousand)
about 350 contacts
about 250 files only 2-3 of which change at a time

Please reply to let me know if anyone else is experiencing slow synchronization or if I'm alone (and my device has an internal boo-boo needing warranty service).

THANK YOU!!

FrinkTL · 04-01-08, 08:20 AM

I only seem to be posting to myself, but in case anyone is actually reading this (but just not replying)...

Yesterday afternoon I noticed that Microsoft's Error and Usage Reporting were turned on, so I turned it off. My thought is that this was the true culprit in the synchronization taking so long. It wasn't actually the sync taking the time but rather uploading all the data.

So far, the synchronization times seem shorter.

I know noone will reply;) but does that make any sense?

woohoonews · 04-01-08, 05:38 PM

Do you sync emails? I have found that with email sync enabled, it takes a significantly-longer time for me to sync (even when there has been no new emails) than with it turned off.

Alex Gorelik · 04-01-08, 07:43 PM

I have the same problem. Sync with iPAQ210 takes more than a minute. Sync with Axim x50v (3SE) with same amount of contacts/tasks/calendar and same PC took less than 10 sec. O, I didn't try to disable Microsoft's Error and Usage Reporting - sorry, I do not know where I could find these settings

FrinkTL · 04-01-08, 07:56 PM

I do sync emails, but only on my home computer (I sync with 2 computers), yet the sync is definately slower (even with the MS reporting junk turned off).

I also notice that the iPAQ CPU seems to be completely pegged during the synchronization process. About the only thing that responds without a double-digit-second response is the start menu.

By the way, thank you for keeping me from talking to just myself:-)

04-01-08, 08:17 PM

I don't use the email functionality, but always had it set to sync. (W?BIC, I guess).

WOW!!! That makes a *huge* difference in sync speed! It was anywhere from 1-3 minutes with email sync turned on down to 10 seconds without.

Theemed · 04-02-08, 05:06 AM

Just to barge in, I don't sync emails, as I don't use 214 for that, but syncing with latest version of activesync has been slow-arse since the very beginning, I don't keep track of how many this or that I have recorded, but since the migration from ipaq hx2400 nothing much changed, personal-data-wise, and well, since the first sync I was astonished at the outrageous time it was needed to complete.

FrinkTL · 04-02-08, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by Theemed

Just to barge in, I don't sync emails, as I don't use 214 for that, but syncing with latest version of activesync has been slow-arse since the very beginning, I don't keep track of how many this or that I have recorded, but since the migration from ipaq hx2400 nothing much changed, personal-data-wise, and well, since the first sync I was astonished at the outrageous time it was needed to complete.

You're not barging in, you were INVITED! And thank you for confirming my suspicions. I even removed email synchronizations thinking that was the particular aspect of ActiveSync 4.5 that was abysmally slow. It helped with the next sync on the computer I used to synch email with, but the other computer is just as slow as before.

Riddle me this Batman, how is it that after all these years Microsoft STILL can produce synchronization software that actually works?

DrAT · 05-20-08, 09:28 PM

Synchronizing my favorites takes an age too. In my case, the synchronization starts again every time it's completed. Like you, I have thousands of other entries and these are finished quite quickly. I guess something is changing an aspect of the favorites folder indicating a change so that the process goes round again and again. This doesn't happen with the other devices I have.
I'm using EasySync for my favorites now and I'll see how that goes.