SYNCING WITH OUTLOOK

I'm not familiar with the MAC and have no foundation for commenting on iPhone problems in the context of a MAC system. My suggested fix and situation described was meant for Windows XP users of Outlook 2007. I don't know what caused my sync problem, I do know what overcame it for me. My 80 GB iPod always synced properly (with the calendar, contacts, photos) even when the iPhone would not. Now they both sync properly-- even at the same time.

Generic Windows XP Pro

Generic Windows XP Pro

Generic Windows XP Pro

my IPhone had no problem syncing.....all my outlook settings....bookmarks...contacts.....calanders
no problem at all

First let me say that this has been a bit of a laborious project. I was able to successfully resolve the sync issue on my connection and was replicated on a second machine and second iPhone using the same process.

NOTE: This worked with the following: Windows XP Pro, (Version 2002 SP2) and Outlook 2003. Your results may vary!
With your iPhone NOT connected, do the following:

Go to the Microsoft Website under Downloads and be certain you have the latest Service Pack 2 for Outlook and all other Windows security updates downloaded installed on your machine, then (IMPORTANT!) RE-START your machine!

In Outlook:
1. Go to Tools/Options/Other/Advanced Options/COM Add-Ins
2. There should be two add-ins listed:
- iTunes Outlook Addin
- Outlook iTunes Sync Addin
3. Be sure the boxes are checked for both items.
4. Then under Help/About/Disabled Items, highlight and enable the iTunes add-in, if it is still disabled.
5. Close Outlook, and RE-START your computer.
(Seems these add-in gets written into the Windows registry as well as the Outlook add-in manager.)
6. Open Outlook and check Help/About/Disabled Items and the COM Add-ins to be sure the add-ins are recognized.

Connect your iPhone and sync. Once the sync process is complete, check your phone for any/all synced items...

Again, once this process worked on my machine, and was replicated on a second machine (Same OS, and Outlook version) so I know it can be done successfully without help from Apple tech support.

I'd be curious to hear from anyone trying this process to see if this works in a different setting, (i.e. OS version, etc.)

Good luck!

Thanks for your post. I am still pulling my hair out trying to get Outlook to sync with my iPhone. I am also trying to get Outlook to sync with my Palm. Grrr..nearly a week of this already...and more time spent than I would even like to admit.

However, I have followed the steps exactly from anyone who has found a way to make this work. I still can not get the sync addin to load. It is never in the disabled catagory. I have uninstalled and reinstalled everything. When I check the addin, it says it will load at startup. I reboot and it does not load.

iTunes opens Outlook and tries to sync with my files there, but no data is transferred.

My Palm sync software opens up and tries to tranfer data to Outlook, but I get only an error message in the hotsync log saying it was unable to sync to Outlook.

I am running the most up to date Windows XP, the most up to date Palm software and the current iTunes software.

I can't believe that this configuration was not tested before they advertised this phone to be compatible with the Outlook.

I don't understand why some people are able to get this to work when it doesn't for my system. It seems to be a problem in Outlook. I have spoken with a Microsoft tech and Palm tech and neither were able to solve this.

The irony here is that I only purchased Outlook because it was the only desktop product that syncs to the iPhone and it won't sync for me.

Any additional suggestions are most welcome.

Did you install Outlook after iTunes or vice versa? You might try uninstalling iTunes, re-booting, then re-installing iTunes again. Then check to be sure the Com Addin is there and isn't disabled under Help/About. If you have to enable the addins, be sure to re-boot again before trying to sync.

Try this solution: It worked to sync contacts and events for Mac from the iPhone BACK to the Mac. I see no reason why it wouldn't work for PC users.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1032105&tstart=0

I hope this helps, I'm trying to post it everywhere I can! 🙂

My new appointments created on the iPhone sync over to Outlook 2003 fine … but new appointments created in Outlook 2003 don’t sync over to the iPhone. Very odd. All COM Add-ins are checked, all checkboxes in iTunes are checked properly. Must be the iPhone doesn’t recognize the store or format of Outlook-created new appointments.

My workaround … copy, paste, and modify an iPhone-created appointment that synced over to Outlook, and use it for all future Outlook-created appointments. Tedious, but it works (and obviously iPhone then recognizes the store/code/tag in the new Outlook-created appointment and syncs fine.)

Anyone else running into this? Any way to reformat new appointments created in Outlook so that iPhone recognizes every one when it syncs?

Another user already posted this, but it worked for me also. If you have the Live Search Maps Add-In for Microsoft Office Outlook installed, there is a conflict. You probably have already tried to get the sync addin to stay checked.

1. Go to control panel>add/remove programs
2.find Live Search Maps Add-In for Microsoft Office Outlook and uninstall it
3.open outlook>tools>trust center>addins>dropdown menu to disabled>go
4. click on disabled itune sync addin and then activate it.
5.go to Coms addin in drop down box and check the unckecked sync addin. No error message should appear that would disable it when you push apply. Close outlook and try syncing again. It worked for me.

Hope this helps some.

My Outlook program is part of Office Enterprise. I checked the programs and could not locate Live Search Maps Add-In for Microsoft Office Outlook. I ran several searches and not luck....where is this addin?

The crashing of Outlook because of iTunes is something I had too. Come to find out, I had DEP turned on in Windows (Data Execution Protection). DEP is protection against virus-like activity. See, iTunes tries to access Outlook directly and Windows DEP sees this as virus-like activity. Go into your Control Panel, System, DEP and create an exception for Outlook, iTunes and the iTunes Helper. This solved the crashing problem for me.

Ok - don't know if this helps. When i first tried to activate the phone, some glitch with AT&T which was fixed with two phone calls - but they taught me a trick with syncing - turn the computer off and on while the iphone is attached and it makes itunes resync with your computer. That may help.

Now, my computer, itunes and Outlook 2002 when wacky when I first tried to start up. I am still not sure what happened. Crashed a couple of times. I was fed up - left - came back put my iphone in the dock and suddenly synced. NO IDEA if it was the trick I used above (off and on while tethered to the computer) OR if it is just alot to program at once and it takes a while for the computer to work it out - my anti-virius may have been interfering while working in the backgroud.

NOW THAT SAID - my calendar WOULD NOT SYNC until today. I didn't know if it was because I use outlook connector to import MSN online calendar to my outlook calendar on my computer. I exported from the MSN imported outlook file into a .csv then REIMPORTED it to the main personal calendar and then suddenly synced. Go figure.

I don't know if that helps anyone.

MY QUESTION: anyone know if msn (hotmail) can be used with iphone (obviously can still check in online) but as a push email? I can do it between bellsouth and msn, so I don't see why not iPhone - but have no answers...

HERE'S WHAT WORKED FOR ME (PC only):

0) make sure iTunes is shut down and iPhone is not connected
1) goto to Outlook\tools\options\other\advanced options\COM Add-ins\
2) delete "Outlook iTunes Sync Addin"
3) click "add" button
4) select "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\OutlookSyncClient.dll"
5) Make sure box is checked for "Outlook iTunes Sync Addin"
6) do NOT reboot
7) attach iPhone
8) wait for update to complete

If that doesn't work for you, see if there are any other COM plug-ins. Uncheck those after step 1.

HERES WHAT DIDN'T WORK (in case you care)

After some research I found a conflict with the following plug-in: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\OutlookSyncClient.dll

found via Outlook\tools\options\other\advanced options\COM Add-ins\ listed as "Outlook iTunes Sync Addin" with the box unchecked.

I tried checking the box checking. No luck; outlook doesn't save the check.

I tried deleting that plugin with the other "iTunes Outlook Addin" and reinstalled iTunes. No luck; outlook crashes on startup and recovered permanently unchecks the box, as before.

I tried deleting the plugin and then adding it back. Looks good, as the box remains checked. BUT, upon restart, Outlook crashes and recovery reverts back to permanently unchecked, as before.

I noticed that there is a Google Desktop COM plug-in. I had unchecked plug-in that as a part of discovering the workaround, but don't know if that was necessary.

Best of luck!

\~/

Dell XPS Gen 2 Windows XP

Im seeing the same issue. Apple support was unable to help. This is a showstopper for me and have been thinking about returning the iPhone. Im hoping a fix/workaround comes out soon.

musesum:

You. Are. The. Man!!! (or Woman, as the case may be!!!)

I had tried (seemingly) everything up until your post today -- Outlook uninstalls, reinstalls, data purging, new User profiles, iphone soft/hard resets, talking with Mac Geniuses at an Apple Store, hours on the phone with Microsoft, days on the phone with Apple, workarounds -- and only your step-by-step process today allows me to finally sync appointments created on my iPhone over to Outlook 2003, and sync appointments created on my Outlook 2003 over to my iPhone.

Thank you. You've single handedly improved my perspective of, and usefulness for, my iPhone by 110%. And thank you again on behalf of everyone who may read your post today, benefit from it, and not leave (or be registered to leave) comments themselves.

You Rule!!!! (and I'd love to know how you ran across this fix!)

I deleted the Outlook ITunes Sync Addin and tried to add the Outlook sync Client.dll file. There was an error message stating it was not a valit Office file and wouldn't add it. I deleted ITunes, Apple Mobile and QuickTime programs and reloaded. Tried again and still wouldn't come up as a valid file to add. Now the Outlook Itunes Sync addin is gone.....do I have to reinstall itunes again and how do I get this to work properly?