sync problem itunes 11.1.5.5 iphone 5 Version 7.1 (11D167) Windows 7 Home premium Outlook 2010 contacts calendar

I'm no longer able to sync contacts, calendar or notes from my computer's Outlook using iTunes. For a while I was getting a message that the server could not be reached for resolving conflicts - probably got that message every sync for a month or so and just ignored it. Then I followed online instructions for dealing with that problem and renamed the file conflicts.syncconflict. The instructions suggested that this would cause creation of a new conflicts.synconflict file, which it did. But then the sync just seemed to hang on the contacts portion of syncing, even if I left it for a couple of hours. So I renamed the old file back to conflicts.synconflict.

Now sync doesn't work at all for me if I try to sync any of Outlook contacts, calendar or notes. If I disable all those, the sync works for things like apps, etc.

I have already tried:

checking latest version of iPhone software

in iTunes, clicking edit / preferences/ devices / reset sync history (not sure whether this button really does anything or not)

using outlook's scanpst.exe to check for corruption of my main outlook files and most of my ancillary folders

resetting the iPhone (pressing the button upper right and the circular button at the bottom for several seconds)

trying the sync after rebooting the computer and not turning on Outlook in the interim

The present symptom is that the attempted sync just hangs on the syncing contacts stage, and won't complete. I can cancel the sync, but I can't complete it (unless I uncheck syncing with all the Outlook data). I'm not getting any error message.

This is what I'm using:

iPhone 5

iTunes version 11.1.5.5

iPhone software Version 7.1 (11D167)

Windows 7 Home premium

Outlook 2010

Asus G74SX computer

It is March 27, 2014.

Suggestions welcome. I'd like to be able to sync my contacts and calendar.