The latest Update for the Outlook Connector (version 14.0.6106.5001) is being widely complained about online for constantly causing folder synchronisation errors.  Users of the software are getting the message…

Task ‘-@-.com’ reported error (0×80004005) : ‘Network operation failed’
Task ‘-@-.com’ reported error (0x8004102A) : ‘Error with Send/Receive. There was an error synchronizing your folder hierarchy.The network connection is unavailable or interrupted. Please try again later.’
Task ‘-@-.com’ reported error (0x8004103A) : ‘Synchronization error.’

The official Microsoft Answers support website has a thread about the problem that people are subscribing to in ever greater numbers as the weekend goes on. Many people are reporting that the problem is affecting their calendar, and that there’s no way to fix it.

If you have this problem already then, alas, it looks as if you’ll have to wait for Microsoft to provide a fix.  If you have upgraded your Outlook Connector recently however, rolling back your system using System Restore, might rectify the problem.  For new installations of Outlook however it’s not good news as the system will not allow you to set up a Hotmail or other account unless you are using the very latest version of the connector software.

People who have been hit by this problem have tried everything from completely uninstalling both the Connector and Office, deleting the store folders for both and cleaning out the registry.  They’ve done this though only to find when they reinstall everything the problem still remains.

Microsoft have not yet made any comment about the problem, but ought to be aware of it by now because it’s causing people such significant inconvenience.  Until the problem is resolved my personal recommendation would be to switch temporarily to Windows Live Mail which still syncs with your Hotmail or Gmail account without any problems.

The latest version of the connector was released on the 7th July and should be avoided if you see it in Windows Update.  You should right-click on this update and select “Hide” from the context menu that appears.  With this update hidden Outlook should continue to work for you as normal.  When a replacement update for the connector software is released by Microsoft this should then appear as normal in Windows Update so that you can install it.

It’s not very often that Microsoft release a product update that breaks the product, though as they go this one can be seen in two ways.  Outlook will continue to work, though it will report errors, and if you’re happy to keep your calendar temporarily updated in your web browser then you should be fine.  However, it is very inconvenient for many people and the number joining the complaint thread on the Microsoft support website is growing constantly.  Clearly people are annoyed and these are just the people who know how and where to look for product support online.

There will be a great many more users of the Outlook and Outlook Connector software that will not know where to get help and will currently be thinking there is something wrong with their computer.  This could cost some people money if they ask for an expert to look at it for them.  Clearly then Microsoft need to fix this problem as a matter of priority.

If you are experiencing this problem, the main thread for information on the Microsoft Answers website can be found here.

UPDATED : The problem has now been confirmed to have also affected the x64 version of the latest Outlook Connector update.

While it’s not necessary to ever synchronise the phones with a computer, it’s still the best way to transfer files and your existing music collection to the devices.  So the news from Microsoft that all syncing would only be done through the Windows-only Zune desktop software would probably have come as a blow.

Fear not though as Microsoft have finally, and let’s face it it’s something they should have said months ago, that there will be a Mac Sync application available by the end of 2010.  There will be a public beta available sometime in the next couple of months with the full product out soon after.

So applause for Microsoft for realising that, just as a great many Windows users happen to like the iPhone, there will also be Mac users who like Windows Phone 7.

For now these are all the details we have as Microsoft haven’t been any more forthcoming.  This means there’s no word on whether the Mac software will allow you to link to your accounts on the Zune Marketplace or Xbox Live.  It could just be a simple sync program for files, music, photos and to provide backups of the content on the phone.  For now all we can do it wait for a new announcement, but we’ll bring it to you when its made.

Via : Engadget

The concept of ZumoDrive is to move the data to a server on the Internet. The data is accessible like any other local folder on the computer or electronic device which makes it interesting for various things like hosting the music collection online. Local software like iTunes acts like the data would be local content.

The online storage provider ZumoDrive uses an algorithm to sync popular documents with the local device so that the data is available even in situations without Internet connection.

ZumoDrive keeps track of edited files providing access to older versions of the same file. It also makes use of a trashcan that can be used to recover – or permanently delete – files. Both of these options are available when logging into the homepage of the service.

The service is offering 1 Gigabyte of free storage space with the option for paid upgrades. An upgrade to 10 Gigabytes of storage space for example costs $2.99 per month.

ZumoDrive is currently in private beta available for Windows and Macintosh. Versions for Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android plattform will be released soon. You need to enter an invitation code. The following one was provided by Techcrunch and is working at the moment.

The key feature of Horodruin is definitely the ability to synchronize multiple folders at once using a sophisticated algorithm to make sure the newest files get synchronized and the older ones replaced. Files do not have to be replaced though, if a new file is found it will automatically added to the other folders that are listed in the application.

Horodruin requires the VCL 10 Runtime Libraries which it downloads during installation. The installation of the runtime libraries has to be started by the user manually however. If you fail to do so Horodruin will not start.

At least two folders have to be added to the software obviously before it can start the synchronization. Several filters are available to include or exclude folders and files. Flags can be set to allow file creation, writing and reading processes in the selected source folder. If you have one working directory that always contains the latest versions of the files you might want to consider setting the flags to read only so that no new files can be created or old files overwritten.

Sources have to be added and analyzed afterwards. When that is done the application start the synchronization of the folders. A results viewer is available that will display all the files in a directory and the operation of the last synchronization, e.g. Updated or Selected.

Horodruin does have some shortcomings. A way to automate the process would be nice. I’d also like to see an option to create groups. It is not possible to add more than one group of folders currently.

If you’re a Facebook user you may have accumulated a lot of contacts who may even have in your Outlook contact list, but don’t have pics for. OutSync is a free application that enables you to mass add all your Facebook friends, and their pics, to your Outlook contact list, with virtually a click of the button.

Sadly, phone numbers and emails are out of the questions, since this activity may leave you banned, therefore the app doesn’t allow it. The reason is pretty straightforward, this way some bad intentioned people could just grab all emails from Facebook, flooding everyone with spam.

You can download OutSync from the developer website at Codeplex. The program’s latest updated dates back more than a year ago, and some users have reported that it won’t work under Windows 7.

The main program window is actually the only window of the program. You can add source files and folders on the left side and their destination on the right. Several options are available to define the synchronization further. You can opt to only sync newer files, create folders if they are not existing, use a bidirectional synchronization, exit or shutdown at the end and to reduce disk fragmentation by deleting files before replacing them.

Dsynchronize has a build in scheduler with several options. Users can choose to synchronize in intervals of x hours / minutes, synchronize every day, specify week days or days of the month. A real time (experimental) feature is available as well which synchronizes as soon as changes are made to files and folders specified.

Dsynchronize is compatible to Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT and Windows Vista and available in English, German, Italian and Korean.

The backup is then created in the location with the file name that you have specified. The restore function restores a previously created backup. The Sync function works with a few clicks as well. Select a source and destination and what you want to do. Options are to copy, update, mirror (copy, update) or to equalize folders. Attributes can be optionally retained and results previewed. Files or folders can be excluded as well. A click on Go starts this operation as well.

Toucan offers a third function which can encrypt files or folders. Just select a file or folder, select an algorithm and password and click go to encrypt the files. Please note that you can’t restore the files without the password.

The backup and sync function can be accessed from the command line as well which makes it possible to create batch files that backup files in regular intervals. Usage is pretty straightforward as well. It looks like this for backup and secure:

Toucan

and this way for syncing:

Toucan

is a previously saved job in Toucan.

I found a useful article that gives you a detailed instruction on how to synchronize your bookmarks between different computers using Firefox. Unfortunately its only working for Firefox but its better than having no option at all. You only need a Firefox extension and a way to save your bookmarks on a server. The article helps you in finding a server on which you can save your bookmarks. Its not necessarily if you have a network connection with the other PC or an usb stick.

Update: The guide is no longer available. Recent changes introduced in browsers such as Google Chrome, Firefox or Opera allow users to synchronize their bookmarks and other data automatically between devices. These methods usually work only between browsers of the same type so.

Firefox users can for instance make use of the built-in Firefox Sync feature that they can use to synchronize bookmarks, passwords and other user data. Opera users have Opera Link to do the same, and Google Chrome has a similar feature that you can access under Wrench > Options > Personal Stuff. When you sign in with your Google account, your personal data gets saved to the cloud and synced with all versions of the browser where you are signed in as well.

A user account needs to be created before bookmarks and other data can be synchronized though.

There is also Linkman Lite which allows you to synchronize bookmarks, and an article where I look to find the best bookmark manager.