Microsoft Office Outlook Team Blog

I would like to sync the Local Calendar with the Windows Live Calendar. How can I do that? I don't want to have 2 separate calendars. Google provides the Google Calendar Sync that does this. What's your option?

That's great news guys, thanks for keep on working on that and improving it day by day!  : ))

I have a question for you, this is my current situation:

1. I have a WM6.1 phone device and I'm currently syncronizing it with my Outlook calendar via either USB cable or bluetooth.

2. On the WM6.1 phone I have Windows Live Mobile installed and I get new emails pushed to the device from my Windows Live Custom Domain account (I use it for my business) using a UMTS data connection.

3. At the same time the Outlook Connector allows me to receive the same emails on Outlook 2007.

--> Now my question is: will it be possible to use Windows Live Calendar as the only calendar service, having it syncronized with Outlook via the new Outlook Connector 12.1 and then syncronizing it with the WM6.1 device (either via USB, or bluetooth or *maybe* pushed via Windows Live Mobile)?!?

Looking forward to read your advice, best regards.

Fabrizio

Will Outlook tasks be synced with Windows Live Calendar tasks?  I'll even take basic name/due date info.  

I'm trying to install new Outlook Connector, but after installation and restarting Outlook it prompts for upgrade again %)

I think I know, why it prompts me to download new Outlook Connector... That's because link provided above says its version is "12.1", but when you download the file you find out that the real version is "12.0...".

Excellent!

Now, a couple of questions. In previous beta versions I always asked here on the blog, never got an answer on these and then had to install the connector myself just to find out that these things did not work and then had to uninstall again. I would much appreciate it if you guys could simply answer these questions this time here on the blog (or maybe even provide answers to these either on the download page or somewhere else).

The main question really is:

For those folders that are synched by the Connector (mail, calendar and contacts), is ALL information that I might have in Outlook synched to the cloud and back to other clients, or are there bits and pieces that will only stay in Outlook and not go up to the cloud? In particular, I am thinking about: follow up flags, due dates on follow up flags, categories on emails, categories on contacts. This might be incredibly vital information for users(due dates in particular), and Outlook Connector very much gives the impression that your inbox is backuped up to the cloud, but then in the betas it was really only partly synched/backed up and people might experience serious data loss when they find out that actually e.g. due dates are not synched.

Will this sycn option for Windows Live work for those of us using Outlook with Microsoft Exchange? In other words, will my exchange calendar finally be able to sync with my live calendar? Please say yes!

I've upgraded my Outlook Connector to rhe version 12.1 but now I've a problem.

Indeed, now, every time I try to add an Rss Feed, Outlook show me this error:

"You cannot create subfolders in a mailbox for a Web-based account. For more information, go to http://g.live.com/1OLC12URL/Create"

(moreover this page doesn't exist)

How can I do?

Thank you

Does this sync (copy over) my appointments from Outlook to Windows Live Calendar or does it only allow me to see my Windows Live Calendar side-by-side in Outlook?

I would really like something that can sync my Outlook calendar with the Windows Live one and was hoping this was it but so far it doesn't seem to be.

Thanks!

The new version is much better! - many bugs I had with 12.0 have been fixed.

Are you planning to support even Tasks synchronization? I can see task list in my Live calendar as well as in Outlook. But they are not synchronizing..

Congratulations for getting the Office Outlook Connector ready! However, there seem to be some nasty sync issues regarding editing contact addresses.

1. Suppose you enter a contact in Outlook 2007 to your live contacts folder,  enter a name, phone number and Home address (check the Home address as default). Save the contact, do Send/recieve and the changes are uploaded to the Hotmail cloud and shown there OK after a while

2. On the web, go to hotmail and edit the same contact, and change the home address from let's say "5th Avenue" to "5th Avenue Test". Press the save link. Also edit the Memo/Comments field and put a text like "test" to see when the changes have been propagated.

3. Go to Outlook 2007 and do send/recieve and wait. After a while, the text in the Memo field will be updated. However, the Home address will never be updated!!!

This is a fairly easily reproducable bug, and I don't know where to report it, I hope the team can get it from here. As of now, I dare not update any addresses since it seems very uncertain and unclear which address changes get propagated and which does not. Not good.....

I have further investigated the sync issue, and noticed that the address actually gets synchronized, but only if you after the auto sync in Outlook press the "Address..." button left of the address field. So it seems to be an Outlook 2007 issue. However, I truly hope your team can find a solution to this issue, because showing false addresses in the address box unless the user presses Adress... is not a very good sync solution...

Echoing some previous comments, I REALLY wish we would be provided with some detailed info about what changes are made in each version of Outlook Connector.  From my point of view, each version offers fewer features than the previous version, and I can't tell which changes are intended, and which are bugs.

Earlier versions synchronized Notes and Tasks between Outlook running on multiple clients.  12.1 appears to do neither.

Earlier versions sometimes (but not always) synchronized master categories applied to e-mails.  12.1 does not.  Are these features that are supposed to work but simply don't, features that have temporarily been removed but which may come back in later versions of Connector, or are they features that have been abandoned forever?

Documentation of Outlook Connector appears to be almost non-existent.  Is there a source of information I am missing?

Will Microsoft releases Pocket Outlook Connector for Windows Mobile?

First. Connector is a wonderful tool. I've been using it for a long time on both hotmail and gmail. (At last I can sensibly manage my gmail without those dumb labels ;-))

Second. (Sorry I don't know where else to put this)

For the last few days I've been receiving an error connecting to one of my hotmail accounts. (The one I've used to join this blog)

I didn't pay much attention to it but after the update to 12.1 today I decided to investigate.

Tried send and receive several times checked the account settings in Outlook everything seemed OK. I went to my account online in explorer and was shown a hotmail update message instead of the home page. I clicked continue and got to my home page. Checked the account settings in hotmail everything seemed OK.

Went back to Connector and tried send receive again. It worked! Conclusion must be that something in hotmail to do with the update message prevented connector from connecting.

Thanks again for a great tool.

I am getting the Live mailbox size of 500GB when viewed from outlook connector 12.1. It was the same with 12.1 Beta 2. Now the same bug/feature on another machine.

--

G Krishnaa

I'm not going to be happy until I can totally ditch Outlook and be able to sync my Windows Mobile phone directly with Live Calendar through Windows Live Mobile.

I have this big honking Outlook app on my computer hogging all sorts of resources that I totally don't need ONLY to keep my calendar in sync... It's completely moronic.

Hi folks,

I wonder, why after installation of Microsoft Office Outlook Connector 12.1 in Outlook 2007 under "Outlook Connector -> About" Version 12.0.6414.1000 occures, while 12.1.xxxx.yyyy ist expected. Is this a flaw by MS in versioning or a remaining of previous Beta?

OK I downloaded/saved, ran and got a prompt to repair or remove to which I said repair.  Then my connector was still 12.0 so then I ran it chose remove and then ran again to install and the version outlook reports is MicrosoftC Office Outlook® Connector (12.0.6414.1000)is this 12.1 and what am I doing wrong.  MS never fails to make me look like an idiot.

I’m unable to sync Tasks between my Windows Live Calendar and Outlook.  I’m assuming this capability isn’t available yet in 12.1, correct?  If so, is this capability under development and when can we expect to see a Beta version available?

Also, Notes are no longer available in Windows Live Calendar.  Will Notes we added back in the future?  If so does the Connector plan add sync for Notes as well?

Lastly, I’d like to see calendar and task synchronization added to WM6.1.  Currently my contacts and emails sync wonderfully with my mobile device over the air but calendar items don’t.  To sync calendar items require syncing with my desktop’s outlook using Mobile Device Center.        

After installing Outlook Connector 12.1, AutoArchive is not working. I have

been using AutoArchive to pull items from my deleted items folder so Windows

Live Hotmail does not delete them and they can be kept in my archive folder.

I confugure AutoArchive to run every 1 day then configure the deleted items

folder to clean out items older than 1 day. The expected result is for there

to be items in my hotmail deleted items folder no more than one day old and

the deleted items folder in my Archive folder should be growing by the day!

however, when AutoArchive runs nothing moves from my Windows Live Hotmail

deleted items folder.

Any ideas???

Hello all,

this is in response to all questions regarding the file version of 12.1.

While we refer to this version of Outlook Connector as "12.1" the version still refers to it as 12.0.

The release version number of 12.1 is 12.0.6414.1000.

Thanks

Alessio Roic

Program Manager - Microsoft

Hello again,

in response to queries regarding synching Outlook local calendar (such as Exchange calendar or other POP calendars) to Windows Live Calendar. Currently this is not possible - Outlook Connector 12.1 allows only to synchronize calendar items on the Windows Live Calendar.

Thanks,

Alessio Roic

Program Manager - Microsoft

Hello all

with regard to: synchronizing Tasks. The current version of Outlook Connector supports synchronizing Calendar and Contact, but not tasks.

Thanks

Alessio Roic

Program Manager - Microsoft

Hello all,

Late last week we saw reports here on the blog of users being asked to upgrade Outlook Connector over and over, even after installing 12.1. We investigated and discovered some customer not using the English version of the Outlook Connector were directed to install the Beta 2 version of the Outlook Connector. Users of the English version of OLC were not impacted. The issue has been addressed as of Thursday 12/18.

I also would like to remind everyone that the correct file version of 12.1 is 12.0.6414.1000.

Thanks

Alessio Roic

Program Manager - Microsoft

I'm a fan of Microsoft outlook for many years. With the Microsoft Outlook Connector i'm very happy, but the question to me is: I organize my office files in another HD, not in C:. I need to change the default folder to hotmail to another HD and folder to maintain all things organized. The Outlook connector(hotmail) is the only program in  my Office 2007 storing my day-by-day files in C:. How to change this? What is the key in the registry to change this ?

Thanks!

In response to Marco's issue with adding RSS Feeds:

Hotmail does not currently support creating subfolders to the inbox. I'm therefore assuming that you might have changed the default folder location where RSS feeds folders are created to be under the Hotmail Inbox folder. To control this, check the Tools/Account Settings menu, and select the RSS Feeds tab in the Account Settings dialog. You can check the default path where the RSS feeds are currently created by clicking the "Change Folder" button.

Regards,

Alessio Roic

Microsoft office Program Manager, MSFT

Works great!  Would love to see tasks sync in the next version.

Still not quite sure whether this question has been answered:

I have 12.1 installed with Outlook 2007 and can view Hotmail contacts and calendar in Outlook.  Am I also able to sync calendar/contacts between my local Outlook pst file and Hotmail... or does connector just allow Hotmail to be viewed in Outlook?  If so, how do I do this?

Would be grateful for an answer as I've searched and searched ...!

I still think the Connector has poor functionality for most users and I am surprised you have not attempted to explain whether it will be improved soon. Basically most users have calendars already set up in Outlook plus task lists and contacts. What I would like is the connector to allow syncing with the Live calendar, tasks, and contacts with options to control whether one overwrites the other, mirrors the other, or add to the other, and allows control over which calendars are updated if there are multiple calendars. I think that Google does this already. I am surprised you are playing catch-up. Currently all that happens is that I have a new live Calendar with nothing in it and a few old Hotmail contacts in a separate contacts folder. This is virtually useless to me.

When are you going to fix the outlook connector problem in that it wont notify when new email arrives in hotmail account?  its quite annoying..  almost wonder why outlook connector was created at all... if it doesnt even have that basic of all basic features...  i try out every new version of it when it comes out hoping that someone has finally listened to all the feedback regarding this..  and always..  i go back to using windows live mail instead...   really is that necessary considering it wouldnt take much to add the feature?  Come on..  start listening to your users.  Please.  I would use it and be appreciative of it but for that.

I fail to get read receipts being sent when using the connector. It is making it unusable as people who do request a receipt should get one if I so desire.

Will this be corrected in the near future?

Works great, but it needs to sync tasks and notes to really compete against google.

Love it, just want tasks and notes.

I just spent over 2 hours on the phone trying to convince support that the product ID for Microsoft Office Outlook Connector is a valid product ID.  Since all the documentation for the connector says to contact support, please(!) tell support what this product is and who should provide support.

Hi,

how is it possible to define a different FROM: adress instead of the .msn address? There is neither a chance to set a different FROM: address nor to enter a REPLY TO: address...

this 'little' featur would be very helpful..

thx..

Hello, all.

Tried 12.1.

It does look like a noticeable improvement over 12.0 (seems to run swifter and log has more details with the entries that make sense).

But what about Tasks / Notes ? Is it in the works ?

I had to roll back to 12.0 (with regret), as 12.1 does not seem to provide synchronization for those items.

Or was it decided with Live Calendar to can Task / Notes permanently?

Please give us an update.

Thank you.

Thanks for responding, however:

I definitely believe the lack of read receipt functionality is an issue with the Outlook Connector. It does work with all other email accounts I have in Outlook (all of them being IMAP based) and it also does work with the Windows Live Mail client and the same Hotmail account, and for the same email item even, that it does not work for using the Outlook Connector. In Outlook, I do see that a read receipt is requested via the properties. I am not prompted for sending a receipt, which is my setting, and no receipt is being delivered to the sender.

(I have tried to get a response to this on the Outlook General newsgroup without success. No response whatsoever in fact.)

I sure hope this gets corrected, soon, in the next version of the connector.

Is it correct that MS Outlook connector will not work on an Exchange environment?

I need to sync calendars 2 ways ...

MS Outlook 2007 Exchange @ work (active directory) <--> Internet "Cloud" <---> MS Outlook 2003 (.pst)@ home.

Currently I am using google calendar sync, but it does not support invited meetings.  I have been waiting a very long time for a solution for this.  My old solution of carrying an IPAQ Windows Mobile 5 back and forth and syncing it creates way too many duplicates.  My secretary and I need to see my kids swim lessons, karate, etc as to not accept invites on my behalf for meetings.

I do not need to sync contacts or email, just the calendar.

I am running XP and I recently installed Office Enterprise 2007 on my home computer connected to the internet via DSL.  I use Outlook connector for

email, calendar and contacts with Windows Live.  OK, I add appointments to my calendar in Outlook and set the reminder, sometimes the default 15 minutes,

sometimes a couple of days and sometimes it is recurring.  When the appointment comes due, I receive the reminder popup and I click on dismiss.  The problem is the reminder will popup everytime outlook synchronizes until the appointment passes.  I have tried clean reminders, Outlook diagnostics, repair Outlook installation, removed and added email account, clicked on dismiss all, I have opened the appointment and changed notification to none and then saved, but the reminder keeps on coming. Please help.

The new Windows Live People function allows me to have up to 6.500 contacts in my contacts list.

Unfortunately, Office Live Connector 12.1 still uses the old 1000-contacts limit when I want to add a new contact in Outlook.

Is it possible to fix this in the next release? Or is there a workaround?

  Is it a requirement to switch from outlook connector 12.0 to outlook connector 12.1 to be able to access our calendar through outlook once the MSN calendaring service shuts down and is switched to the Windows live calendar? (this april?)

  If so, it should probably be mentioned in the main body of your Blog. Luckily, i stumbled onto another site that talks about this shut down and transfer of calendars or i would not have had a clue.

  http://wlcalendarsupport.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!DDCC8DF8E4587352!116.entry?sa=165069482

  I found the following information on another website...

Q: What is happening?

A: Now that Windows Live Calendar has come out of beta, we’re helping customers move from the original (MSN) calendar to the Windows Live Calendar. As soon as everyone has moved over, the original (MSN) calendar will retire.

Q: When is this happening?

A: Your calendar data may be moved as early as March 1, 2009, after which you will no longer be able to access your original (MSN) calendar. The original (MSN) calendar is estimated to close on July 1, 2009, at which date we anticipate that all users will have moved to Windows Live Calendar.  NOTE: this date is subject to change.

Q: What do I need to do?

A: We’ll do most of the moving for you; we’ll move over your appointments, meeting requests, tasks, and notes. If you have attachments in your original (MSN) web calendar, please save the files from your calendar to your computer by March 1st, 2009. After March 1, 2009, you may no longer be able to access your attachments.

Q: What data will not be automatically moved over to my new calendar?

A: Deleted items (such as items you deleted from your original (MSN) calendar and items older than 3 months which are automatically deleted from the original calendar) will not be moved over automatically. Additionally, if you have added attachments (like presentations, documents, and spreadsheets) to your calendar through Microsoft Outlook Connector or the MSN® Premium desktop client, your attachments will not be moved to your new calendar. If you have attachments in your original web calendar, please save the files from your calendar to your computer by March 1st, 2009. After March 1, 2009 you may no longer be able to access your attachments.

Hello; when I attempt to access one of my Hotmail accounts in Outlook 2007 I receive the following message

"The set of folders cannot be opened. The information store could not be opened." I am using version 12.1; I have two Hotmail accounts and one is working fine. Please let me know any information that may help, thank you.

What is the difference in functionality between using the Outlook Connector and POP3 to access the Hotmail server.

I have been loath to try the latest connector on anything other than a test machine as the last time I tried it on a production machine I had to go back to a ghost image.

If I just stay with POP3 what am I missing?

Thanks,

Steve

I normally use Outlook 2003 to manage my e-mails through a comcast account.  I now have a hotmail account associated with my web address through Microsoft Business Office Live.  In order to manage my hotmail e-mail communication through Outlook rather than always going to the website to read messages, I downloaded Outlook Connector.  So far, I get a copy of received e-mails in my personal folder under 'Inbox' but when I send an e-mail after switching my account setting to the hotmail account, no record of the sent e-mail shows up in my person folder under sent.  I went to the hotmail account and saved the setting (save sent e-mails in the sent folder).  Do I need to be an MSN Premier user to get a copy of my sent e-mails as is customary for all of my other e-mail addresses? Does anyone have any suggestions?

Diane

I currently use Live Mail 12.0.1606 on Vista and have downloaded the latest version. I use a POP server for multiple mail accounts, not Live Hotmail. At work I use Outlook 2003. If I install the newest version of LM and the newest Outlook Connector, can I synch my work Outlook mail, contacts and calendar with my LM accts?

Thanks,

Pat Smart