Blog Post

Exchange Team Blog
1 MIN READ

Steps to manually recreate the sync relationship on mobile devices synchronizing with Microsoft Exchange Server

The_Exchange_Team's avatar
Jan 30, 2008

Steps to manually recreate the sync relationship on mobile devices synchronizing with Microsoft Exchange Server

In some troubleshooting scenarios, users may need to rebuild and resynchronize their partnership manually.

In previous versions of Microsoft Exchange Server, if you moved your mailbox to an upgraded server (such as Exchange Server 2003 to Exchange Server 2007 RTM) recreating the partnership was required.  However, if you move your mailbox to an Exchange Server 2007 with Service Pack 1, the new Sync State Upgrade feature is built into Move Mailbox and will allow you to continue synchronizing your device without resetting your partnership.

The following steps can be used to recreate the sync relationship on the device:

1. Open ActiveSync on the Device

2. In ActiveSync select the Menu button at the bottom right corner.

3. Next, select Options

4. In the Options Screen, select Delete

5. Click Yes on the ActiveSync message warning

6. Now that the sync relationship is deleted you will be prompted with a screen to setup your device to sync with Exchange. Click on the "setup your device to sync with it" link.

7. Enter the External Server address that is used to access Exchange.

For Example: mail.contoso.com

8. Select the Next button at the bottom right corner after you enter in the server name.

9. Enter your User name, password, and domain. Click Next

10. Select Finish. Your Device will now begin to sync and re-establish the sync relationship. After the sync you are finished.

Hope you find this useful!

- Shawn Jarrett

Updated Jul 01, 2019
Version 2.0
  • I think most of the readers know how to do this, but it's nice to have some semi-official documentation with pretty pictures to point users to if necessary (like when helping them on the phone...)
    Thanks!
  • Why didn't you also show pictures of setting up the account with autodiscover - wouldn't this be more smooth?
  • "Why didn't you also show pictures of setting up the account with autodiscover - wouldn't this be more smooth?"

    Because this isn't supported by any Windows Mobile devices yet...

  • <quote>
    "Why didn't you also show pictures of setting up the account with autodiscover - wouldn't this be more smooth?"

    Because this isn't supported by any Windows Mobile devices yet...
    </quote>

    This is what I suspect. Yes, I have the option on my devices, but it fails when I use it.

    I have autodiscover configured correctly on my Exchange 2007 SP1 (at least I think so because Outlook works with the feature).

    But I have failed to find any official documentation stating whether it's available or not, or if it requires WM 6.1 like many SP1 features do. The documentation states the rough steps needed to setup autodiscover, but no actual screenshots of it working :)

    Don't know if it's a limitation of using wildcard SSL certificates for autodiscover. (The wildcard certificate works when I manually configure ActiveSync of course, and said Outlook.)
  • We used the EMC to remove a mobile device partnership on a mailbox (the user had been migrated from Ex03 to Ex07 and wasn't syncing).  While the device resynced with Exchange, the option to manage a mobile device no longer appears in EMC for that mailbox.  On some mailboxes that do not have a mobile associated, the option is there.  Any clues as to why this would be the case?
  • I have a question about the account and password.
    You fill in the useraccount and password + domain, but what about password expiration on the domain? Does the user has to fill in the password again each time he has to change his password for the domain? Or is it synchronized in what way?
  • Does the same apply if you are using Certificate Authentication? Is the username/password field required to be updated by the user?