Your smartphone comes with some applications preinstalled, like Outlook Mobile Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks—and Windows Media Player. But there are many, many more applications available that can help you get even more from your smartphone. When you go to download an application, you’ll have a choice of downloading it to the device itself or to a storage card. It’s always best to download to a storage card. Your smartphone has about 30 MB free, while a storage card typically has at least 512 MB of space. By downloading to a storage card, you’ll make sure the application won’t tie up your system resources. And you’ll still have the application icon on your smartphone, so you can easily access applications stored on the card. Best of all, because your smartphone has persistent storage, you won’t lose any applications you download—even if you run your battery down.

To get started, try some of the free applications from Windows Mobile. There are also hundreds of applications available for purchase through the Certified Software Catalog.

Two Ways to Download and Install Applications

The two primary methods for downloading and installing applications on your smartphone are:

You can also download applications from the Web over the air. You enter your mobile phone number and then receive a text message with the download link. When you click on the link, it will automatically download the application. Be sure you have a data plan in place before attempting to connect to the Internet. Check with your wireless service provider to find out about available data plans.

Install from your PC

With this method, the file that installs the application on your smartphone runs on the PC. The steps are:

More information is available in the Install, Find, and Remove Your Apps article.

Install from a .CAB File

When you install a program from a .CAB file, the entire .CAB file is transferred to your smartphone and the installation program runs there, rather than on your PC. The steps are:

• Navigate to the application you want to download (which could be on your PC or on the Web).
• Open ActiveSync on your PC.
• Click Explore.
• Copy the file to \Storage\Windows\Start Menu\Accessories on your device.
• On your smartphone, click Start > Accessories and scroll to the .CAB file.If you don’t see the file in Accessories, use File Manager to find and open the file.
• Open the .CAB file.

That’s all you have to do. The application will automatically install itself on your device.

Applies to: Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone

Microsoft Windows Media Player Mobile for Smartphone is software that lets you play music and videos on your Windows Mobile powered Smartphone.

You can use Windows Media Player Mobile for Smartphone to play digital audio and video files that are stored on your phone or on the Web.

By default, Windows Media Player Mobile can play the following types of files:

• Windows Media Audio (WMA)
• Windows Media Video (WMV)
• Motion Picture Experts Group-2 Audio Layer-3 (MP3)

This includes files with .asf, .wma, .wmv, and .mp3 file name extensions. If the manufacturer of your phone has installed additional components, your version of Windows Media Player Mobile might be capable of playing additional file types.

In this documentation, the version of Windows Media Player for Windows powered desktop or notebook computers is called the desktop Player and the version for Smartphone is called the Smartphone Player.

Listen to Music and Watch Videos

Copy music and video files to your phone

Use the Sync feature in the desktop version of Windows Media Player to synchronize (copy) digital media files from your computer to your phone. Using Sync ensures that protected files and album art are copied to your device correctly.

To synchronize content to your device automatically, do the following:

Because your smartphone comes with Microsoft Windows Media Player Mobile for Smartphone, you can use it to play music and videos. By default, Windows Media Player Mobile can play the following types of files:

• Windows Media Audio (WMA)
• Windows Media Video (WMV)
• Motion Picture Experts Group-2 Audio Layer-3 (MP3)

These include files with .asf, .wma, .wmv, and .mp3 file name extensions. Some smartphone manufacturers install additional components on their phones that enable them to play additional file types. Check the manual that came with your phone—or check with the manufacturer—for more information.

To Download Music and Videos

The easiest way to get music and videos onto your smartphone is to use the Sync feature in the desktop version of Windows Media Player to copy the files from your PC to your phone. This approach ensures that protected files and album art will be copied to your smartphone correctly. To synchronize music or video content to your smartphone automatically, take these steps:

Windows Media Player will now begin copying the files you selected to your smartphone. The next time you connect your smartphone to your PC while the desktop version of Windows Media Player is running, synchronization will start automatically.

To Play Music and Videos

You can use the Library function on your smartphone to find and play songs, videos, and playlists, whether they are stored on your phone or on a removable storage card. Or you can connect to the Internet and play songs or videos directly from the Internet.

To use the Library:

To play a file stored on your smartphone that is not in a library, go to the Library screen and click Menu > Open File. Click and hold the item that you want to play (such as a file or a folder), and then click Play or Queue Up.

To play an item on the Internet:

Troubleshooting:

If you are currently running any of the following Firewall Applications, please consult the detailed steps described below to add ActiveSync application processes into the Firewall exception list:

For additional firewall software not mentioned, please consult your firewall application documentation on how to add ActiveSync application to the exception list.

Note: ActiveSync files include:

These application processes are located in the ActiveSync installation folder (C:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\ if installed in C drive with default settings).

ActiveSync also uses the following ports for communication to/from these processes:
Inbound TCP:

Outbound UDP:

Network Connection Managers

Network Connection Managers are utilities that intelligently manage connection interfaces so that a PC with multiple connection methods (e.g. Ethernet, Wireless LAN, etc.) can leverage the best connection. In some cases, the utilities will shut down network interfaces and promote other interfaces for the best connection performance. Some of these utilities are implemented as NDIS Intermediate Drivers that monitor and affect the Windows system TCP/IP stack.

Since Windows Mobile 5.0 and ActiveSync 4.x now utilize the Windows system TCP/IP stack for communication, the device connection will appear as a network interface and can be interrupted by a Network Connection Manager utility. Some utilities may mistake the ActiveSync connection as a valid internet connection and shut it down in favor of Wireless LAN connection.

If you experience issues with device to PC connectivity, please upgrade to Activesync 4.5.

VPN Clients

Virtual Private Network (VPN) Clients are utilities that facilitate a remotely connected PC to authenticate and join a secure private network. Some components of VPN clients are implemented as NDIS Intermediate Drivers that monitor and affect the Windows system TCP/IP stack traffic.

Since Windows Mobile 5.0 and ActiveSync 4.x now utilize the Windows system TCP/IP stack for communication, the device connection will appear as a network interface and information between the PC and your device may be erroneously interrupted by VPN Clients. This may cause difficulties in connecting the device with a PC while the PC is joined on a Virtual Private Network.

If you experience issues with device to PC connectivity in this case, please upgrade to Activesync 4.5.

Parental Control Utilities

Parental control utilities are often designed to block network traffic to designated internet addresses. These utilities may be implemented as a Layer Service Provider that monitors network traffic across multiple Windows applications. ActiveSync communications between the PC and your device may be erroneously interrupted as well by these Layer Service Providers making it difficult to establish a connection.

If you experience issues with device to PC connectivity, please upgrade to Activesync 4.5.

Hubs & Docking Stations

USB hubs and laptop docking stations have not exhibited consistent stability with Windows Mobile powered devices and ActiveSync.

Please connect the device directly to the PC USB ports if you experience connection drops or inability to connect through a USB hub or docking station.

Network Traffic Optimizers

Network Traffic Optimizers are utilities that enhance a connection to increase connection throughput. In some cases, this is done by modifying the network packets or re-directing network traffic to save transfer time. Some of these utilities are implemented as Transport Driver Interface Drivers that are installed in the Windows system to monitor the TCP/IP stack.

Since Windows Mobile 5.0 and ActiveSync 4.x now utilize the Windows system TCP/IP stack for communication, the device connection will appear as a network interface and information between the PC and your device may be erroneously interrupted by Network Traffic Optimizers. If you experience issues with device to PC connectivity, please make sure that a Network Traffic Optimizer is not conflicting with the connection. You can check this by disabling or uninstalling the Network Traffic Optimizing software you are running.

Synchronization Issues with Microsoft Outlook

If you are experiencing difficulties setting up and completing synchronization of data with Microsoft Outlook, please refer to the following section to find details about symptoms and workarounds.

Synchronization Error 85010017

In some cases, ActiveSync will fail to synchronize data with Microsoft Outlook with Synchronization Error code 85010017. This could be due to the presence of large volume of items on first sync or specific large items such as a calendar item with many meeting attendees. Some targeted instances of this have been fixed in Activesync 4.5.If you are experiencing this on Windows 2000 or Windows XP SP1, please upgrade to Activesync 4.5. Otherwise you can try archiving your inbox to reduce the number of items in the mailbox for synchronization.

Synchronization Error 85010014

ActiveSync reports a Synchronization Error code 85010014 because of one of the following reasons:

Application Data Folder Redirected:

If your Application Data folder under Documents & Settings folder is redirected to an external source, you will experience synchronization failures.

Please upgrade to Activesync 4.5 if you are experiencing this issue.

Outlook is in Offline Mode:

If you are attempting to set up synchronization or are synchronizing when Microsoft Outlook is in Offline mode or when you do not have connectivity to the Microsoft Exchange Server with Outlook, you may experience synchronization failures.

Please upgrade to Activesync 4.5 if you are experiencing these issues.

It is still recommended that you have Microsoft Outlook in the Online mode when synchronizing with your device.

Outlook Scripting Blocked:

Certain Desktop PC security applications may disable Outlook scripting which is required for ActiveSync too set up communications with Outlook to synchronize data.

Please ensure that script blocking for Outlook is not enabled to work around this issue. Please consult your PC security application documentation on how to disable script blocking for Microsoft Outlook.

Incorrect Outlook Registration:

Please see “Outlook needs to be Re-Installed or Repaired” section for details.

Device Synchronization App Crashes or sync fails

We have found that certain data items, when synchronized with the device could cause bad properties to be set on the Windows Mobile device.

If you are experiencing frequent sync failures or device crash errors, please upgrade to Activesync 4.5.

Outlook needs to be Re-installed or Repaired

In some cases when Microsoft Outlook is not the primary Email client on the PC, you may see the following symptoms:

Please upgrade to Activesync 4.5 if you are experiencing these issues.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/help

Microsoft ActiveSync 4.5 is a new software update release for Windows Mobile powered devices that provides a great synchronization experience with Windows-powered PCs and Microsoft Outlook.

Note: Microsoft ActiveSync works only with Windows XP SP2 or earlier. If you have Windows Vista, your synchronization settings will be managed through the Windows Mobile Device Center. Windows Mobile Device Center is available through the Windows Mobile Device Center page.

Supported Features

Notes:

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000 Service Pack 4; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 for Itanium-based Systems; Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition; Windows XP Media Center Edition; Windows XP Professional x64 Edition ; Windows XP Service Pack 1; Windows XP Service Pack 2; Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
• Microsoft® Outlook® XP, Microsoft® Outlook® 2003 or Microsoft Outlook 2007® messaging and collaboration clients required for synchronization to the desktop or portable computer of e-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes. (Outlook 2007 is recommended)
• Microsoft® Office XP, Microsoft® Office 2003, or Microsoft® Office 2007
• Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6. or later (required)
• Microsoft® Systems Management Server 2.0

The following mobile device operating systems are supported by ActiveSync 4.5:

Download ActiveSync 4.5

Instructions

Please select your language below to begin your download of the ActiveSync 4.5 update

More Information

• Microsoft ActiveSync 4.5 Privacy Statement

*Connectivity and synchronization may require separately purchased equipment and/or wireless products (e.g., Wi-Fi card, network software, server hardware, and/or redirector software). Service plans are required for Internet, Wi-Fi and phone access. Features and performance may vary by service provider and are subject to network limitations. See device manufacturer, service provider and/or corporate IT department for details.