Windows Mobile 2005 - Can you reset/clear Database (EDB) sync flags/count to avoid sync with ActiveSync? Serious Bug in WM2005!!

Hello All,

On Windows Mobile 2005 - Can you reset/clear Database (EDB) sync flags/count to avoid sync with ActiveSync I found a serious BUG with WM2005 because the replication values (bit based) APIs are non functional...

Use for this is any type of application that would Backup the PIM (Contact, Tasks, Appointments) and any other databases and restore the database back to it's original value...

Currently there appears to be no working APIs that allow the developer to clear the 'need to sync' flag on an EDB record.

There is a *CRITICAL* flaw with this... If contact/task/appointment (EDB records) information originated on the desktop and then synced to the PDA then the PDA will contain an abreveated version of the Body of each item (ususally the first 10-15 lines) - As soon as the EDB is backed up and then restored every record is marked as "changed" and will be sync-ed back to the desktop. This will truncate (delete content) on every record on the desktop.

I am very surprised that no one has found/condisered this as an issue as backing up the database and restoring it is VITAL to any SECURE mobile device and enterprise solution.

Does anyone know of any hacks that allow direct 'resetting' of the replication settings on PIM (Contacts, Tasks, Appointements) EDB records

Sincerely,

Jim R.
CCODER32
Dallas TX

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Windows Mobile 2005 - Can you reset/clear Database (EDB) sync flags/count to avoid sync with ActiveSync? Serious Bug in WM2005!!

Curly07
Actually, this functionality shouldn’t be needed at all, and would in fact be destructive in WM2005.

Based on your description, you're doing a record-by-record backup and restore (since backing up the whole volume as a file would not mark every record as changed). In that case, what you should do is at restore time, delete the records on the device, and add them from the backup. These items will then be marked as "adds" (EDB distinguishes changes from adds, a benefit over CEDB). On next sync, if the restore is done properly, a full resync will happen, where all the items from the desktop is pulled down to the device, reconciled with new records on the device, and then only items *only* present on the device are sent back up. This dupe detection will prevent your scenario where the device copy is sent back to the server, as long as:

- the item on device is marked as an add
- the sync is a complete resync, to force desktop/device to reconcile data

This functionality is new in WM2005.

If your restore is not deleting the records, but instead overwriting them, that would mark them as a change and you'd see the bad behavior you mention.

- Gary
shahid_mk

I just tested the ADD approach and it failed on WM2005 - This may work for MAIL database records, but fails on TASKS.

I tried several approaches to adding the record as a new record after the original record is deleted . Each attempt replace the original record on the Desktop with the 'new' copy from the device. I have tried this on 2 different WM2005/Magneto PDA devices.
ChaosOrdeal

Answer Found -
It is Impossible according to Microsoft -
A Business Impact has being filed.
sekarcts
Did this issue ever get resolved
Windows Mobile 2005 - Can you reset/clear Database (EDB) sync flags/count to avoid sync with ActiveSync? Serious Bug in WM2005!!

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