MVPs for Windows Phone 7: Syncing Outlook 2010 and Window Phone

Editor's Note: The following is a guest post by Windows Phone MVP Trent McMurray as part of the MVP Award Program Blog's "MVPs for Windows Phone 7" series. Trent is the owner of LAMARCOMM, LLC, a mobile solutions company that provides everything from Mobile Proximity Application solutions to a National Online Retailer for all the major wireless carriers in the United States. Trent was an early evangelist of the Windows Mobile Platform helping customers and users with solutions and applications for their Windows Mobile devices. Trent contributes to the community through the Windows VIP forum and has recently taken on the project of his newest website http://windowsphoneconcierge.com . Which helps uses with "How To's" and FAQ's dedicated to Windows Phone.

Being in the mobile retail business for over 10 yrs., helping customers and clients stay connected with their mobile devices became the way I do business to this day. But things are changing swiftly in the smartphone space. And when it comes to syncing with a Windows Phone, it’s a brand new game! And when it comes to syncing Outlook 2010 with Windows Phone it couldn’t get any easier! We all remember the days of active sync. Well when it comes to Window s Phone there is no more active sync when syncing Outlook 2010 with your Windows Phone.

Syncing your Windows Phone with Outlook 2010 is as easy as creating a Hotmail account and letting the “cloud” deliver your mail, and appointments to your Windows Phone. But before your  up and running you will need to stall Microsoft’s “Outlook Connector” software, available here: 

http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/outlook-help/microsoft-office-outlook-hotmail-connector-overview-HA010222518.aspx .

After installing the connector for Hotmail/Live, now you simply just need to add the account to Outlook 2010. Basically these are the steps needed to add the account and move on to have your mail and calendar sync to your Windows Phone.

1. You can add an account in Outlook by clicking “File,” the “Info” tab (if not already selected,) then clicking “+ Add Account”. Enter your information in the box that appears and click finish.
2. Once the new live account is created its time to move your current contacts and calendar information into the new account. Go into Outlook Contact’s view and select all your contacts (Ctrl + A, will select all of the quick and easy.)
3. Now select Move > Copy to Folder (you could also select “Other Folder,” but this would move the contacts rather than copy them.  By copying them, we’re leaving a copy in the original folder in case something goes wrong. Which I have done before!)
4. In the pop-up dialog box, expand your Hotmail/Live then select the Contacts folder under it and click “OK”.
5. You can view the folder by selecting it in the left hand pane to verify your contacts were copied. Your Contacts will now sync to the Live/Hotmail account you created. And will be available in the Live web interface, the Windows Live Mail clients, or Windows Phones.  Copying your Outlook Calendar data is pretty much the same, but requires an extra step to insure we get all of the Calendar information.
6. Switch to your Calendar, and then select File > Change View > List View to show all of your Calendar items in a single list.
7. Now, select all your calendar events.
8. Remember to Copy them with Move > Copy to Folder.
9. Select your Calendar folder under the Hotmail/Live Account, then click “Ok.
10. Just like you checked your contacts after your copied them do the same in step 5 above to see that your calendar events have been copied.

Now that everything is setup the way you want it to be and it is all syncing correctly and in order you can now make the Live folders the Default Personal folders in Outlook, so that they are pre-selected each time you start Outlook. (Optional – some choose this option some don’t)

1. Select File > Info > Account Settings,
2. Then, in the “Account Settings” pop-up box, select the Data Files tab, your Live account, and then “Set as Default”
3. A dialog box will pop-up warning that you are changing the default folders.  Select “OK” and restart Outlook.

Now created your Windows Live account on your Windows Phone and your email and contacts should begin to show up!

If you have Outlook installed on other PCs, like your laptop or netbook, install the Outlook Connector and sign in to the Live account with those PCs, and your Outlook data will sync between all of your connected PCs and devices.  If they don’t have Outlook, you can download the free Windows Live Mail software for those PCs instead, and access your Outlook data on them. 

I would like to thank my fellow Windows Phone MVP Todd A. who addressed this same topic (with graphics and all) on my website http://www.windowsphoneconcierge.com , where you can find many How-To’s and FAQ’s for Windows Phone.