Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) 6 is Windows Vista version of Microsoft ActiceSync mobile synchronization software, which is only supported in Windows earlier than Windows Vista release. If you upgrade from Windows XP’s ActiveSync to Vista’s WMDC or synchronize the Pocket PC mobile device with 2 PCs, your new partnership between Windows Vista computer and Windows Mobile device will be named ‘Windows PC 2’ or subsequent name instead of ‘Windows PC’ in Windows Mobile Device Center’s Mobile Device Settings.

This symptom will create a problem that as if synchronization is not done, as by default, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Emails, Mobile Favorites and etc will only sync with computer named ‘Windows PC’. You need to change content sync settings in WMDC, and the modify sync setting of each items to instruct mobile device to sync with your new ‘Windows PC 2’ computer. The easy way is by changing the current Windows Vista PC to ‘Windows PC’, however, there is no way to do it in WMDC.

Unlike in ActiceSync 4.5 or earlier, where user can easily change, rename and even delete the friendly name for the PC component of the partnership under the Settings in Options, this ability has been dropped in WMDC 6.0 in Windows Vista. Thus in Windows Vista, you’ll be unable to change or modify the friendly name of the partnership, nor able to delete the partnerships with other computers that currently exists in the PPC. However, in Mobile Device Settings, when you manage a partnership, you can still see the multiple PC settings that shared with the portable device.

The workaround trick is to delete or remove a synchronized computer change its name from Windows Mobile (WM) device itself, instead of doing it from Vista PC. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Unplug the Windows Mobile device from the syncing connection.
  2. On Windows Mobile device, go to Start -> Program -> ActiveSync.
  3. Tap on Menu -> Options.
  4. You should see all configured synchronized PCs, such as Windows PC and Windows PC 2. To rename a connection name, tab and hold on the source, and then select Settings. Key in a new “Friendly name”.

    Note that if you want to rename the name to an already existed name, such as Windows PC, you will need to rename or delete that synchronization source name first. To delete a source, tab and hold on the source, and then select “Delete”.

  5. Once you have configured the name and elected the source of where you want to sync, plug back the mobile device to Vista computer, once connected to WMDC, the contents should sync correctly by now.

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