Release of BirdieSync 2.0.0.0 beta-s

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Birdy
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Release of BirdieSync 2.0.0.0 beta-s

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Version 2.0.0.0 beta-s

The long awaited BirdieSync 2.0 is now available in beta version ! :-) This is a major step for BirdieSync since it now has its own synchronization engine, no longer relies on ActiveSync for synchronization and supports Thunderbird 3.0 and Lightning/Sunbird 1.0. Here are some of the new functionalities available in this version:

Supports of the new versions of Thundebird and Sunbird:

- Thunderbird 3.0 and Lightning (1.0b1)/Sunbird 1.0b2pre (17th of January) support
- Photo synchronization

Better control of synchronization:

- New synchronization engine (no longer uses ActiveSync for synchronization)
- History of all the operations performed during the synchronization
- Easy identification and management of the possible unresolved items
- You can now synchronize with more than 2 computers (ex: home, work and laptop)
- Setting of the synchronization frequency (it was not possible with ActiveSync in Vista and 7)
- Possibility to choose which version to keep if an item was simultaneously modified on desktop and mobile device (it was not possible with ActiveSync in Vista and 7)
- Possibility to replace all your items on the mobile device at first synchronization (it was not possible with ActiveSync in Vista and 7)
- You can also restart from start the synchronization of a single category of items (contacts, events, etc.)

More user-friendly:

- Errors during synchronization are now clearly displayed (no more "attention required")
- Independent synchronization set up and no more confusion with Outlook synchronization
- It is no longer necessary to reconnect the mobile device after BirdieSync options were updated
- Common errors on the mobile device no longer disconnect the mobile device and are displayed on the desktop
- All synchronization information is accessible from a single window

More security:

- Confirmation requested if the number of deleted items is superior to a configurable threshold
- Warning displayed if the mobile device hadn't been synchronized for a long period of time

Beta updates:

Version s fixes:

The trial period is extended for users who have tried the beta since the very beginning

Compatible with Thundebird 3.0.x, Lightning 1.0b1 and new support of Sunbird 1.0b2pre (17th of January) (update your version of Sunbird)

- Time is now synchronized when you connect your mobile device with your desktop
- If identical contacts had photos, the duplicated items were not removed
- After an unresolved item was deleted, modifications on the mobile device were no longer detected
- When an unresolved item happened during creation, deleting this unresolved item with the "Delete item" button lead to another unresolved item for the deletion
- In some particular circumstances, even if Thunderbird was running, it was launched again leading to an error "Thunderbird is not responding".
- When connecting the mobile device, an error could be displayed on the mobile device mentioning that it was not possible to start BirdieSync
- After BirdieSync was uninstalled on the mobile device, a message could appear "...BirdieSync.exe could not be launched" when connecting the mobile device
- A windows was not displayed when a critical error happened during the installation or uninstallation on the mobile device
- When synchronization was running, the background of item categories was gray in the activation tab
- A trace was added to desribe the item when a creation or a modification failed on the mobile device
- Some error traces didn't properly display the problematic items

Version r fixes:

- When the mobile device is connected, BirdieSync task is no longer brought to the foreground on the mobile device
- If a window is closed while BirdieSync is minimized in the system tray, BirdieSync application no longer exits
- If a mail account was deleted, Thunderbird could crash
- An error is now displayed on the mobile device if a Smartphone version (no touch screen) was installed on a Pocket PC (touch screen) or the contrary
- An error is now displayed on the mobile device in some cases if a critical error happened and forced the application to exit

Version q fixes:

The trial period is extended by 10 days for users who have tried the beta since the very beginning

- It is now possible to quickly stop the synchronization if there is a problem with the initialization of BirdieSync extension in Thunderbird or Sunbird
- The installer no longer exits if an error occurs while declaring BirdieSync with Windows firewall
- Installer logs are now properly filled
- Installer errors while launching external commands are now properly managed

Version p fixes:

- The mobile device could be not detected as Connected (although it was displayed as Connected in ActiveSync or the WMDC)
- After synchronization preferences were saved, synchronization could start with an unexpected error if synchronization frequency was set and if the mobile device was disconnected.
- Having non ASCII characters in the user account name could lead to problems during the installation or lead to various errors during the synchronization (unexpected errors, Thunderbird or Sunbird extension not initialized)
- If an item was modified on the mobile device while it was connected but before it was synchronized, it could lead to a disconnection of the mobile device
- The memory consumption could abnormally increase on the mobile device
- While synchronizing, an error mentioning that Thunderbird or Sunbird was not installed could be incorrectly displayed
- If a previous version 1.x of BirdieSync hadn't been uninstalled, a message could be displayed at connection mentioning that BirdieSync hadn't been installed on the mobile device.

Version o fixes:

The trial period is extended by 10 days for users who have tried the beta since the very beginning

- The mobile device could be not detected as Connected (although it was displayed as Connected in ActiveSync or the WMDC)
- During installation, an advanced rule is automatically added to the Windows Firewall to allow BirdieSync.exe to accept incoming connections

Version m fixes:

Windows mobile 2003 device users are strongly advised to upgrade to this new version

- On Windows mobile 2003 devices, synchronization of recurring events and tasks could lead to the deletion or the recreation of the items on the desktop
- On Windows mobile 2003 devices, synchronization of mails could be slow
- If a profile path ended with a slash in profiles.ini, an "unexpected error" could be displayed

Version l fixes:

- In some rare circumstances, items could be deleted on the desktop because of a problem with Pocket Outlook
- If Pocket Outlook had a problem with a particular category of item (mails for instance), the whole synchronization was stopped with an "unexpected error"
- It was impossible to synchronize contacts with photos if the profile had non ascii characters
- An error could be displayed on the desktop when installing BirdieSync mobile device part
- If a BirdieSync error windows was closed while the main window was hidden in the system tray, the whole BirdieSync application exited without any notice

Version k fixes:

- The mobile device could be not detected as Connected (although it was displayed as Connected in ActiveSync or the WMDC)
- Events and tasks with dates prior to 1970 were improperly synchronized

Version j fixes:

You may see an "Unexpected error" when you first install this new version (this could be caused by the previous version installed on the mobile device during the installation). In that case, simply reconnect your mobile device.

- The mobile device could disconnect when non critical errors happened on the mobile device
- The mobile device could disconnect if it was idle during enough time to power down
- Unresolved items were still displayed when the mobile device was disconnected

Version i fixes:

- Synchronization of contacts with photos could be slow
- If a profile path didn't exist, an error was displayed during installation (cleaning of extension cache)

When the history was activated:

- The BirdieSync window could not respond during the synchronization
- The CPU load was important
- The selection of the History tab could take some time

Version h fixes:

- An error could be displayed at the beginning of installation regarding the installation on an assembly
- When installing BirdieSync on the mobile device, an error was displayed if the operation lasted more than 30s
- Sometimes, the log archiver could not find logs on the mobile device

Version g fixes:

- After a disconnection and a reconnection, Pocket PC 2003 devices (and sometimes other mobile devices) were not detected as connected
- During synchronization, Pocket PC 2003 could disconnect

Version f fixes:

Caution: all contacts with photos present on the desktop will be synchronized again to the mobile device.

- If photos on the web were used in contacts, the synchronization of contacts could stop with an unexpected error
- Windows mobile 2003 devices could not connect to the desktop
- In some particular circumstances, BirdieSync extension could crash and BirdieSync options were not properly filled
- The log archiver could not be launched

Version e fixes:

- After the mobile device was disconnected and reconnected, BirdieSync could sometimes not detect its reconnection although the Windows Mobile Device Center displayed it as connected
- A confirmation request is now displayed if the user decides to delete an unresolved item on both the mobile device and the desktop

Version d fixes:

- An expected error could happen synchronizing the contacts
- If photos had never been created in contacts in Thunderbird, contacts with photos synchronized from the mobile device could lead to unresolved items
- If a calendar selected for synchronization could not be accessed (for instance the Birthday calendar because the associated extension was disabled), an unexpected error was displayed. Now an error mentions the problematic calendar.

Version c fixes:

- In some particular circumstances and after a reinstallation, mails could be incorrectly considered as being deleted on the mobile device

Version b fixes:

- Installer no longer displays an error when installing BirdieSync mobile device part
- The log archiver no longer exits if an archive hadn't been previously generated

Backup:

This a BETA version. Before installing it, it is STRONGLY recommended to BACKUP your data as described in this FAQ topic.

Known problems:

No warning is displayed if items are deleted on the mobile device because there were synchronized in a folder whose synchronization way is "From PC to mobile device".
If you install BirdieSync on a restricted Windows user account (no administrator rights), it is necessary to exit BirdieSync (and possibly Thunderbird or Sunbird) at the of the installation and to save again BirdieSync synchronization options as well as BirdieSync options in Thunderbird or Sunbird. It may also be necessary to clean up extension cache as described in this FAQ topic.

Download and installation:

You must first install Thunderbird 3.0 and Lighthing 1.0b1 or Sunbird 1.0b2pre (17th of January). Caution: these versions are not finalized so they could be unstable.

It is recommended to UNINSTALL BirdieSync (also on the mobile device) before installing this new version.

You may DOWNLOAD the beta version.
This beta version will work for 21 days. If you reach the end of the trail period, install the last new beta version to extend it.

Please report any problem you would find in this beta version.
You may post them on the forum or directly contact support(at)birdiesync.com

Although BirdieSync has now its own synchronization engine, it is presently still necessary to install ActiveSync or the Window Mobile Device Center.
On XP, it is still necessary to install ActiveSync to be able to connect your mobile device and access to your mobile device files from the desktop.
On Vista and 7, it is only necessary to install the Windows Mobile Device Center to be able to install BirdieSync on the mobile device. But it should be possible to uninstall the WMDC afterwards.

License upgrade:

Registered users of BirdieSync may upgrade to this new major version for half the original price. Users who will have registered their version of BirdieSync in the last 3 months before the official release of BirdieSync 2.0.0.0 (not the beta version) will be offered a free upgrade.
It is not possible to upgrade your license at the moment. The service will be provided soon.
No license information is displayed in this beta version.

Future developments:

This new synchronization engine gives the possibility to overcome a lot of ActiveSync limitations and offer exciting possibilities of new features. Stay tuned ! :-)
Birdy

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