How to Sync Windows Phone with Outlook

If you’re using a Windows Phone 7 device in a corporate environment, you get the advantage of a piece of mobile hardware that you can sync with an Exchange server. Meanwhile you already have desktop syncing via Microsoft Outlook, giving you a uniform sync across all devices.

However it isn’t so easy for Windows Phone 7 owners that don’t have access to Microsoft Exchange, although it is still possible to enjoy a similar email and calendar sync dynamic with the help of your Windows Live account and Outlook Connector.

With a Windows Live Hotmail account setup in your desktop Outlook client you can then sync emails, contacts and calendar data between your PC and Windows Phone via your Hotmail account through Outlook connector!

Setting Up Windows Live Hotmail in Microsoft Outlook 2010

You can quickly get started with this by opening Outlook and adding your Windows Live account via File > Add Account – simply add your name, email address and password, click Next and Outlook will do the rest of the work for you. In a few moments time you will have your Hotmail account available in Outlook.

This includes both the email account, visible in the left pane in Outlook, any Contacts you have saved in your Windows Live account (accessed via the Contacts button, or CTRL+3) and your Windows Live calendar, which you can view and edit via the Calendar button (or CTRL+2).

Adding and editing contacts and calendar items in Outlook will be replicated to your Windows Live Hotmail account and this will then be synced to your Windows Phone a few moments later!

Managing Emails, Calendars and Contacts on Your Windows Phone

The level of synchronization using this method is bi-directional – you can also add items to your Windows Phone calendar and these will be synced to your desktop calendar.

To do this, tap the Calendar on your Windows Phone and then + to add a New item; in the New Appointment screen add a subject for the appointment, a location and ensure that your Windows Live account is selected. (This guide assumes that a Windows Live account has been setup for use on your Windows Phone, if not go to Settings > Email & accounts > Add an account.)

Next, select a date and time for the appointment to begin and then select duration – note that you can select All day if your calendar item is for a full day. The More details button allows you to add a reminder, specify whether or not the appointment will occur again (and set various re-occurrence options) and also allow you to add notes. Tap Save to add the appointment to your diary, and within a few moments your calendar items will be synced with your Windows Live calendar in your desktop Outlook client. If nothing shows in Outlook straightaway, just use Send/Receive to force the sync.

Similar editing can be achieved in your Contacts list, and again you can sync the changes between your PC, Windows Live account and your Windows Phone.

Source: http://www.devicemag.com/2011/03/19/how-to-sync-windows-phone-with-outlook/