Enable ActiveSync & Windows Mobile Device Center Synchronization on Windows Server 2008 x64

If you’re like me and run Windows Server 2008 x64 as your laptop operating system, you may be surprised to find that the Windows Mobile Device Center or ActiveSync Synchronization functionality does not work properly or not at all. This article will show you how to get it all working again.

Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) is the new name for Microsoft’s ActiveSync which came out with Windows Vista. It is designed to synchronize various content including music, video, contacts, calendar events, web browser favorites, and other files between Windows Mobile devices and the Microsoft Windows operating system.

If you have Windows 7, check out our Windows 7 article: Enable ActiveSync & Windows Mobile Device Center Synchronization on Windows 7 x64 and x86

For some reason, synchronization never worked for me on the x64 version of Windows Server 2008. This is particularly frustrating because I use Windows Server 2008 as my primary operating system on my laptops.

Enable ActiveSync Synchronization on Windows Server 2008 x64

Actually this part is pretty easy, simply download the latest version of Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) for Vista x64 from the Microsoft website (at the time of writing the latest version was 6.1). Follow this link to Download Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1. If this link doesn’t work any longer, try visiting the Microsoft website and follow links to the Windows Mobile sections.

Ensure that you choose the x64 version WMDC (ActiveSync) of the download as well as the correct language for your Windows Server 2008 x64. Don't worry if you can only find a Vista x64 version - it will still work.

Install Windows Mobile Device Center (ActiveSync)

After you download and install the updated software you will find that a new program option is now available to you from the All Programs menu as well as a Windows Mobile Device Center icon on the desktop.

If you start Widows Mobile Device Center and plug in your mobile device, synchronization functionality for your Windows Server 2008 x64 should now be re-established.