OL98: "Error in Background Synchronization" Message Is Slow to Display

ID: Q241962

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Outlook 98
NOTE: These procedures only apply if you have installed Outlook with the Corporate or Workgroup option. This option allows you to use Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) services. To determine your installation type, on the Help Menu click About Microsoft Outlook. In About Microsoft Outlook you should see "Corporate or Workgroup" if you have the Corporate or Workgroup installation.

SYMPTOMS

If a dial-up connection disconnects while you are synchronizing folders, it may take up to 30 minutes for the following error message to appear:

Error in Background synchronization. See detailed log in Deleted Items folder.


CAUSE

This may happen on a mobile computer that has a modem and a network interface card (NIC) installed. While it is connected to the Local Area network (LAN), it may get its Domain Name Server (DNS) and Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) addresses via the Dynamic Host Control Processor(DHCP). The NIC will attempt to connect to the DNS and WINS servers until they time out, even if it is not connected to the network.

Another reason for the delay is that every entry listed under

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\Exchange Provider\Rpc_Binding_Order
is tried. This adds up to a timeout of 2-3 minutes per folder. These networking settings are responsible for the long timeout values.


RESOLUTION

Making the following configuration changes may help reduce the timeout per folder to less than a second.

  • Remove unnecessary DNS entires. The computer will try to connect to any DNS address bound to your network adapter until it times out.


    • For additional information on how to resolve this problem, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Q169231 Name Resolution Slow over RAS Connection
  • Remove all unnessary entries in the RPC Binding Order list and modify the binding order.


    • For additional information how to do this, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Q163576 Changing the RPC Binding Order
    If TCP/IP is the only network protocol used, remove all the bindings except "nacn_tcpip"


MORE INFORMATION

The synchronization log file is found in the Deleted Items folder and can be opened with Notepad. It contains the time and status of synchronization, including any error messages.

This is a sample of the synchronization log file. 


            11:12:00          Outbox
            11:16:41          Sent Items
            11:20:37          Calendar
            11:22:40          Contacts
            11:24:16          Drafts
            11:26:01          Journal
            11:27:44          Notes
            11:29:29          Tasks
            11:31:12          Folder1
            11:33:00          Deleted Items
            11:34:40          Views
            11:38:25          Saving synchronization log
            11:41:48          Synchronization complete

Message box: Error in Background synchronization. See detailed log in Deleted Items folder

Additional query words: 98

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: December 2, 1999
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