The 0×85010014 error code is a general error that is generated under several conditions. Some, but not all, of the conditions include:

1. Installing Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) on a Windows system that had Service Pack 4 (SP4) installed.

This can occur if you enabled the “Enforce password on device” option of Exchange System Manager then you might have received the 0×85010014 error code.

2. Sometimes with Exchange 2003 server, users will try to synchronize their Windows mobile devices wirelessly with ActiveSync. When they try to sync, the mobile device connects to the server and begins to sync. You even get the message, “synchronizing folders” leading you to believe that you’re home free. But after maybe 45 seconds to a minute you get the message, “Active sync encountered problems on the server”. The error code you receive is 0×85010014.”  Users have encountered this error while using a self signed certificate.

One solution is to disable SSL. But oftentimes this is not practical. Another solution is to try uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook.

The error code 0×85010014 is a general error code in ActiveSync and is actually from the Outlook APIs. You will need to reconfigure Outlook unless you backup your settings. If so, then you can try restoring those settings. To uninstall Outlook click on the Control Panel -> Add or remove Programs -> Office 2003 and choose to modify the installation by adding or removing components. Uncheck Outlook and update it to remove Outlook from Office 2003. Then click on Office 2003 again and re-check the option to install Outlook to add it back to Office 2003. You may need your Office 2003 CD. Then reboot.

3. If you are using Exchange 2003 and folder redirection with Outlook, you may have to turn folder redirection off to sync or upgrade to ActiveSync 4.1.

4. If you are using Outlook in off-line mode with Exchange, you will have to reset to online mode in order to synchronize with Exchange.

5. If you have Outlook script blocking set up with an antivirus or anti-spyware program enabled you will have to configure your antivirus or anti-spyware program to allow ActiveSync to send scripts to Outlook.

6. You might be seeing error code 85010014 if you are using an unregistered or illegal copy of Outlook. You will need to register a legal copy of Outlook.

7. There are times when you will see error code from ActiveSync for 8XXXXXXX where X is any digit, that include error 85010014. Those errors are produced by the Outlook APIs. In that case you can perform the following steps and check your synchronization between each step.

a. Run ScanPST to check the PST for errors.

b. Open Outlook and click on Help – Detect & Repair to fix Outlook. This requires the Outlook CD.

c. Create a new folder in Outlook and move all the data of the type that is not synchronizing to the new folder. Then move it back until you find the item causing the error.

d. Create a new PST file (File – New – Outlook Data File) and move your data into that PST. Then set that PST as the default PST in Outlook (Tools – Email Accounts – Next. Then select the new PST as the default email delivery location). Close the old PST in Outlook.

8. Sometimes you may have bypassed the prerequisites before installing patches, service packs, Outlook or Windows Media Player updates. Go back and review the prerequisites and check for any missed steps.

9. You can also try to repair ActiveSync manually. To repair ActiveSync, click on Start – Control Panel – Add/Remove Programs and select Microsoft ActiveSync. Click on the Change button and then step through the repair process as directed by the wizard. Make sure all your applications are closed before rebooting to complete the process.

10. There are other resources out there for you to try based on the conditions that your computer was in when you received the error code. If you are a developer using Visual Studio 2005 Beta 2 and a Windows Mobile 5.0 device, you can debug using TCP/IP. A Microsoft blog describes “Debugging on CE5.0 device without ActiveSync” (http://blogs.msdn.com/vsdteam/archive/2005/04/28/413304.aspx).

11. If you have to uninstall ActiveSync 4.x and want to reinstall ActiveSync 3.x, you need to use Add/Remove programs to uninstall ActiveSync 4.x. Then you need to delete the files C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32RAPI.DLL and C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32CEUTIL.DLL. Then you can install ActiveSync 3.x normally. Please note that uninstalling ActiveSync 4.x will delete all your partnerships.

Lastly, there is another Microsoft Hotfix available to resolve this error code 0×85010014, More details can be found on the following URL:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919864/en-us

And in the Microsoft ActiveSync 4.2 Beta release the error code 0×85010014 was also addressed. You can download this relase from the Microsoft support web site: www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/downloads/activesync42.mspx