So here's my setup... I'm running Windows Home Server on an HP EX470. While that serves me well and does my media sharing and PC backups, I've always wanted to run my own Exchange Server. I don't even want to use it for anything email related. I simply want to sync my Outlook calendars, contacts, tasks, and notes with my mobile phone and my girlfriends phone. Simple enough right? Except Exchange Server can not be installed on a WHS machine because WHS does not use Active Directory. I did find a guide that gave instructions on how to install AD on a WHS machine and get Exchange Server 2003 working, but I didn't like that setup because I feel like an update in the future, such as PP3, could completely break the server. This lead me to installing Virtual Server on my WHS machine and then installing Small Business Server 2003 inside that virtual server. This way my home server is unaffected, and I get the ability to run Exchange Server to sync my Outlook data between my PC's and mobile phones. I'm new to Virtual Server and Exchange... but I did manage to get them both installed and working for the most part. I actually have Outlook 2007 on my PC syncing with Exchange Server right now with no issues. However, I'm having a tough time getting my phone to sync with the server. I can input the server details into the phone and it seems like it syncs, but the data isn't syncing from the phone to the exchange server, and it isn't syncing the other way either. I've been searching the net and trying things for the past 12 or so hours and I can't seem to figure this out on my own. I ran a test at testexchangeconnectivity.com testing Exchange Activesync. The test ends with the following error: FolderSync command test failed Exchange Activesync returned an HTTP 500 response. The error points me towards this: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd439375.aspx I'm not running a front/back end server... just SBS 2003 which includes Exchange 2003. From the searching I've been doing, I haven't been able to find any instructions on what I can do to fix this error. Here's some info about my setup: Small Business Server 2003 R2 inside of Virtual Server 2005 R2 running on Windows Home Server (all updates and service packs applied). I have updated Exchange Server 2003 to SP2. The Virtual Machine gives SBS 2003 30 gigs of hard drive space and 1024MB of memory. My router is acting as the DHCP server. WHS and SBS 2003 both have unique IP address'. The SBS 2003 is given ports 80 and 443 to make sure Exchange Activesync works. I have changed the ports on my WHS machine so those services continue to run. I use a domain mydomain.homeserver.com on WHS (since my IP is dynamic. This is the domain I give my mobile phone and testexchangeconnectivity.com. This domain doesn't work going from Outlook 2007 to exchange though. I end up needing to enter the IP address of the SBS 2003 on my home network. I think that's pretty much all the information I have on hand (although I'm sure I'm probably missing something that may be usefull). I'm completely new to Exchange Server, so if you can offer me any advice, I'd prefer the most dumbed down responses you can give :). Any input would be appreciated. I'd really like to get this working and I'm so close right now. I have a feeling there's just a setting or two I need to change in order to get my mobile phones syncing with Exchange ActiveSync.

I thought I should add... Within Exchange System Manager -> Global Settings -> Mobile Services, all options are checked. I have followed a number of guides including: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/817379 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/937635 http://www.it-eye.co.uk/faqs/readQuestion.php?qid=1 No matter what I do, I can't get this working. testexchangeconnectivity.com keeps giving me FolderSync command test failed notices. From reading up, it appears SBS 2003 includes the fixes needed to get around this error out of the box. One or two of the articles I've read on microsoft's support site have stated that if you're getting this error on a SBS 2003 machine, you should run the configure internet and email setup guide. I've done that a number of times and it hasn't corrected the issue. I'm beginning to wonder if this is because I'm running on a virtual server on Windows Home Server. Maybe things like Exchange Activesync can't run in a virtual server? I just find it odd that I can get Outlook 2007 to sync with the Exchange Server with no errors... but I can't get Exchange Activesync working correctly even though I've followed a number of guides. I also don't know what in Outlook 2007 I can't use my FQDN... and I'm forced to use the IP address of the SBS 2003. Anyways... I'm pulling my hair out over here... so any help would be appreciated. :)

Nevermind guys... I did a re-install of SBS 2003 and after installing all possible patches (before messing around with exchange settings or creating AD users), I got exchange activesync working and it passed the test using the testexchange...com url I mentioned above. :) For anyone wondering (maybe there's someone else out there that wants this functionality), this does in fact work.

Hello Sheekamoo: Were you able to get all of this worked out? I ask because I am contemplating just the same thing. I am running WHS Vail and I might like to virtualize to run SBS 2003 on the same machine. I downloaded the install disk but it asked me if I wanted to do a fresh install. Do you happen to know whether that deletes all of my data (i.e., music, pictures, etc.) and reformats the drive? Thx. JOhn