Weird Sync Problem : Windows Mobile Device Center

Hi,

I have just started using Vista for a week.
On Day 1 I have installed WMDC 6 and have SUCCESSFULLY sync-ed my
PocketPc-Phone (O2 XDA II Mini on WM2003; items sync-ed with Outlook 2003 :
Calendar, Tasks).

I cannot recall exactly, but I should have been using Bluetooth to connect
and sync since Day 1 successfully. (this was before I realized there was this
procedure to connect via USB for the First Sync).

All was well till days ago (04-April), when my device and Pc suddenly fails
to sync. Thinking there was a Bluetooth connection problem, I tried to sync
via USB but failed too.

Steps taken since then :
1. Deleted Partnership from WMDC 6.
(However, Device seems to be 'lurking' in some corner because even after
'deleting' the partnership, my device name still appears with the greyed text
'waiting to connect')

2. Hence, uninstalled and reinstalled WMDC 6.
(both 'Windows Mobile Device Center' & 'Windows Mobile Device Center Driver
Update' from Control Panel) (and upon reinstallation, my Device name no
longer appears in WMDC)

3. After re-installing WMDC6, I plugged in my Device via USB for the 'First
Sync' as recommended on microsoft.com. All I get is a spinning green circle
on WMDC with the text 'Connecting' and finally after a few minutes, a red
'Error' with no explanation.

4. Steps 2 & 3 are repeated countless times with no avail.
Tried to delete the partnership on my Device.
I realised that my new vista PC's name is still present in my Device's
"Activesync>Tools>Options>PC-tab>When syncing remotely with a PC>Use this
PC". Problem is, as of now I can't find a way to delete a partnership using
my Device, which is running on WM2003. Seems the only way is to delete the
partnership from my PC? (which I have already done?)

5. In-between reinstalling WMDC, I also realized that WMDC cannot be
uninstalled 'clean' at times. i.e. even after uninstalling and rebooting, I
can still run WMDC from Control Panel! Then I realized that the WMDC folder
and files are still present in %windows%, managed to manually delete files
from here, but failed to recognize which keys to delete from registry. (could
this contribute to my sync setup too if WMDC fails to uninstall 'clean'?)

6. Investigated 'Device Manager' in Control Panel.
Upon plugging in my Device via USB for the first time (after
removing/uninstalling it), my Device is detected under 'Mobile Devices' and
the driver is installed for 'PocketPC USB Sync' successfully. However, after
entering my Device's passkey, my Device is also detected under 'Portable
Devices' and an attempt to install the driver for 'Windows Mobile Device'
failed. (I'm not sure how critical this is to my sync setup)

What is puzzling is :
How did I manage to connect and sync via Blue-tooth with no problems at all
for the past week, and why did it suddenly stop working?
The last changes I made (installing new software, modifying system settings
etc) was during the past weekend, which means I have at least 3 more days of
successful sync, why then did it stop suddenly when I did not change any
settings?

All I can suspect now is the automatic Window Updates.
(Incidentally, my last 3 Window Updates prior to sync failure was on
30-March, and 4-Apr)
[the 2 Windows Updates on 4-Apr were :
1. Definition Update for Windows Defender - KB915597 (Definition 1.16.2435.7)
Installation date: ‎4/‎4/‎2007 8:35 AM
2. Security Update for Windows Vista (KB925902)
Installation date: ‎4/‎4/‎2007 1:06 PM]

My last recorded successful sync was on 4/4/2007 3:00 PM, incidentally.
(Thought of uninstalling the updates, but it's too late now, as I can't even
establish a new partnership)

I'm really running out of ideas, and I had been enjoying the convenience of
Blue-tooth sync for the past week, and it's really puzzling why it suddenly
fails now.

Any help/suggestion is appreciated, thanks in advance.


Neuinq.