OL2000: Error Message: The Multi-Day Appointment Cannot Be Converted for Use on the Handheld... (274840)

SYMPTOMS

When you try to synchronize Outlook 2000 with your handheld device, you may receive the following error message:

The multi-day repeating appointment titled Title beginning Date cannot be converted for use on the handheld. Please chop the appointment up into single days and resync.

Where "Title" is the title of one of your recurring appointments and "Date" is the start date for its range of recurrence.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because your Microsoft Windows regional date style is set to display a two-digit year. This causes Outlook 2000 to ignore four-digit years and attempt to compute the correct century. The start date that you entered for the appointment's range of recurrence falls outside the date range that Outlook 2000 uses in this computation for the correct century.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, set your Windows regional date style to display dates with four-digit years, and then change the start date for the range of recurrence on the recurring appointments.

For additional information about how to configure the short date format, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

241671 How to Configure the Short Date Format in Windows and Windows NT

Use the following steps to change the start date for the range of recurrence on the recurring appointment:

In the Calendar folder, on the View menu, point to Current View, and then click Recurring Appointments.
Open the appointment that caused the error message.
Click the Recurrence button.
Under Range of recurrence, enter the correct four-digit year in the Start box .
Click OK.
Click Save and Close.
Synchronize Outlook 2000 with your handheld device.

MORE INFORMATION

Outlook 2000 uses a date-range of -29/+70 (current year minus 29 years, through current year plus 70 years), to determine the correct century for a two-digit year. In 1999, this translates to a range of 1970-2069. To evaluate a two-digit year, Outlook 2000 adds 1900 to the year and if the result falls within this date range, the year is assumed to be in the twentieth century (1900s). If the year is outside of this date range, the year is assumed to be in the twenty-first century (2000s).

The following are examples of how Outlook 2000 uses the date-range of -29/+70:

If you enter a two-digit year of 65, Outlook 2000 adds 1900, which results in 1965. This falls outside the range of 1970-2069, so the year is assumed to be 2065.
If you enter a two-digit year of 75 , Outlook 2000 adds 1900, which results in 1975. This falls within the range of 1970-2069, so the year is assumed to be 1975.