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Question

Using N79
SW 31.002.205.4.
Up until this morning running MfE 2.9.158. Just been offerred 2.9.160 via App.Update. Post install check indicates this has been available for months - why the delay in pushing it through to App.Update?
MfE 2.9.160 still not fixed old issue of being unable to open MfE settings following phone restart - why not? - threads dating back to 1st quarter 2009! but this one explains the issue precisely:
/t5/Messaging-Email-and-Browsing/Mail-for-Exchange-corrupted/m-p/603626/highlight/true#M21922
It's the only app on my phone that cannot be routinely opened - not good.
Notwithstanding this idiosyncrasy email syncing is more hit than miss but  falls way short of my iPod touch which is 100% rock solid regarding Exchange compatability. Does Nokia want Exchange Server based customers- my guess is not enough. Generally speaking if I notice emails hitting my iPod but not my N79 it's time for a  phone restart.  But that  kills the ability to open MfE settings So it's back to a re-install.
If the above isn't bad enough Nokia has just made it worse.  This "current" link from the N79 support page is dead;
http://businesssoftware.nokia.com/mail_for_exchange_downloads.php
and after much dead-ending find that the Ovi Store now contains MfE - no problem with that it makes sense to consolidate. But no mention of N79 being supported by the latest greatest MfE and Ovi only lists 3.0 as supporting FP1 phones - so wht about FP2?
Is my N series phone supported anymore - I've got no idea.
Wake up Nokia it's 2010 not 1990 - we shouldn't have to put  up with this **bleep** in basic functionality.
Judging by lack of action over the past 12 months have no hope Nokia will put this right but that my dear Nokia is how you lose customers to your rivals Apple and RIM. Pull your finger out.

Answer 1

I'm hoping this fix works for me long term and post as is.
Multiple phone calls to Nokia Tier 1 and 2 phone support heavily supplemented by some determined Google searching led me to the following solution.
First off the bad news. To fix the MfE issue requires a hard reset of the device. There's no way around this so resign yourself to it early.
The good news however is you can dramatically reduce the time needed to return your device back to its pre-reset condition by backing up your device using Ovi Suite. Forget to do this and you'll be re-installing your apps one at a time.
My issue was made more difficult because the usual hard re-set code (*#7370 #) would not reset the device i.e. full recovery of phone memory, complete wiping of contacts etc. Ignoring Nokia's advice to return the phone for repair! I turned up an alternative method which achieved the hard re-set I was seeking.
As follows:
Hold these three keys down - *, 3 and green accept call - whie the phone is off, then power on keeping them depressed until the Nokia logo plays.
On the N79 this involves an usual amount of manual dexterity but nevertheless worked where the re-set code failed. Hopefully this won't be necessary for most users.
Once re-set you will be presented with the Set up menu as per a new phone.
With a fully recovered phone memory you can now restore your earlier backup via Ovi Suite, which for me did 90% of the work needed to get my phone back to its earlier personalised condition. I took the opportunity of checking for any programme updates of essential apps and updated as necessary. Re-installation of Speed Dial settings and permitted Bluetooth devices amongst other items was required but all in all all my data and file structure was faithfully restored first time around.
I am now running MfE 3.0 (actually 2.09.208 - see initial thread posting ) which Nokia support advise is not supported  for the N79 -  given the varying level of advice received I'm prepared to run with my own view that it works fine. If you wish to play safe you should be running 2.9.160.
I have re-booted the phone multiples times over the last two days and on only one occasion (which I'm going to pretend never happened) MfE has been rock solid. In addition Ovi Maps which had stopped opening - and was fundamentally what set me off down the road of a hard re-set - is now working perfectly.
I'm hoping this cures the irritating MfE problem long term pending Nokia sorting out whether they even support the N79 any longer as far as MfE is concerned.
As a sign off I will just say for my purposes the N79 is the best smartphone I've ever owned and supplemented with an iPod Touch is a fantastic work/play combination. If you are allowed tethering on your contract I contend Walking Hot Spot is THE killer app and so confident am I of my choice of phone I've just bought a second N79, at a much reduced price, which I'm going to use as a backup/extension to my existing N79 when it dies and goes to heaven.
Hope this post saves someone else some timeand effort.