HP iPaq 214 synch frustration

Hi - I hope someone can help me with this. I have a PC running on Windows XP and a laptop running on Vista; Outlook 2007 on my PC has my organiser data. I want my iPaq to sync with the PC but when I connect it ActiveSync 4.5 crashes... every time. I've been through every line of the troubleshooter, I've reset the iPaq, restarted the PC, checked all the settings are as they should be, disabled and re-enabled the firewall and the anti-virus - nothing seems to have any effect. My files transfer across but the organiser data won't. I tried exporting my calendar and contacts to the laptop and did manage to get the iPaq to sync with that (albeit very slowly). The problem is I don't want my contacts on my laptop as a permanent thing, and the routine of having to manually export the data from one computer to the other in order to be able to synch an iPaq, when my old 4700 was well up to the task, seems insane. The trouble is the 4700 is 5 years old and has started having the odd hiccup. Any suggestions welcome.