Help! lost contacts when syncing for first time with WMDC on Vista

[aesoprock00]

so, i recently upgraded from XP Pro to Vista Ultimate x64. i downloaded Windows Mobile Device Center, and when i connected my Mogul to it for the first time, it asked me to remove one of the old partnerships. i removed the partnership with my old XP desktop, since it's now the Vista PC, and when i removed the partnership, it tried to sync my phone and deleted all of the contacts on my phone. I can't find any way to get the contacts back.

now, when i installed Vista, i took out my main HD and installed it clean on a new HD, so i still have the hard drive that XP is installed on, and where my phone last synced properly. since i deleted the partnership, i'd assume that if i hook up the XP HD again and try to resync, it won't work, but i have access to all the files on my XP HD and all the files in my prior XP user. is there a way i can transfer the contacts from my old sync'ed HD to the new Vista HD?

[weedahoe]

Once you lose the contacts they are gone. That is why around the boards you will see everyone is using PIMBackup to back everything up first and then sync or flash or do whatever.

However, if you can find your Otlook file with your contacs and everything in it and export that one file from XP to Vista (assuming they are both using O2K3 or both using O2K7) then that may work. Just have to try and see.

[Geekcop]

While I realize this is locking the barn door once the horse has gotten out, something else you may want to do once you get your contacts, etc back in order, is to set up a Dashwire account. Since this is cloud based, you will be able to access your contacts (as well as SMS, voice mails, and pics) from any phone as long as you have a data connection. If you ever need to restore contacts, you would open your Dashwire app, sync, and in a jiffy, your contacts are back. Check www.dashwire.com

[arparent]

If you are using two different versions of outlook, you can export each contact individually to a csv file. Those can be opened and stored by just about any program on the planet.

Originally Posted by weedahoe

Once you lose the contacts they are gone. That is why around the boards you will see everyone is using PIMBackup to back everything up first and then sync or flash or do whatever.

However, if you can find your Otlook file with your contacs and everything in it and export that one file from XP to Vista (assuming they are both using O2K3 or both using O2K7) then that may work. Just have to try and see.

[Rangerdave]

You might be able to. Browse that hard drive into the my documents folder. Them there should be a folder "Documents on JoeSmoes" phone, or Documents on JoeSmoes XV 6800. There will also be a mobile favorites in the favorites folder.

I also support dashwire for backing things up. It works really good, but alot of times duplicates my contacts.
My main backup is spb software, then I ftp it to my server at the house.

RD

[TheBundo]

Always use something else 1st. Dashwire.com is great and free

[weedahoe]

Its a hard lesson learned but a road that most of us have already traveled and learned from. It is sad but true.

[nelly04]

Yeah I did that before. I thought my life was going to end but thank god I had a backup from my old phone but I still had to type about 200 contacts in one by one. That really sucked. Sorry man but there gone!

[demonlordoftheround]

Originally Posted by nelly04

Yeah I did that before. I thought my life was going to end but thank god I had a backup from my old phone but I still had to type about 200 contacts in one by one. That really sucked. Sorry man but there gone!

Ouch! I had the opposite happen. On first sync my contacts were duplicated on both the phone and pc. Had some contacts listed two or three times. Now I use pimbackup and don't sync contacts with the pc.