Please Help - Getting data off of old device.

[Jacob]

OK.

My old device's screen died about the same time my computer did.

I need to get the contacts etc..off my device since it includes contacts that I unfortunately only have copies in backups (from spb backup) and on my computer that I synced with - that coincidentally died at about the same time.

So I got a new computer and it has vista on it. Yay. Not so much. Vista won't recognize my device so it won't sync the contacts.

I have a new device on its way, but it has windows mobile 5 on it so the prior backups probably won't be too compatible with it. Or will they?

My prior device was a HP 4155 by the way.

Does anyone know of a good way to get this device to either sync with vista or get a spb backup to retrieve contacts and other data onto a WM5 device?

Any and all help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Sven Johannsen]

Vista requires a download from MS called Windows Mobile Device Center to sync PIM information. It should work with your 4155. Don't forget you need some form of Outlook on the PC for the data to sync to. Be creful when you are setting up sync so that you choose merge, not overwrite if given the choice.

[Jacob]

Thanks. That wasn't working at all for me for a while. I had the mobile device center installed and the driver for the device appeared to be installed(at least vista said it was installed and working) but it just wouldn't connect.

However, it is amazing what a reboot will do for a windows machine!

I rebooted and it connected without a problem. The device manager made NO mention at all that the driver required a reboot.

By the way, I also got no prompt to combine/replace/etc.. that I would get with activesync at all. There is an option in the device manager to replace on or the other in the case of a conflict. This kinda scares me because I'm not sure I trust MS to make the decision for me.

[Sven Johannsen]

By the way, I also got no prompt to combine/replace/etc.. that I would get with activesync at all. There is an option in the device manager to replace on or the other in the case of a conflict. This kinda scares me because I'm not sure I trust MS to make the decision for me.
That seems to be a little hit or miss. Does seem that if you are not asked it combines though. Can result in a bunch of dups, but at least nothing seems lost.

Hope it worked out OK for you.