How to sync handheld data with new computer?

[kzemach]

[NOTE: Problem Solved in Thread Below; Read Through. No more help needed; thanks to those who replied!]

Hi,

OK, I've searched old threads back a bit, and don't seem to find the answer to this. Here's the situation:

Old XP computer: left that job, don't have it anymore
Handheld: HTC TyTn upgraded to WM6
New computer: XP with activesync 4.5 newly installed, and, of course Outlook

So, all my contacts and calendar and whatnot info is on my handheld, and I want to sync it to my new computer. No can do! It tells me I can't sync it to both computers (I'm talking contacts/calendar/notes, NOT email). On the handheld, I tried removing the sync association with my old computer, and that resulted in all my personal data being erased!

Luckily, I'm not a complete fool, and had run Sprite Backup just prior to all this.... so my data's back on my handheld, but I can't get it to sync to a new computer, and/or remove my old computer sync association without erasing the data that I want to transfer!

Friggin' Microsoft... There has GOT to be a way to do this. It's my damn data!!!

Any help greatly appreciated...

Ken

[Reid Kistler]

Doesn't help with your SYNC problem, but would back up the Data Files to a SD card (or whatever media new PDA accepts) and then copy those over to desktop.

At least you would be assured of not losing anything.

Might be what you accomplish with Sprite, but when think of a BU App assume it stores the backups in some proprietary file format - saves space as long as you have that application running, but having Plain Copies has proved useful here in the past.

Have also run into situation where initial "Sync" - following some upgrade or another - had to be set up to go Only ONE WAY: ie Copy All Data FROM PDA, and Overwrite Desktop...

Another option to try would be to download a Trial Copy of one of the PIM apps (Pocket Informant, etc), get it up & running on your PDA and see if IT can make the initial sync work. (As a Potential Bonus, you might find something that Just Generally works better than the built in app.... :))

Good Luck -

[Sven Johannsen]

Not sure this will work, but you have brilliantly done a backup. I have run across the situation where WM5/6 will only let you sync PIM info with one PC before. That is not supposed to work that way, and though it is common, the MS guys were unable to reproduce it when I brought it up during WM5 Betas. I hate the new concept of deleting the data when you delete the partnership or stop syncing the category. That also seems to be a new 'feature'.

Have you tried deleting the partnership, and then just restoring the PIM info from the backup. Sprite does give you that option IIRC.

[kzemach]

Have you tried deleting the partnership, and then just restoring the PIM info from the backup. Sprite does give you that option IIRC.


Ahhh, interesting concept. That may work for "the rest of it." I figured out how to migrate my contacts, calendar, and tasks... but not notes. Since others may have this problem, here's what worked:

Pre-A: Back up your handheld to a memory card using something like Sprite Backup. Glad I did. Also, I'd make sure your handheld is charged and the phone is turned off just in case an incoming call screws up the sync process. Not saying it will, but I trust nothing at this point.

A. Ensure Activesync and Outlook are on the new PC. Connect the handheld, and it'll prompt you to name the new PC something new so that the system doesn't get confused (question: if you name it the same as the old PC, will this solve the problem??? Who knows...). It won't sync your data, since your data is set to sync with the old PC, but it'll drop the new PC as a sync option on your handheld. Now disconnect the handheld.

B. Open Activesync on the handheld. Menu -> Options. Now deselect the checkboxes next to your sync items on the old PC, and THEN check them under the new PC listed below. ALSO, then select SETTINGS in the lower right hand corner for the new PC, and under "if there is a conflict" select "keep the item on my device." Not sure this is necessary, but it worked for me, so go with it.

C. Select OK a few times until you're out of Activesync; I think it churns for a bit as it tells itself to change the sync prefs. Just wait it out, could be a few minutes.

D. Now connect to new computer and it should work.


So this worked for contacts, calendar, and tasks (I wasn't doing email), BUT Notes/Favorites/Files are greyed out and I cannot do this with them! Am thinking perhaps I could manually move those over via USB stick from My Document? I'll repost if I can get that to work.

Did I mention I hate Microsoft? Do any of their employees actually use this crap?

[kzemach]

OK, looks like there are a few ways to do the final cleanup. Sven is correct: as a safeguard, one can always repopulate individual items (e.g. notes) from Sprite Backup without reflashing the entire device.

However, the following seemed to work:

A. Do what I said above to get Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks migrated.
B. Now, go back into Activesync on the handheld (not connected to computer) and delete your old computer as a sync option. Unlike the contacts and the calendar and tasks, doing so DID NOT delete my notes or files from the handheld.
C. Reconnect to the new computer. Once Activesync has done it's initial thing, on the computer's Activesync settings check Notes and whatever else you want to sync. It'll pop up a window (it did for me) asking if I would overwrite any common entries, and I opted for no overwrite. So, it's all good, and I'm up and running. Pain. In. Rear.

MS has all of about one year to resolve this kind of shenanigans, or I'm going to be in iPhone user.