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View Full Version : Any know how to restore outlook data deleted by Active Sync?

mjnh
09-21-2004, 04:20 PM
My iPaq 1945 hard-reset itself when it was in my pocket last night (unknown reason). I have a backup file created last month and have restored it using bundled Sprite backup program.

This morning I connected it to my office PC to get the latest calendar. Instead of getting the new data, Active Sync deleted all my new appointments and tasks added during the month. It basically restored the outlook data back to the same date of the backup data.

What a night mare! I am frightened because there are so many important business appointments lost. It was happening right on my eyes that I pulled the Pocket PC out immediately, but it was too late.

My desktop outlook is connected to a corporate Exchange server so there is no easy way to access to its backup data.

Any idea?
Darius Wey
09-21-2004, 04:29 PM
My desktop outlook is connected to a corporate Exchange server so there is no easy way to access to its backup data.

I was about to suggest you search for any backed up .PST files, but even this may be a tough one to handle. :(

Perhaps as a safety measure for the future, maybe every week or so, you could back up all your data on Outlook on the PC and store that .PST file somewhere secure.

Sorry I can't be of much help. If I think of anything, I'll let you know.
mjnh
09-21-2004, 04:55 PM
It is a lesson for me. In the future I'll rather reinstall all the software instead of using the backup unless there is absolute reason to do that. Most of my data are already in desktop outlook and synced folder any way.

For now, looking in all emails to recreate appointments is the only solution.
:cry:
Underwater Mike
09-21-2004, 05:11 PM
Did you check your Trash folder in Outlook? If the Excahnge Server connection behaves the same way as a stand-alone setup, all the deleted info will be in Outlook's Trash.

Good luck!
mjnh
09-21-2004, 06:26 PM
Yes! All item moved to deleted item folder. I restored all of them (hopefully). I feel more relief now.

Thanks Mike!
Underwater Mike
09-21-2004, 06:54 PM
Yes! All item moved to deleted item folder. I restored all of them (hopefully). I feel more relief now.

Thanks Mike!

My tip comes from unfortunate personal experience. Glad it worked! :beer:
shah
09-21-2004, 07:18 PM
How do you back up outlook data into a PST file..?

Thanks
Underwater Mike
09-21-2004, 07:29 PM
Go to File > Import and Export...

Export to a .PST file. There may be other ways, but that's always how I do it.


How do you back up outlook data into a PST file..?

Thanks
PetiteFlower
09-21-2004, 08:01 PM
You probably also want to check your activesync settings. It sounds like you have it set so that changes on your PPC overwrite what's on your PC, or that whatever is newer will overwrite. If you do most of your scheduling on your PC then you probably want to tell it to always overwrite your PPC with your PC info. If you normally want it to overwrite with whatever's newer, just make sure you change it next time you restore from a backup, to overwrite from the PC for one sync before setting it back.
mjnh
09-21-2004, 11:18 PM
You probably also want to check your activesync settings. It sounds like you have it set so that changes on your PPC overwrite what's on your PC, or that whatever is newer will overwrite. If you do most of your scheduling on your PC then you probably want to tell it to always overwrite your PPC with your PC info. If you normally want it to overwrite with whatever's newer, just make sure you change it next time you restore from a backup, to overwrite from the PC for one sync before setting it back.

It was set to "Always replace the item in my device". It may be a bug in Active Sync (or the way Active sync designed).

I synchronized my device last evening before I left the office so Active Sync marked all my items sync'd. This morning all recent items were gone in the device so it might think that I deleted all of them. But I was happy that it did not delete data permanently. It just move it to trash.
victore
09-21-2004, 11:37 PM
If you are using Outlook 2003, you can use this: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8b081f3a-b7d0-4b16-b8af-5a6322f4fd01&displaylang=en
gt24
09-22-2004, 05:42 AM
I have a Toshiba e740, one that decided to hard reset a week ago on a drop (dang), reset from backup (which was a month old... :roll:), but I didn't mind until Outlook decided that even though I specifically told Activesync to OVERWRITE my device, it still deleted everything in Outlook...

Needless to say, I have been freaking out for a week. I couldn't reassemble my entire calendar, nor my contacts, and thus I was very worried about missing something critical. This is a week later, and I am now releasing how my e740 must be a pathetic unit... after all it not only hard resets sometimes but it ALSO told ActiveSync to TOTALLY mess me up!!

Tonight, I found this thread... tonight I found my appointments in the trash can, including an important appointment that I have in two days that I didn't know about until today... Consequently, this is one REALLY important and helpful thread!!!

Mike Donatello, THANKS for your help, not only to mjnh but to me as well!! :D

Hopefully, others who suffer this ActiveSync "feature" find this thread before they loose all hope...