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Help!!!..all contacts gone!!

N

naths

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 15, 2009
308
0
Bristol.UK
Can someone help me please?, my girlfriend has a 4 not a 4S, she yesterday went to upgrade the 4 to the latest software(not sure which number, as I'm not a iPhone user), after she finished everything was there, photos, texts, music everything but her contacts?, anyone got any ideas?, we tried the restore and restores from back up, nothing!!....bit of a loss now...:confused:
 
Don't panic.

Ask yourself, did she/you back up contacts to

a) iCloud?
b) the (micro)sim Card?
c) her personal computer via iTunes backup?
 
Last edited:
She doesn't even know what iCloud is!!...lol..so no to that question..

a. iCloud...no
b. checked "import from sim"...nothing there...
c. its a Windows Xp pc, so i think the problem lies there, i don't think iTunes on the PC has been backing up correctly as there were 3 back ups which i tried to restore from and each time everything but the contacts.

d.google??...she has a gmail address and was hoping they would be backed up there somehow...nothing...

Personaly i think they are gone...lol...she's going to be very busy with inboxing on FB...unless anyones got any other ideas?

oh and thank you for the answers so far..:)
 
Next time turn either iCloud or exchange for gmail. Google them if you/she has no clue how to use them. It's time to learn.
 
I always keep a back up of my contacts and put them into my microsoft word just in case if something happens (this was before icloud and before I even got a MBP).

Now I use iCloud as my back up just in case if I need to wipe my MBP or my phone.
 
Thats why i use a Galaxy S3 and Gmail, automatically backs everything up...she won't learn!,...lol...shes sat down inboxing everyone on FB and twitter now....:D
 
naths said:
Thats why i use a Galaxy S3 and Gmail, automatically backs everything up...she won't learn!,...lol...shes sat down inboxing everyone on FB and twitter now....:D
Click to expand...

As someone mentioned, you (she) can set up her gmail as an Exchange account on the iPhone and sync contacts with Google that way. Don't need an Android device to make that happen. IMO, it's the only way to go for backing up contacts on the iPhone.
 
That is the best way to go: gmail exchange. I set up my gmail exchange and have uploaded all my entire 170+ contacts, calendar entries via exchange gmail. The best thing about this is that Inhave gmail and on my PC or any Internet connected PC I can make changes and they immediately reflect on the phone or google.

As an added layer of backup I purchased CompanionLink for Outlook: http://www.companionlink.com/google/ which installs on my main PC and syncs all contacts between Outlook and PC in the background, so if anything happens to the google server, I'll still have another backup on Outlook. A $49.95 peace of software that is well worth it.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1340806582.780281.jpg
 
naths said:
Thats why i use a Galaxy S3 and Gmail, automatically backs everything up...she won't learn!,...lol...shes sat down inboxing everyone on FB and twitter now....:D
Click to expand...

What's so funny? Does your S3 backup everything when you turn it on? I'm sure you need some type of setup to back up things with S3 and gmail.

Don't bash and blame the product when it's obviously an user error.
 
chestvrg said:
That is the best way to go: gmail exchange.
Click to expand...
Best is never a one-size-fits-all matter. Syncing contacts from any account will do the same whether it's gmail, iCloud, Exchange, etc. I use an Exchange account. My wife uses gmail. Don't just assume that your solution is universally best.

gngan said:
Don't bash and blame the product when it's obviously an user error.
Click to expand...
+1 Always backup whatever is important. Don't rely solely on syncing with an account as backup.
 
takeshi74 said:
Best is never a one-size-fits-all matter. Syncing contacts from any account will do the same whether it's gmail, iCloud, Exchange, etc. I use an Exchange account. My wife uses gmail. Don't just assume that your solution is universally best.
.
Click to expand...

May not be a one-size-fits all matter, and it could be too late for the OP, but I would and always do suggest that people do not save their contacts to a device and always save them to your personal email account.

It took me several hours to compile contacts saved on sim cards, physical address book, my old palm T5, cellphones and multiple contacts, but once it's done it's done.

Exported contacts, recreated them, stopped using names like "MOM", and started using first and last name (company area I'd put MOM). I can jump on any phone, set up my gmail and have all my contacts in under a minute.

If someone doesn't have a gmail address or another exchange email, maybe it would be a good idea to start and account, even if you only turn on the "contacts" portion of exchange and turn off calendar and email.
 
gngan said:
What's so funny? Does your S3 backup everything when you turn it on? I'm sure you need some type of setup to back up things with S3 and gmail.

Don't bash and blame the product when it's obviously an user error.
Click to expand...

Have you used an Android powered device? You turn it on, type in your email and password, and your contacts are synced.

Just like setting up gmail as an exchange account on the iPhone. You have to select a couple of options, but that's it. Very easy. Make a change on the PC? Your phone is updated OTA, no syncing required.

And where did he bash a product? All he said is that he uses a certain device and that it backs everything up (which the iPhone via google can do as well). Apple users get butthurt very easily smh

----------
ericrwalker said:
may not be a one-size-fits all matter, and it could be too late for the op, but i would and always do suggest that people do not save their contacts to a device and always save them to your personal email account.

It took me several hours to compile contacts saved on sim cards, physical address book, my old palm t5, cellphones and multiple contacts, but once it's done it's done.

Exported contacts, recreated them, stopped using names like "mom", and started using first and last name (company area i'd put mom). I can jump on any phone, set up my gmail and have all my contacts in under a minute.

If someone doesn't have a gmail address or another exchange email, maybe it would be a good idea to start and account, even if you only turn on the "contacts" portion of exchange and turn off calendar and email.
Click to expand...

qft
 
aztooh said:
Have you used an Android powered device? You turn it on, type in your email and password, and your contacts are synced.

Just like setting up gmail as an exchange account on the iPhone. You have to select a couple of options, but that's it. Very easy. Make a change on the PC? Your phone is updated OTA, no syncing required.

And where did he bash a product? All he said is that he uses a certain device and that it backs everything up (which the iPhone via google can do as well). Apple users get butthurt very easily smh

----------



qft
Click to expand...

Isn't that setting up? I back up all my contacts in Mac's address book. When I sync it with iTunes then it does all the update/backup. The initial setup is time consuming but you also need to do that with gmail which is the same. After the initial setup, they all work the same. If you want to use iCloud then it's also OTA.

Thats why i use a Galaxy S3 and Gmail, automatically backs everything up...she won't learn!,...lol...
Click to expand...

That's bashing and blaming. If people are to bash it then say something that is true.
 
Even if and when you do gmail syncing of your contacts you should still go into gmail and export your contacts to a file every once in a while. can never have too many backups.
 
gngan said:
Isn't that setting up? I back up all my contacts in Mac's address book. When I sync it with iTunes then it does all the update/backup. The initial setup is time consuming but you also need to do that with gmail which is the same. After the initial setup, they all work the same. If you want to use iCloud then it's also OTA.



That's bashing and blaming. If people are to bash it then say something that is true.
Click to expand...

"Isn't that setting up?"

Well, it's nothing extra to set up. Just different. You're already setting up the email account, and that's all it is. Instead of selecting 'gmail', select 'exchange'.

And GMail isn't necessarily the same. If you already have a full contacts list on your phone (obviously doesn't apply to OP's gf, since she deleted them all), you can have 2 way communication between the phone and GMail.

On the second item....OP can 'bash and blame' his gf's decisions all he wants, who are we to say something about it? The poster that I quoted seemed to be taking it personally...which a lot of iPhone/Apple users seem to do. Quite amusing.
 
i actually meant by "she won't learn", she won't learn how to use the phone correctly!!, text and Facebook and a snazzy cover thats it for her and a iPhone, iv tried a 1000 times to explain everything the phone can do, and before you ask iv had the lot right from the first to the 4S, personally i prefer android thats all.
She has now turned on iCloud and set for regular back ups, about bloody time!!, so when she loses this one(already lost 2) she can just restore(or should i say "i will") to how the phone was...easy, android does exactly the same via google, i just bought a GS3 and turned on, signed in to google and the GS3 was set up exactly as my Galaxy nexus was, right down to every setting...simple..
 
naths said:
i just bought a GS3 and turned on, signed in to google and the GS3 was set up exactly as my Galaxy nexus was, right down to every setting...simple..
Click to expand...

Yeah, try fully restoring without an internet connection. You can't backup to a local computer without rooting the damn device. I have older android device that doesn't have the google cloud backup option, while I have that option even on my OG iPhone.

----------
naths said:
like i said, text, Facebook and a snazzy cover is her limit....
Click to expand...

You shouldn't go bashing your GF, unless she is/will be your Ex.:confused:
 
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