iPhone to PC contacts backup

.gerryc

Does any1 know of any free software or easy way to copy my contacts from my iPhone 3gs to my PC (windows 7 , iTunes 10.2.1.1 , iOS 4.3.1) ??

Ive tried using iTunes to sync with windows contacts but i dont have any contacts in windows contacts and it just deletes all my contacts from my iPhone. Am i doing something wrong here??

Also ive spent a lot of time organising each contact with proper name fields, pictures, properly labelled phone numbers (e.g home/mobile/old number etc.) and email addresses and would like them to be saved exactly as they are on my phone to my computer, is this possible??

Any help is much appreciated!!

pmsurveys

If you have gmail set up iTunes to sync with google contacts. It'll at least get them off your phone to somewhere else. I'm almost sure you can get them out of gmail into anywhere else after that.

P

aidan_walsh

If you reset the sync history in iTunes, the next time you sync it should ask if you want to replace the contacts on either place, or merge the two address books. There are other things you can try here.

.gerryc

aidan_walsh wrote: »

If you reset the sync history in iTunes, the next time you sync it should ask if you want to replace the contacts on either place, or merge the two address books. There are other things you can try here.

Thanks aidan, worked great only 1 problem.... windows contacts dosent save all the information ive put in e.g. 2nd mobile number etc, are you aware of any settings that can be changed to sort this problem? I had a look but cant seem to see any.....??

.gerryc

pmsurveys wrote: »

If you have gmail set up iTunes to sync with google contacts. It'll at least get them off your phone to somewhere else. I'm almost sure you can get them out of gmail into anywhere else after that.

P

Also thanks pmsurveys for you input, i think i will also backup my contacts to gmail to be safe, your help is much appreciated!

coylemj

+1 for gmail.

Once you sync the contacts to Gmail you can then export all of them to a CSV file, that's your backup.

Export formats supported are Google CSV, Outlook CSV and vCard.

.gerryc

coylemj wrote: »

+1 for gmail.

Once you sync the contacts to Gmail you can then export all of them to a CSV file, that's your backup.

Export formats supported are Google CSV, Outlook CSV and vCard.

Thanks, is it relatively easy to do yea??

120_Minutes

.gerryc wrote: »

Thanks, is it relatively easy to do yea??

Yeah, did it myself last week. Plus if I ever defect to android in the future it's a cinch to synch back my contacts.

aidan_walsh

.gerryc wrote: »

Thanks aidan, worked great only 1 problem.... windows contacts dosent save all the information ive put in e.g. 2nd mobile number etc, are you aware of any settings that can be changed to sort this problem? I had a look but cant seem to see any.....??

Ah, if you've used Custom labels (or even some of the inbuilt labels) that Contact doesn't support then it may not be able to display the information.

.gerryc

aidan_walsh wrote: »

Ah, if you've used Custom labels (or even some of the inbuilt labels) that Contact doesn't support then it may not be able to display the information.

God damn apples compatability issues with microsoft!! They get enough money off us for the hardware, the least they could do is make life that LITTLE bit easier for those of us who just cannot afford to splash out on a mac.....

.gerryc

120_Minutes wrote: »

Yeah, did it myself last week. Plus if I ever defect to android in the future it's a cinch to synch back my contacts.

Lovely, gonna give it a whirl tomorrow, thanks!!

aidan_walsh

Um, how is it Apple's fault if a Microsoft written program disregards your data again?

.gerryc

aidan_walsh wrote: »

Um, how is it Apple's fault if a Microsoft written program disregards your data again?

Well why does it sync to windows contacts in the first place....?

Would it not be an idea for apple to include an address book in the itunes software.....?? It would make life much easier!!

aidan_walsh

.gerryc wrote: »

Well why does it sync to windows contacts in the first place....?

Would it not be an idea for apple to include an address book in the itunes software.....?? It would make life much easier!!

No. It would be unwanted by the majority, Contacts is already a basic address book and there are other options available if it doesn't do what you want (sync to Google, Yahoo or Outlook).

.gerryc

aidan_walsh wrote: »

No. It would be unwanted by the majority, Contacts is already a basic address book and there are other options available if it doesn't do what you want (sync to Google, Yahoo or Outlook).

I personally would like to see it added as a feature on itunes.....

Creamy Goodness

iTunes is already bloated and misnamed enough without adding a contacts book to it.