disappearing contacts

[MichaelWest]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: pop

I constantly find that my contacts disappear. I see no rhyme or reason. Some contacts have been there since day one and others that I really need disappear. I know I'm not intentionally deleting them but I can't find the reason or the cure. Can someone point me int he right direction? (PLEAASE).

ALthough I notice this on my BlackBerry, it's not really a BB issue (as far as I can tell). The contacts are inserted in Entourage and they shor up there, only to later be gone.

 

[Diane Ross]

I constantly find that my contacts disappear. I see no rhyme or reason. Some
contacts have been there since day one and others that I really need
disappear. I know I'm not intentionally deleting them but I can't find the
reason or the cure. Can someone point me int he right direction? (PLEAASE).

For this cleanup process, I recommend these steps;

1) Turn Off Sync Services for all your apps
2) Create one source that will be your primary source.
4) Make a backup
3) Turn on Sync Services one source at a time.

See this article for help in resetting Sync Services

ALthough I notice this on my BlackBerry, it's not really a BB issue (as far as
I can tell). The contacts are inserted in Entourage and they shor up there,
only to later be gone.

Make sure you have the correct setting in all of your applications on how to
sync.

Under Entourage in the Menu bar, select Sync Services. When you check Sync
contacts with Address Book a new window pops up.

Replace Entourage items with Sync Services items
Replace Sync Services items with Entourage items
Merge Entourage items with Sync Services items

The "Replace Entourage items" option will delete all items in Entourage and
override them with the contents of the Sync Services truth. You'd want to do
this if you haven't used Entourage in a while or you consider your cell
phone's address book the primary "rule" for your contacts.

The "Replace Sync Services" option makes Entourage the short-term rule. All
contents within your truth will be deleted and replaced with Entourage
items. In this case, all contacts in your Address Book app would be deleted
and then replaced with those from the address book selected in Entourage.
This is useful if you've been living in a two-address book world (as I have)
with Entourage as your primary address book.

The "Merge" option is the safest option. Nothing gets deleted. Items in the
Sync Services truth go into Entourage and items within Entourage go into the
Sync Services truth. This can be a bit messy, causing duplication, or
unwanted items--but your data is pretty much guaranteed to remain.
Generally, I'd always recommend "Merge" with a clean-up later on (remember,
all future deletions/modifications will get synched from this point
forward).

Basics of how Sync Services Works

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/syncservices/basics.html>

 

[MichaelWest]

Although I haven't had time to review the documents yet, do they tell you how to 'turn off sync services for all apps"? I'm a fairly new MAC user and want to make sure I do it right. In case those docs don't spell it out, how do I make sure I do this for all apps?

 

[Diane Ross]

Although I haven't had time to review the documents yet, do they tell you how
to 'turn off sync services for all apps"? I'm a fairly new MAC user and want
to make sure I do it right. In case those docs don't spell it out, how do I
make sure I do this for all apps?

Each application should have that under it's preferences. Generally
preferences are under the name of the application in the Menu bar. Most
applications have info like this in the Help. You'll find that under Help in
the Menu bar for each application.

I highly suggest you take some time to learn your way around a bit. Mac OS X
Hints Superguide Leopard Edition by Rob Griffiths $12.95. Is a good place to
start. You'll find the link to the guide and links to Apple's tutorials on
this page:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/new2mac/index.html>

 

[MichaelWest]

Here's where I'm really having a problem. I can't find anywhere in system preferences that I can turn on sync services. Basic I bet, but I sure can't find it.

 

[MichaelWest]

Can't argue that point with you but if I can get this working now (starting sync services in system preferences, I can read up on it when the book arrives. Otherwise im sitting around not working awaiting a book. Make sense?

 

[MichaelWest]

THanks for the help so far, but I'm running into difficulties. I couldn't get the sync preferences to turn on and I spent over 25 minutes with apple support. The article you quoted is not valid for my system. I'm still not able to find out what you are talking about when you say "Under Entourage in the Menu bar, select Sync Services.". Either I'm totally stupid or I can't see any selection for that. I can't find any references to that item either. Can you be more specific?

 

[Diane Ross]

I'm still not able to find out what you are talking about when you say "Under
Entourage in the Menu bar, select Sync Services.".

Open Entourage. When Entourage is the active application, you will see in
the Menu bar (left side) the Apple icon then Entourage, File, Edit, View....

Under Entourage you will find Preferences. In Preferences, select Sync
Services and check what you want to sync.

When you sync, applications themselves do not sync to each other. They sync
to a database called the Truth. It would help if you read this article.

BASICS OF HOW SYNC SERVICES WORKS

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/syncservices/basics.html>

 

[Diane Ross]

Can you be more specific?

See this article on Mactopia: Synchronize Entourage with a device or other
applications

<http://tinyurl.com/l5slh2>

 

[Kerry]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: pop

I constantly find that my contacts disappear. I see no rhyme or reason. Some contacts have been there since day one and others that I really need disappear. I know I'm not intentionally deleting them but I can't find the reason or the cure. Can someone point me int he right direction? (PLEAASE).

ALthough I notice this on my BlackBerry, it's not really a BB issue (as far as I can tell). The contacts are inserted in Entourage and they shor up there, only to later be gone.

Sync services is very problematic. I had contacts randomly disappear
also when I was using Entourage. I also have a BlackBerry Bold and a
Palm TX and use Missing Sync for sync. I finally gave up on Entourage
about 3 months ago as I could not deal any longer with all the mess
sync serv with Entourage was giving me.

If you do use Entourage, one tip is to have only one module turned on
at a time in Entourage prefs sync services e.g. cal and tasks only. To
sync the calendar turn the active module off in prefs and then turn on
the module you want to sync. This seems to prevent some issues but
stuff will still mess up. There is no fix on the horizon. This is why
I gave up. I kept thinking a fix would have to come but its been a
year and a half and still this mess.

I switched to just the Apple apps for over 2.5 months and have had no
sync issues. I bought Contactizer Pro (on sale as I think its too
pricey at full price), which has Entourage type power. Objective-
Decisions has also had problems with sync services but it is pretty
solid except for the odd simple thing (nothing like the mess that will
happen with Entourage).

If you scan this forum you will see what users have dealt with and the
number that have moved off of Entourage. If they can get it fixed I'll
use Entourage again as I like it but not with the way it works now.