Entourage not syncing IM account to AddressBook

[cwachs]

With the new syncing ability in Entourage, it is possible to sync
Instant Messenger accounts over to AddressBook? Also, groups do not
sync at all. I am assuming I still need AddressBook to get my contacts
over to my cell phone (which has to use iSync). Is that still the case?

 

[Chris Ridd]

With the new syncing ability in Entourage, it is possible to sync
Instant Messenger accounts over to AddressBook?

Annoyingly, no. This is despite Apple's "Contact" schema (which Address Book
uses) supporting MSN instant messaging accounts, so MS *could* have
supported it if they wanted to.

<http://developer.apple.com/documentation/AppleApplications/Reference/SyncSe
rvicesSchemaRef/Articles/Contacts.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001541-209743

Also, groups do not
sync at all. I am assuming I still need AddressBook to get my contacts
over to my cell phone (which has to use iSync). Is that still the case?

No. iSync works from a central database - Entourage syncs with this central
database, and Address Book *also* syncs with this central database. If your
data's in the central database then it'll go to your phone.

More detail here:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq_topic/sync_services_basics.html>

Cheers,

Chris

 

[cwachs]

That is very helpful, thank you!

My last problem (for today): It seems at some point in the last couple
years of switching between AddressBook and Entourage, all my contacts
in Entourage have about 10 blank "Children" records added to them.
Now, when I am syning from Entourage to AddressBook, all these blank
children fields are showing up. They do, in fact, exists in Entourage.
Is there a way to do a blanket "Children" field removal from Entourage
so I don't have to manually edit 800 contacts and remove them by hand?