Help Syncing back and forth HTC Desire to G Mail and Windows Mail

[foxymain]

I have just accquired a HTC Desire. I am trying to back up my contacts in case I lose the phone. I have opened a Gmail account and clicked the sync button but nothing happens. I can manually transfer my contacts to gmail from Windows Contacts but this takes ages and there must be an easier way. Also would like to synce all Windows live email contacts. I am getting frustrated with this technology and am beginning to wish I kept my old phone. Any help would be very much appreciated in a step by step reply. Am a bit thick with all this. Basically I want my pnone to be a small replica of my pc so phone contacts and email contacts into my phone and g mail would be good. Many Thanks Richard

 

[El Presidente]

Hi Richard, welcome to the forums.

Is it the Desire HD or the original Desire you own? Sorry, you mention the Desire, but you've posted in the Desire HD Section.

You can export the contacts on your phone to a csv file, then upload them to the account associated with your phone. Open your phone book, hit Menu -> Import/Export -> Export to SD Card.

This will then create a .csv or a .vcf file on to the root of the SD. Copy this to your PC. Once copied, open up the gmail account on your PC, press contacts -> More actions -> Import Contacts. Your contacts should now be stored on your gmail account. Next time you add a contact, make sure you add it as a google contact and that will sync too.

Not sure about the Windows contacts, is there some way of exporting them as a csv file too?

You could also try an app called MyPhoneExplorer? That's normally pretty good at syncing everything connected to your phone.

 

[foxymain]

Hi Richard, welcome to the forums.

Is it the Desire HD or the original Desire you own? Sorry, you mention the Desire, but you've posted in the Desire HD Section.

You can export the contacts on your phone to a csv file, then upload them to the account associated with your phone. Open your phone book, hit Menu -> Import/Export -> Export to SD Card.

This will then create a .csv or a .vcf file on to the root of the SD. Copy this to your PC. Once copied, open up the gmail account on your PC, press contacts -> More actions -> Import Contacts. Your contacts should now be stored on your gmail account. Next time you add a contact, make sure you add it as a google contact and that will sync too.

Not sure about the Windows contacts, is there some way of exporting them as a csv file too?

You could also try an app called MyPhoneExplorer? That's normally pretty good at syncing everything connected to your phone.

Thanks for your help. I have managed to do all up to Export to SD CArd. That asked what account to export to. I pressed Google with my google address underneath. Are you sure you want to export to google etc vcf. I have done that and know am back to square one as phone contacts still not backed up on google. I checked on HTC Sync and that all went wrong. It is a HD DEsire. CAn you help further please. I really need someone with patience on this cos it all appears to go wrong. Thanks so far

 

[El Presidente]

When you plug the phone into your PC, mount it as an external disk. Is there a vcf file on the root of your SD Card?

 

[foxymain]

Thanks for your help. I have managed to do all up to Export to SD CArd. That asked what account to export to. I pressed Google with my google address underneath. Are you sure you want to export to google etc vcf. I have done that and know am back to square one as phone contacts still not backed up on google. I checked on HTC Sync and that all went wrong. It is a HD DEsire. CAn you help further please. I really need someone with patience on this cos it all appears to go wrong. Thanks so far

I also have on pc all my contacts on vcf but to import to google mail it will not allow me to ' select all' but to only move contacts one by one.

 

[foxymain]

When you plug the phone into your PC, mount it as an external disk. Is there a vcf file on the root of your SD Card?

On USB it says no sd card detected

 

[El Presidente]

Is there an SD Card in the phone?

 

[foxymain]

Sorry for sounding a thicko, but how would I know. When I plug in usb it says no sd detected. When I unplug is says Preparing Sd CArd. Thanks for your patience.

 

[El Presidente]

Don't worry about it!

Settings -> Storage that will tell you if there is an SD Card there.

It sounds as if there isn't though.

 

[foxymain]

it says total space 7.41gb available 6.52. It appears I do have one
Next .....

 

[foxymain]

In ENglish ?

 

[El Presidente]

Ok, try the export to the SD Card again and can you tell me exactly what happens and what messages appear on screen please?

Also, when you're trying to upload the existing vcf file to the gmail if you do it via the gmail web interface, you won't need to do it individually, it should accept the entire file at once.

Can you let me know exactly what you're doing if it's only letting you copy one entry at a time?

 

[foxymain]

Ok. I have plugged USB into phone and selected Disk Drive as oppose to Charge only. HAve gone to PEOPLE,> IMPORT/EXPORT> EXPORT TO SD CARD Please select an account GOOGLE, SIM or PHONE. GOOGLE CHOSEN. NO SD CARD DETECTED.

Change selection upon USB attachment from DISK DRIVE to USB TETHERING. Its says Preparing SD CARD.HAve gone to PEOPLE,> IMPORT/EXPORT> EXPORT TO SD CARD Please select an account GOOGLE, SIM or PHONE. GOOGLE CHOSEN. CONFIRM EXPORT . ARE you sure u want to export your contact list to sd card/google-foxymain-00003vcf. I PRESS OK. Small Quick transfer list chosen. UNPLUG PHONE. So now where will I find them ?? Thank You

 

[El Presidente]

Thanks, I see where the problem lies!

1. Disconnect the phone from the PC
2. Open The Phone Book
3. Hit Menu
4. Import/Export
5. Export to SD
6. Select PHONE or SIM account (dependant on where you store your numbers)
7. Wait for the .vcf file to be created (it should be created on the root of the SD Card, not in any folders).
8. Connect the phone to the PC as a Disk Drive
9. Copy the .vcf file you just created on to the desktop of your PC.
10. Unmount/Disconnect the phone from the PC
11. Log into the gmail account associated with the phone in your browser
12. Hit Contacts (in the top left hand side of the page)
13. More Actions
14. Import
15. Select the file you've just copied to your PC, let it upload
16. Click Contacts again, you should see the contacts from your phone listed.
17. Perform a Sync on your phone, it will download the contacts to your phone again so you'll end up with a few duplicates, but after your phone sorts itself out, then they'll link themselves.

Let me know how that goes.

 

[foxymain]

Woop Woop. Great Stuf. Thank you so much. All my phone contacts now backed up on Google Mail. Can you now help me get my email dress book over please. I run Windows 7 and Windows Mail. I have set up email on the phone and can receive all messages but can ONLY reply if people have sent something to me. I cannot just pick anyone from my address book. Thanks you for your patience with me.

 

[El Presidente]

Don't worry about it. You're sorted (partly), that's the main thing

I've never used windows mail, but do any of the instructions given for Outlook or Outlook Express here help? I presume their interfaces are similar.

Export to a csv file, then import to gmail as you did the vcf file (From step 11 downwards).

If you can't export your contacts from Windows Mail based on the above, let me know and I can set it up when I get home from work tomorrow morning and have a play about.

 

[foxymain]

Need a bit more step by step if you have the time please

 

[El Presidente]

If I'm not busy and I get the chance at work tonight, I'll see what I can do. If not, it'll have to be tomorrow morning, sorry.

 

[john_g]

I've read this and the thing I'm wondering about is why the contacts on your phone aren't being synced with Gmail on your PC. Two reasons for wanting this to be working properly: firstly, because it means you'd always be able to access your list of contacts from any computer and would have this as a backup if you lost your phone and, secondly, because you could then open your Gmail contact list in your computer browser and do the import/export stuff there, where it is probably easier to follow.

So, are you saying that, even though you've synced your phone, you open Gmail in your computer browser and don't see any of the contacts you've got on your phone? Do you at least see the same list of Gmail messages on both devices?

 

[El Presidente]

The contacts on my phone didn't sync with my gmail account intiially either. By default, the contacts imported over from previous handsets will either be Phone or SIM contacts. To sync with your gmail account, they need to be google contacts.

I've not been able to find a simple way of syncing Phone/SIM contacts on the handset with your gmail account to make them google contacts. The only way I'm aware of it is by the export/import detailed above. You don't seem to be able to do it via the handset itself.

 

[foxymain]

John. My phone contacts are now successfully synced with Gmain thanks to El Presidente. THat issue has now been solved. The next thing I am now trying to achieve is to transfer over my Window Live Email Adrress Book. That is what Ineed help on. Thanks

 

[foxymain]

Hiya. Its the email thing I am now interested in forget Gmail. I would like to import my Windows Live address book to my HTC. Can this be done do we know? Thanks

 

[foxymain]

Thank You eveyone. I have now figured out everything I need to know based all what you told me. A very big thank you for your time and patience.

 

[El Presidente]

Glad you're sorted.

Apologies, I got home from work this morning and crashed out.

 

[pritchsas]

Hi,
Ive tried to do this but when i export the file to googlemail all thats in it is the 3 last numbers that i saved, the other 200 are not there???
anyone