iPhone, iPad, iPod Forums at iMore.com

[pascalcheck]

Hi Everybody.

Just want to introduce myself first:

I am a swiss student from zurich, i have an Iphone 3G and *shame* a Vista-Laptop.

From my university, i have an Email "working" with the "Microsoft Exchange" Protocoll.

I could very easy add my Email Account to my Iphone, the Exchange Protocoll was already installed (like gmail etc...)

My question is:
How can i sync my contacts and calendar from the Account Without losing everyting on my Iphone?
(Because if i want to sync a warning shows up: "The contacts already on the Iphone will get lost")

Greetings from Switzerland
-P

[Rene Ritchie]

Hi pascalcheck,

Unfortunately, my understanding is that Exchange Activesync basically "takes over" the iPhone when you set it up, and replaces all local data with Exchange data (which is why you get that warning).

MobileMe is immune to this (probably because it has its own "truth store" to prevent chaos), but I don't believe anything else is at this time.


Is it just email you have through Exchange? No contacts or calendar there?

I haven't tried it yet myself, but if so maybe you could turn off contact and calendar sync in Exchange on the iPhone, and it will leave those things alone?

[pascalcheck]

Hi. Thanks for your answer.
Yes, i have no contacts on my online-exchange (outlook web access or whatever you call it), nore calendar entries...

And i don't use my email with an offline mail program

i just thought i could upload my tasks/contacts/calendar entries on my online platform... without losing all iphone saved "things"
Greetings

-p

[hotrod]

I think your best bet would be to sync your iPhone with Outlook on your laptop and then sync your Outlook with your exchange service. Make backups of your pst files before you sync to server.
Most exchange systems I've used make you add the account to Outlook and then you can upload your Outlook data to server.

Some make you create a new blank pst file and sync that. Then you have to import your backup pst file into your new exchange account.

Once that is all done either way, then turn on calendar and contacts on iPhone and you'll be set.

[pascalcheck]

i thought of that... sounds horribly complicated but i guess it won't be


thank you very much

[Justin]

If you don't sync direct to exchange you won't get your emails then I would assume? Although you could just setup an IMAP account to exchange and manually check and keep your contacts on your phone.

[hotrod]

no its not complicated. in fact it makes me feel good to sync to outlook and then backup my pst file. then I know I can mess around with the iphone and/or with the exchange server and still have everything safe in a backup file.