Help! All data gone after sync! (Outlook 2003)

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Everything was working fine. Then, because of some home remodel work, I unplugged my desktop and moved it out. After the work was finished, I moved it back and reconnected all the peripherals. Everything seemed to be working fine. During this period, I relied on my Palm Tungsten E for everything and made changes, etc. to the data in the Palm. I’m using the most current version of Datebk5.

Then I set up to sync my Palm to Outlook on the desktop, which is running Windows XP Home. I’m using Chapura’s Pocket Mirror XT Pro, and I set it to have the handheld overwrite the desktop for the next sync.

When I did the hotsync, it froze part way through. Just hung up. I had to restart the desktop and do a soft reset on the Palm. I looked at Outlook and all my calendar and contact items were gone! Gulp! But the data is all still in my Palm.

So I went back and reloaded a PST file from before, which restored the data to before I had unplugged the computer. Checked all the settings in Chapura — once again to have the Palm overwrite the desktop. I backed up the Palm to the memory stick, then tried hotsync again. Exact same thing. Froze up and all the data in Outlook gone.

Very frustrating and very scary! I don’t have any idea what to do next. Can anyone help?

Sheryl in San Diego

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Very first thing you should do is make a backup of your PST!

Hard to know what the problem might be, but:

1. If you are using Chapura PocketMirror, are your settings similar to the attachment? Or are you setting up to overwrite the Desktop? Which version of PocketMirror are you using (3.1.6+ has better backup capabilities)?

2. When you start your new Sync, does it ask for the PDA UserID?

3. Did you do anything to recreate your PST?

4. Are all your missing Contacts showing up in your deleted itmes folders, or one of the Outlook backup folders created by PocketMirror?

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No point making a backup of my PST now — it’s pretty much empty! I did make a backup of the previous one, though.

1. I am using Chapura Pocket Mirror XT Pro version 3.1.10.0 (which according to their web site is the latest version). My settings did look similar to yours (less stuff, though), except I did set it to have the handheld overwrite the desktop on the next sync (and that sync only). Now my settings don’t show anything but system (handheld overwrites PC) and install (enabled). None of the usual things appear (calendar, contacts, etc.).

2. When I started the sync, the PDA UserID was assumed to be me (SSK), because I’m the only one using this computer.

3. What I did to recreate my PST was to find the backup PST file dated 5/17/05, and rename it Outlook.PST. Thus Outlook assumed that to be the current file. When I did this, all the data appeared (at least as of 5/17 — which was the day I disconnected everything). Any new changes, I made in the Palm.

4. The missing contacts and calendar items do not appear in deleted items. And neither time I tried did the sync finish — so I don’t think any backup got made. It just froze — and froze the entire computer. I had to restart Windows to get functional again. Both times. I also had to do a soft reset of the Palm.

Sheryl . . . who isn’t floating in liquid gardens right now but rather something a whole lot less pleasant!

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I don’t have any insightful ideas.

At this point I would make sure that I have accounted for all PSTs on the drive, to make sure that I didn’t mistakenly attach a default ’empty’ PST created if Outlook started up without finding a PST, and if there is more than one I’d make backups of them all, and then try adding them as services to Outlook via File | Data File Management | Add | PST, etc.

I’d also reinstall Pocketmirror; I have the not-Pro version and it has become corrupted on me, and in my experience a reinstall won’t hurt except that you’ll be asked for your UserID. Then set all your Sync settings as you want them and go for a full Sync.

Good luck. If all is backed up what can go wrong? Famous last words.

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>Sheryl…who isn’t……

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Well, this is an update to let you all know how it all turned out. Except I’m not quite through.

I restored an old backup of Outlook’s Calendar and then spent a lot of time (hours) manually comparing it to my Palm and manually making any changes — including any new items that had been added since the backup had been made (5/9/05). Then I made a new calendar folder and called it “holding” and moved all my calendar items into that folder. That made Outlook Calendar empty. Then I (gulp!) sync’ed, chosing “Outlook overwrites Handheld.” This, of course, made my handheld Datebook empty. Then I sync’ed several times to make sure it all ran smoothly. It did. Then I moved everything back from the “holding” folder into Calendar and sync’ed again. But I get an error and it won’t sync.

So I’ve wasted a whole lot of time and I’m really no nearer a solution that I was at the start. If I thought it was the fault of the Palm Tungsten E, I’d junk it. If I thought it was Pocket Mirror XT Pro, I’d junk that.

Or maybe I’ll go to Hallmark and buy a pretty paper calendar and revert to that (I’ve been digital since Visor first came out with a handheld –about 1998 maybe!).

Very frustrating.

Sheryl

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Hi Sheryl,
Just a thought, but as I recall PocketMirror produces a sync log file. Have you been through this to see how far it got before falling over? This might give you some clue as to what the error is – usually you get mentions of any invalid data etc. that it tries to fix which might give you a way of narrowing down things to one entry that may be causing the problem.

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