Stopping using exchange server

[Guest JPo_23]

I've been using an exchange server with my Hermes for about a year, no problems.

I no longer needed the service as I'm not travelling around so much anymore, so I didn't renew my exchange service.

I removed the exchange account from outlook on my pc, and all my contacts etc were removed from outlook, they were still on the phone, and in more up to date form as I hadn't synched with the exchange sever for a while, so that was ok.

What I didn't expect was that when I removed the exchange connection from Activesync on my phone and then synced with my PC, this would remove all the contacts from the phone (and without any warning) rather than copying them onto the PC.

This could have been catastrophic, but I managed to sync the phone with the exchange server and get my contacts back with literally about 10 minutes to spare before my account was going to be deleted.

So how do I back my contacts up on to the PC? If I connect the phone and go into activesync I can't sync with the PC as it will only let me sync contacts with one source, but if I go to uncheck the box to sync contacts with the exchange server, I get a warning telling me that this will result in all my contacts being removed from the phone. This is not an option as the only remaining copy is the one on my phone.

How do I get the exchange server connnection out of my config and get everything syncing with the pc again without losing my contacts?

[Guest tasman]

I can sympathise with you there, did the same when I terminated one Exchange account before moving to another.

Fortunately I had exported all my messages and contacts from Outlook desktop to pst files in normal backup processes, to restoring wasn't to difficult but a little disconcerting that Outlook deleted everything none the less.

Try the Export route and then do all the deleting of accounts etc and then reset everything back into Outlook and sync the device.

[Guest mandt]

On your Phone:

Open ActiveSync>Menu>Options>Settings

set 'If there is a conflict' to 'keep the item on my device'

Merry Xmas :(

EDIT: Someone else from Milk n Beans!!

Edited December 22, 2007 by mandt

[Guest Neil5459]

Assuming the Exchange account is now history, you need to create a new profile in ActiveSync and Outlook. Before doing anything, take a copy of a file called pim.vol in the root of the mobile device= this contains all the Outlook data except emails.

If there is valid data on the PPC while creating a new partnership, this ought to sync back to the PC, but often doesn't as outlined above. So, go ahead and complete the sync. If the PPC stuff is deleted, find the 'new' vesion of pim.vol and rename it pim.old (you can't delete it as it is 'in use', but Resco allows you to rename it); now copy the previously saved version of pim.vol back to the My Device root, and do a soft reset. This will rtore all the data to the PPC, and another sync 'ought' to copy the stuff back to the PC, as the PPC stuff will now be detected as newer.

Too late for you now, but if this situation arises again make sure the PC Outlook is running in cached exchange mode, so a local copy is always held on the PC. Also before disabling the Exchange accoun, do a full export or backup from the File menu. This can then be reimported once Outlook is back in local mode.

[Guest Confucious]

It isn't simple, is it? I did the same when I trashed my exchange server and rebuilt it. I made sure I had the 'If there is a conflict' to 'keep the item on my device' turned on and went to sync my items from my phone and promptly lost the lot!

Luckily I had my old phone which I had Synced a few months ago so I synced that to a PC then back to my Ameo and from there to the server.

Not sure how you're supposed to do it but it certainly didn't behave the way I expected it too!

Good luck!

[Guest JPo_23]

Thanks for all the help, finally got it working although I had to completely remove and reinstall both outlook and activesync before everything would work properly.

Knowing about the pim.vol file was the key.

There really is a serious problem with activesync though - there's no way that removing a partnership should involve any data being deleted from the phone.

[Guest jimbouk]

1) Sync outlook on your pc with your exchange server account... (Why don't you anyway?)

2) move all your data from exchange mailbox to pst file

3) Remove the server sync partnership

4) Sync your device with outlook - as outlook has all the contacts/data etc from the server.

One of the main advantages of exchange server is that you have all your data on the server, in outlook and on your device. So whatever happens you have your data safe.

[Guest Confucious]

One of the main advantages of exchange server is that you have all your data on the server, in outlook and on your device. So whatever happens you have your data safe.

Until you remove your sync to the server when it decides to delete all your data....

Unless, of course you have taken precations before. I thought my data was safe so when I trashed my server and rebuilt it all I'd have to do was sync to my new server and Robert's your Father's brothe, insyead, I lost everything.

Could be better don't you think?

[Guest jimbouk]

Some research would have told you that exchange servers wont just accept data from any outlook that connect to them (otherwise the duplicates issue would be a nightmare).

You either archive your data off to pst and then un-archive it back into the new mailbox, or you simply save the mailbox data on the server and import it when you've rebuilt it.

[Guest Confucious]

'Some reasearch' being the operative phrase....

I'm not very bright and don't think a lot.

Try first, sort out mess later seems to be my motto.

D'Oh!

[Guest Neil5459]

1) Sync outlook on your pc with your exchange server account... (Why don't you anyway?)

2) move all your data from exchange mailbox to pst file

3) Remove the server sync partnership

4) Sync your device with outlook - as outlook has all the contacts/data etc from the server.

One of the main advantages of exchange server is that you have all your data on the server, in outlook and on your device. So whatever happens you have your data safe.

Thats how it should be done, but the OP had already cancelled the Exchange contract, and his Exchange folders on the server had been deleted :(

[Guest jimbouk]

'Some reasearch' being the operative phrase....

I'm not very bright and don't think a lot.

Try first, sort out mess later seems to be my motto.

D'Oh!

Considering how many questions on this forum are answered by the instruction manuals for devices, I think we are all guilty of try first/sort out later.

Personally I find the Orange WM5 manuals to be perfect to put under furniture legs to level bookcases etc as I live in an old house with uneven floors.

(Oh and the OP could have simply used his OST file)