Backups - important for more than just your computer...

Recently I wrote a blog about the importance of backups trying to highlight why you need to backup your data - whether you are a basic home user thinking backups are not for you or whether you are at the top of a big company.

More recently I have found myself in the interesting situation where I was asked to restore contacts from an older phone to a newer phone and boy what an interesting project! Needless to say information on the internet for a wizard on how to import your contacts from a Nokia E66 to the latest iPhone was about as abundant as sober students, but I had to get this done - it became a personal thing, a pride thing.

After looking out for some tips on the net I set out with a plan:
* transfer all the contacts onto a memory card from the E66
* import these to my Blackberry
* connect the Blackberry to the Notebook with iTunes
* copy the entire address book from the Blackberry to the notebook
* import all the contacts to Outlook (or a similar program)
* connect the iPhone and using iTunes, synchronize all the contacts from Outlook

Unfortunately there is no easy way to import the 475 contacts in one batch to Outlook so I had to sit and add them all one by one. On top of that the Bluetooth connection between the Blackberry and the notebook was probably not the best idea and I should have just used the cable from the beginning - however overall success was on my side and not only was I able to import the contacts, but the email accounts, calendar information, tasks and several programs. iTunes really is a good program and Apple really have some fantastic projects out there!

I guess what I am really trying to say is every so often, just every month or so, try to connect that phone of yours to your machine with that cable that you probably lost with the box and try backup your contacts. Think about the years of friends, family and business relationships that will go to waste if you are to drop the phone in the pool, "misplace it" or if it gets stolen - probably not worth the risk!

If you struggle, open up that manual that came with the cable in the box, refer to the mighty Google or even give me a call as I have recently graduated to smartphone contacts backup and iPhone expert.

Good luck,
Warbrad.