Q: Upgrade to El Capitan.  Contacts lost.  Not using iCloud.

Thank you for the tip, it did help, however, It's still scary! We have less and less control over how we want to use our devises. I have tried to submit and conform, but its getting more and more difficult to do so. Here is an example.  Bill Jones works at Jones & Associates.  He is a personal friend and I have his cell number and home address that I do not want to share with anyone. I also am a client of Jones and associates and Bill emails me and calls from his work email and phone.  I would like to have a Jones & Associates contact with Bills email and office number, something I choose to share with anyone who asks. I would also like a private contact for Bill with his work email and his private phone number along with his work contact information for my personal use.

Now every time I email Bill the mail app only allows me to email Jones & Associates. Every time Bill calls me on his private phone it shows up as Jones & Associates or changes recent calls to the business name rather than Bills private phone. Most importantly I keep giving out Bills private number by accident because the contact says Jones & Associates in stead of Bill Jones. 

Who cares if there is an easier or more convenient way to set it up!!! Its the way I want it and I am being forced to change my settings to the will of the collective.  Sad AND Scary, but thank you for the tip - it was helpful.

You can set up a contact for Bill Jones with all of his personal info and set up another contact for Jones & Associates with all the office info.

You are correct. However, you can not email or receive an email from Bill Jones without it changing to Jones & Associates.  Same applies if you have the same number in both contacts and different emails it combines them into one. Simply put, it should just give me both options and let me choose. End of story. My choice. I could care less is someone else understands my contact list - it's mine to interpret! ...or is it?

I have different contacts with some overlapping information. It doesn't combine them.

Another glitch is being marked "solved" when it is not. Please don't tell me "the only person that can mark things solved is me" IF I access a conversation via email, occasionally, it will automatically mark it solved.

There would have to be a very good reason for me to turn on iCloud EVER again. It removes items off my computer. My contacts, my calendars are then wiped from my computer and moved to iCloud. Please do not respond with "it will not take your contacts or calendars unless you allow it." Yes it will. Because I allowed it to do so - once, a long time ago, it now does it everytime I log into iCloud. Then I have to rush to turn all the settings off. Great concept, lousy features. I am tired of restoring my back-up, re-enstalling my operating system, re-formatting my hard drive and re-setting all my limited settings. It is a vicious cycle that never seems to end. Unfortunately, I am moving on. I found a new program that bypasses Apples influence on my contacts and calendars. Well, at least today it does.  Who know what will happen when Apple decides to "improve" the system again.

Thank you for your help, and taking the time to respond to my request.

AkPaparazzi wrote:

 

Another glitch is being marked "solved" when it is not. Please don't tell me "the only person that can mark things solved is me" IF I access a conversation via email, occasionally,

Guess what, you are the only person who could have marked it as solved, so it was you.

Occasionally, the email arrives with "Solved" in green, others arrive grayed out allowing me to choose. I don't see how it is possible for me to choose "solved" when I have not even read the email. My error? Anything is possible. I choose to believe there is something wrong.

In stead of your condescending answer maybe you could have responded. "Dear AK, It is because you are asking a new question within a discussion that has already been marked solved by someone else."  This, my friend, is how you properly solve an issue with a level 8 answer.

Csound1 wrote:

 

AkPaparazzi wrote:

 

Another glitch is being marked "solved" when it is not. Please don't tell me "the only person that can mark things solved is me" IF I access a conversation via email, occasionally,

Guess what, you are the only person who could have marked it as solved, so it was you.

That only happens when one of your posts is marked correct, it is for information only, it DOES NOT allow you to choose, anything at all.

As you have not asked the question, clearly you can not award points to those who answer it, so you did not do it, and your understanding of how this works is lacking