My main computer with which my iphone has been synced (grammar?) has irretrievably died. I have backups of most of my music, apps etc. can be downloaded again but I have about 500 contacts on my iphone which I need to keep and save on my new iMac. Not surprisingly when I plug in the iphone iTunes asks me if I want to erase it and sync with the new computer. Presumably if I do this then all my contacts will be lost.
Is there some program I can use to save my contacts from the iphone to the Mac and then re-sync them back again onto the iphone?
The iphone, by design, will sync itunes content with ONE computer at a time. Any attempt to sync such content with a second computer will result in ALL itunes content being first erased from your phone & then replaced with the content from the second computer. That's what the message means you're getting. Since you've backed up your itunes library & added such to your new computer, this won't be a problem. Regarding your contacts & other data, do the following:
If you restore all of your data(photos, music, apps) to your new computer, including your itunes library, you'll be OK. Remember, the itunes library sync is one way, computer>phone. Same with photos not in your camera roll, one way, computer>phone. Just do the following:
1. Disable auto sync when an ipod/iphone is connected under preferences in itunes.
2. Make sure you have one contact & one event in Address Book & iCal. The entries can be fake, doesn't matter, the important point is that these programs not be empty.
3. Connect your phone, itunes running, do not sync at this point.
4. Store>Authorize this computer.
5. File>Transfer Purchases(To make sure all purchased content on your phone will be in your itunes library).
6. Right click in the device pane & select reset warnings.
7. Right click again and select backup.
8. Right click again & select restore from backup, select the backup you just made. When prompted to create another backup, decline.
9. This MUST be followed by a sync to restore your itunes content, which you select from the various tabs, You'll get a popup regarding your contacts & calendars asking to merge or replace, select merge.
Your phone should look exactly like it did when you started, but now you're syncing to your new computer.
