Lack of options in iCloud control panel compared to MobileMe Control panel, so now what happens if there is a conflict of data (Cloud vs Computer)?

Hi, I have a post below that explains what happend to me yesterday when I tried syncing my Outlook 2010 master list of contacts with iCloud. Note that I moved from Mobile Me and so there was already a copy of my contacts in iCloud from the migration. The sync resulted in many duplicate entries and some garbled entries.

I fixed things by:

1.Isolating Outlook from iCloud by unchecking the sync contacts box.

2.I made sure that all devices: my MacbookPro, my iPad, and my iPhone where not syncing contacts to iCloud.

3.In Outlook I restored my contacts from the folder where iCloud had made a backup (Plaxo backup) to my Outlook Contacts folder and insured that all was ok.

4.I signed on to www.icloud.com and delted my contacts by selecting all of them and then using the drop down menu to delete them.

5. I enabled contacts sync from the PC iCloud Control Panel and my contacts were sent to iCloud and checked to insure that all is well in iCloud.

6. Insure that as you add devices to iCloud Contact sync that all contacts have been removed from the device before you enable Contacts sync.

One more thing: disable Contacts syncing between your Mac and iPhone/iPad BEFORE you enable iCloud Contacts sync. The two sync algorithms seem different resulting in lost contacts and corruption for me. iCloud sync essentially replaces Mac to iPad/iPhone sync for contacts and calendars.

When you enable bookmarks (but before you press the Apply button), you should see an alert asking you to confirm that you want your local bookmarks merged with those in the cloud. If you do (and then press Apply), iCloud will exert substantial effort to avoid duplication during the merge.

These "upgrades" as they're called, always promise great benefits, but boy, what a headache trying to make it work. I lost calendars, all my contacts are duplicated, and simply can't get my Reminders, Calendars, or Contacts to show updates or changes in iMac/iPad, my iPhone, let alone my Outlook 2010!

Will try WildClyde fix... THANKS!

@WildClyde when you re enabled contact sync in iCloud Control Panel did it move all you Outlook contacts into a iCloud Contacts folder?

NickRno77 wrote:

@WildClyde when you re enabled contact sync in iCloud Control Panel did it move all you Outlook contacts into a iCloud Contacts folder?

Outlook does not allow synchronization of the local contacts folder, not even in Exchange so it has no choice but to create a new folder which will be named by the account ID, the same is true for mail & contacts.

Nick,

I started with no contacts in my iCloud account. The first time that I enabled contacts sync in Outlook two things happened: 1. iCloud control panel made a local backup of my Outlook contacts (the folder had the name Plaxo in it but I have since removed it so i can't give you the exact name), 2. the contacts were then sync'd the iCloud and the local Outlook contacts ended up like:

My Contacts

Contacts --- now empty

iCloud Contacts

Contacts --- in sync with iCloud

I hope that answers your question.

Clyde

There seems to be a misunderstanding as to how iCloud differs from MM.

There is no sync!

MM kept local calendars all over the place and synchronized changes between them (contacts etc too), iCloud keeps 1 calendar on the server and all your devices subscribe to it, add an event on any one and it replicates on the server, every client is viewing the server calendar so they see it as well.

Csound1 wrote:

NickRno77 wrote:

@WildClyde when you re enabled contact sync in iCloud Control Panel did it move all you Outlook contacts into a iCloud Contacts folder?

Outlook does not allow synchronization of the local contacts folder, not even in Exchange so it has no choice but to create a new folder which will be named by the account ID, the same is true for mail & contacts.

@Csound1 forgetting Calendar Sync, not sure if you are correct re "Outlook does not allow synchronization of the local contacts folder" ? I had no problems with MobileMe syncing my Contacts, also iTunes Syncs Outlook Contacts to my iDevices no problem at all, thats the way I am syncing Contacts now.

Nick

The overwrite available in Mobile Me is gone. Under iCloud, the cloud always wins. It's the master copy, as far as I can tell.

When you first add a device to iCloud, you're informed that it will merge the data on the device and the data in the cloud. I've done this on several machines now without seeing duplicates. Note that if you're a Mobile Me subscriber, iCal may still show your Mobile Me CalDAV account and your iCloud account so it appears that things have been duplicated--remove the Mobile Me account from the iCal accounts after enabling iCloud.

Syncing with Outlook sounds like a more difficult task. I not currently forced to use a PC so I'm not running Outlook sync anymore.

WildClyde wrote:

Nick,

I started with no contacts in my iCloud account. The first time that I enabled contacts sync in Outlook two things happened: 1. iCloud control panel made a local backup of my Outlook contacts (the folder had the name Plaxo in it but I have since removed it so i can't give you the exact name), 2. the contacts were then sync'd the iCloud and the local Outlook contacts ended up like:

My Contacts

Contacts --- now empty

iCloud Contacts

Contacts --- in sync with iCloud

I hope that answers your question.

Clyde

Clyde,

Yes that does thanks, that's how mine was setup initially. I expect your default Contact Folder is still Contacts ? Its a shame MS can't let you pick iCloud Contacts as the default, I could just about live with that. I have about 5 Contact Groups, what iCloud Sync did with mine was to create 5 iCloud contact group corresponding with my Group name prefixing with iCloud but the copied all contacts from all folders in iCloud Contact group and really messed the sort order up as well. I want a simple life 🙂

Nick

This is what I did...not ideal but seems to work for right now till iCloud actually syncs contacts into Outlook 2010 (PC/Win 7) like Mobile Me used to. I opened the contacts in the iCloud contact address boxes in Outlook. I selected all contacts by selecting one and then Ctrl-A (selects all), then Ctrl-C (copies all). Then I went into the Outlook Contact folder which is blank from iCloud "stealing" all my contacts and in that empty box I hit Ctrl-V to past all contacts in. I am now able to use my contacts when emailing in Outlook.

Of course, any changes I make to my iPhone contact list or via iCloud will only sync back to the iCloud contacts lists in Outlook (and not Outlook's main calendar) so occassionally I'm thinking I'll need to go back and do this all again either figuring out a way to only copy new contacts over, or going into Outlook Contacts and deleting all of those, going back to Outlook iCloud contacts (which are syncing but not communicating with other aspects of Outlook like mail) and then do the process all over (select all, copy, paste).

Seems silly that contacts can't work the same as they did with Mobile Me but it seems like Apple has a tendancy with everything but their actual iDevices to be screwy when things are working and make things more complicated. I was not looking towards this day as I knew there would be some stupid issue as it seems like it always is that way with their new software rollouts. In fact, I use Outlook 2010 through Parrells still cause their Mac version still won't sync even calendars...at least iCloud is still doing that with Outlook 2010 Windows...though still the same issue as Mobile Me that it doesn't sync with the main calendar...but I can still use it and sync well to the iPhone.

NickRno77 wrote:

Csound1 wrote:

NickRno77 wrote:

@WildClyde when you re enabled contact sync in iCloud Control Panel did it move all you Outlook contacts into a iCloud Contacts folder?

Outlook does not allow synchronization of the local contacts folder, not even in Exchange so it has no choice but to create a new folder which will be named by the account ID, the same is true for mail & contacts.

@Csound1 forgetting Calendar Sync, not sure if you are correct re "Outlook does not allow synchronization of the local contacts folder" ? I had no problems with MobileMe syncing my Contacts, also iTunes Syncs Outlook Contacts to my iDevices no problem at all, thats the way I am syncing Contacts now.

Nick

That was true in Mobile Me but not so in iCloud I'm afraid, it is now a CardDav system and Outlook is not good with Any Dav system.

Except iCloud does not seed your professional Snow Leopard networked business machines. So you are SOL when you run into trouble.

I've been with Apple for over 20 years and this is the first time I want to wring someone's neck in Cupertino for this restrictive thinking...ESPECIALLY after the rigamarole they put us through with the previous Sync's.