Imported contacts disappear after about 5 seconds

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Level 1

1 points

Imported contacts disappear after about 5 seconds

I'm guessing this has to do with a bug in iCloud.

Before this import I created a backup by using Export -> Address Book Archive.

After importing about 1000 company-wide contacts into my Address Book, Address Book started behaving strangely. It was slow and fan was going at full speed. Next time I looked in Address Book I had 3000 contacts, then later 5000 contacts. I deleted them all, which eventually worked even though Address Book was extremely slow.

So, now I had no more contacts. My iPhone eventually synced as well. So, I then had no contacts in Address Book on my mac and neither on my iPhone.

Then I tried to import that archive again. It said, and I still get this whenever I try: "Are you sure you want to replace all of the contacts in your address book with the contacts in “Address Book - 01-23-2012.abbu”? If you click Replace All, the information in this Address Book archive completely replaces the information in your address book. You can't undo this action."

So I choose Replace All, and for 5 seconds my contacts reappear, and then disappear again.

When I look on iCloud.com there are no contacts. I have tried deleting all the files in ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/ as well as the preference files for Address Book in ~/Library/Preferences/

I have also tried shutting off iCloud Contacts on my desktop before doing the import, and sometimes it talks to iCloud nevertheless. I have run out of ideas...

Anyone got a clue what to do next?

Macbook alu, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Jan 25, 2012 4:11 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

relloblue

Level 1

13 points

Aug 12, 2012 11:01 PM in response to imcleod

Same problem. Importing contacts lets them flash into the contacts app, and then they disappear within a few seconds to match the empty icloud website.

btw. I'm in Mountain Lion on one of my macs, where Address Book is now Contacts

Spent 2 hours with apple support today with senior support person, and the following procedure fixed it for me

1. disconnect from internet (switch off wifi, or unplug ethernet cable)

2. in Contacts application, import all contacts

3. in System Preferences/icloud untick contacts

4. when prompted to delete or keep, choose keep (moves contacts to "on my mac")

confirm that the contacts are now on your mac

5. in System Preferences/icloud tick contacts

6. when prompted to replace or merge, choose merge

7. connect to internet

8. in Contacts application, drag all contacts from "on my mac" to "icloud"

9. in Contacts application, drag all groups (one by one) into "icloud"

confirm that all your contacts have been moved over and the groups are all ok

10. delete all the contacts in "on my mac"

11. in Contacts/preferences select default addressbook = "icloud"

12. sigh with relief

Come on, Apple, you have to do better than this.

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Answer 2

Mar 30, 2017 7:23 AM in response to relloblue

You just saved my contacts. That solution worked. Thanks.

Re: Imported contacts disappear after about 5 seconds

I'm on OS X 10.10. While disconnected from internet you have to DISABLE iCloud contact syncing in BOTH the System Preferences and ALSO inside the app preferences in Contact app. The Address Book archive seems to include the checkbox for "Enable iCloud syncing!" in the app, so every time I imported the archive it would re-enable the app preference for iCloud. The checkbox kept coming back like the villain in a horror movie. Come on Apple.

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Answer 3

mfronmark Author

Level 1

1 points

Jan 25, 2012 4:43 AM in response to mfronmark

I have also tried restoring using Time Machine. Doesn't work either. Just ends up blank.

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Answer 4

keg55

Level 6

11,743 points

Jan 25, 2012 6:35 AM in response to mfronmark

Try completely signing out of iCloud on your Mac (System Preference / iCloud). Import your addresses into your Mac again; then sign back into your iCloud account on your Mac.

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Answer 5

mfronmark Author

Level 1

1 points

Jan 25, 2012 7:05 AM in response to keg55

Unfortunately importing contacts didn't work better after I signed out from iCloud. Now they don't even appear for a short period. Didn't work with Import.. and not using Time Machine.

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Answer 6

keg55

Level 6

11,743 points

Jan 25, 2012 8:37 AM in response to mfronmark

Check your Address Book / Preferences /Accounts. What do you have selected as the default account? If it's iCloud this would explain why nothing shows up since you mentioned iCloud is empty also. Select 'On my Mac' as your default and see if they show up.

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Answer 7

mfronmark Author

Level 1

1 points

Jan 25, 2012 8:47 AM in response to keg55

Unfortunately that's not it. Right now I have signed out of iCloud and have only On My Mac available. I tried importing and replace all, but still I get a blank sheet...

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Answer 8

keg55

Level 6

11,743 points

Jan 25, 2012 9:03 AM in response to mfronmark

Ok, with iCloud off, copy your user ~/Library/Applicaton Support/AddressBook/AddressBook-v22.abcddb off to some other folder and delete it from your user AddressBook folder. Restart Mac and try the import again (Address Book - 01-23-2012.abbu).

The user ~/Libary is hidden but you can get to it by opening Finder/GO/Go to folder and type ~/Library. Then navigate to the Application Support/AddressBook folder.

If this doesn't work, I'm out of ideas and hopefully someone more experienced than I can help.

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Answer 9

mfronmark Author

Level 1

1 points

Jan 25, 2012 9:36 AM in response to keg55

Thank you, but I already tried that.

Now I think I have come a step closer to solving the mystery. So the thing is I can view all my old contacts in Time Machine. They were all stored under iCloud. There is a possibility that I just got the contacts On My Mac when I did the export. So now the question is, how can I restore the iCloud contacts from Time Machine. That doesn't seem to work even though all the data including pictures are there. Very frustrating...

Last time I backed up to an external drive was this weekend. But I can still find data from this week in Time Machine. So... I'm wondering, where is Time Machine data stored on the machine?

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Answer 10

mfronmark Author

Level 1

1 points

Jan 25, 2012 9:58 AM in response to mfronmark

I actually kind of solved the problem now. I used MetaData, Images and AddressBook-v22.abcddb from a compressed file called Migration 20111013175604-153.abbu.tbz

That was some sort of backup that held.. at least most of my lost data. I'll copy the remaining manually.

Thank you for helping out!

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Answer 11

keg55

Level 6

11,743 points

Jan 25, 2012 10:00 AM in response to mfronmark

Glad you figured it out!

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Answer 12

Apr 9, 2012 6:43 PM in response to mfronmark

I am now running into this problem. When I import the archive, I see the names flash for a moment, then they all disappear. mfronmark, it sounds like you came up with some tyoe of fix, but it is not clear. I now have a blank address book and would really appreciate any help.

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Answer 13

Apr 17, 2012 12:20 PM in response to keg55

Signing out and signing in solved my address book problems.

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Answer 14

mfronmark Author

Level 1

1 points

Apr 17, 2012 1:43 PM in response to Neil Stone

Sorry about that. Here's what I did (essentially I imported an old copy of my contacts).

Go to your users ~/Library/ folder, that is /Users/*username*/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/

If you cannot find your Library folder, do this: http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/22/access-user-library-folder-in-os-x-lion/

Now, in the AddressBook folder there should be (at least I still have those) files named Migration [...].abbu

Import the most recent one.

If that doesn't work, I have this folder called /Users/*username*/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Sources in which there's a folder with what looks like a serial number for a name. Then on to Metadata. In that folder I have my current contacts (named like serial numbers too, file ending .abcdp). Open them and they should open up one by one in Address Book.

I hope that helps!

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Answer 15

imcleod

Level 1

11 points

Apr 20, 2012 11:33 AM in response to mfronmark

Hi, I found that by importing my Address Book Backup while disconnected from the Internet, Address book kept my contacts. I then opened the iCloud preferences from the System preferences and unchecked the Sync Contacts box. I turned Airport back on (or reconnected the Ethernet cable in some cases) and rechecked the Sync Contacts box in the iCloud preferences. All of my contacts were once again synced to iCloud. That seemed to solve this problem for me. I had erased all my contacts because I messed up a gmail sync.

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