How to locally sync an iPhone with OS X Mavericks? iCloud is NOT an option.

It sounds like the best solution to take a step 'backwards', go into Time Machine and install the previous version of OSX. And, to sign a petition.

Question. If I do this, do I lose all the calendar and contacts information I've put in calendar and contacts?

For an average person like me, it sounds difficult and potentially dangerous if I lose data.

Yesterday Apple deleted a post because it was "non-constructive" - simply because I suggested they make a management change at Apple as part of a "constructive" post which suggested that the bigger problem they haven't dealt with is that not everyone has internet connections all the time and might want to sync when on trains, planes, etc. (yes, you can pay $15 to GoGo to sync your computer, I guess!).

Here's my "constructive"suggestion ... fix the sync problem in Mavericks.. Don't make me go through Time Machine to an earlier OS. Sign a petition. And, in future, have the senior management pay closer attention to the little 'real world' details (such as maps, etc.) before they roll out 'improvements'.

If Apple deletes this as non-constructive then my disappointment will be complete.

<Question. If I do this, do I lose all the calendar and contacts information I've put in calendar and contacts?>

Before I reverted back to Mountain Lion, I exported a backup of my Calendar file, so that I could import it afterwards. In Calendar pull down File > Export > Calendar Archive... then just note where you save the file (must be to an external drive so that you can grab the file after you wipe your hard drive in the Time Machine process).

To be safe, before I reverted, I did a Time Machine backup of my current system (Mavericks version) so that I would have anything and everything just in case. That took a while, but I figured it was good insurance. Then I made myself a list of what I intended to grab from where, after the Time Machine reverting of the system. So, after reverting (which took about 2 hours for Time Machine, so plan accordingly) I then grabbed my newer project folders from the Mavericks Time Machine backup, my Calendar file from the manual backup I had saved, etc.) Just take your time, know that you have redundant information, and then set things back to the way you want them.

Of course, if you were not using Time Machine prior to upgrading to Mavericks, you will not be able to revert in this way.

Good luck!

sorry for that, I found out later that the process left out calender, contacts and so on . . .

just realized at the beginning that iCloud was marked as a standard. so sorry for making people read my hardly reasoned contribution.

finally I ended up too, making contact with Apple directly to express my opinion to this NO GO

and add a voice that this is NOT an option . . .

my minor use of calender, notes and little come up of new contacts helps me waiting

and doing things manually . . . but I won't do so for ever and it is just impracticeable and unbelievable.

there is no need for a workaround but the need to restore the functionality.

sorry for the many of you and all the users depending on that on a large scale.

best regards

hope my cellphone company does not decide to no longer support iPhones while not being connected to electrical power and still selling them to me . . .

Thanks Ginger!

I hope Apple fixes this soon on Mavericks instead of forcing us into their cloud.

Syncing via USB or WiFi definitely does not work. One area where it fails miserably is podcasts. It used to be the case that I could control which podcast and episodes were synced to my iPhone and the played/unplayed status was synced as well. When I had a partially played episode, the resume point was also synced. with Mavericks and IOS 7, that no longer works. Every time that I open up Podcasts on my iPhone, it want to download new copies of episodes that are already on my Mac. And the set of available episodes and their status are different.

This has absolutely NOTHING to do with the issue being discussed.

Why is syncing of podcasts via iTunes not a part of the large discussion of sync issues. I want to sync the podcast episodes and their status between my Mac PRo and my iPhoen locally, nto through the cloud. That used to work but is now broken. In the iTunes screen, it gives me various options on syncing podcasts.

Because the discussion centers entirely on the removal of Sync Services from OS X Mavericks. Sync Services was used to sync local calendars and contacts with iOS devices.

It has nothing to do with syncing podcasts or maintaining the state of podcasts across devices.

Start a new thread.

the center of this discussion has absolutely nothing to do with good advanced services and a good relationship with users/customers (not only consumers) and their own free choice in using their devices. this relation is disturbed with Apples practice on that functions. and obviously for many people not only a hypothetical problem in everyday life and business. Ok, we won't stop to progress and develop, so sometimes there is a bitter pill, new interface or what ever . . . but this step is simply redundant and annoying.

(gave two feedbacks to Apple and signed a petition . . . for now I stop making contacts ;-)

This is a technical support forum. Not someplace for you to come and whine about what you percieve as poor customer service.

You're a troll. Go away.

pulot pulot1

Nov 1, 2013 5:17 AM ( in response to pulot pulot1)

ah, and an article by a real person about this --

http://securityspread.com/2013/10/27/setting-sync-server/

Thanks for the link … good info … and for your other post.

I gave up after repeated failure to import contacts archives. I have not even tried calendar sync as I need both syncing with iPads via USB while running OSX server on a stand alone personal computer.

I see the difference between these instructions and what the German guy posted. That seems to me to be a potential reason for my failure … difference in setting link accounts on client side.

I might give it another try when I have a day or two to waste … 😉

ChrisW£ wrote:

Hi,

are you saying that Apple delete their copy of the data when one stops using iCloud? I thought someone else said they archive it.

If they delete it my method is better than I thought, the data would only be exposed for the short time it is on their server. However, it still does use some broadband data allowance but only while I have it turned on rather than continually.

I'm thinking a script to run might be an interim solution (to save my old brain having to remember all the steps and commands). Not sure I would want to do it for my business contacts though, there are lots of them, and I wouldn't want to expose that data until I know more about whether Apple do delete it.

From what I've read, there's limited backup at Apple on individual iCloud accounts, especially the free accounts - I doubt they replicate that data anywhere or even care much about it. If the copy on their disks is deleted almost immediately, there's probably a 0% chance of it's being replicated.

Since it's only Contacts & Calendar data, that's really not big bandwidth at all. It should go quickly.

Your process looks really promising:

1. Sync Contacts & Calendar with iCloud

2. Let iCloud sync iDevices & Macintoshes

3. Copy/duplicate database files on Macs, relocate temporarily

4. Turn off iCloud (deletes iCloud data)

4.1 iCloud will delete Contacts & Calendar on Mac

4.2 iCloud will ask if Contacts & Calendar on iDevices should stay, select yes

5. Move database copies of Contacts & Calendar back to their operating location on Mac

Sync complete!

I like it this method because (1) iCloud won't drag my iPhone to a grinding halt on a multiple basis daily because it's been turned off; (2) no server install/maintenance; (3) it's free; and, (4) it leverages 10.9's system against itself :-)

Yes, this worked same for me too ...

Your process looks really promising:

1. Sync Contacts & Calendar with iCloud

2. Let iCloud sync iDevices & Macintoshes

3. Copy/duplicate database files on Macs, relocate temporarily

4. Delete iCloud data

4.1 iCloud will delete Contacts & Calendar on Mac

4.2 iCloud will ask if Contacts & Calendar on iDevices should stay, select yes

5. Move database copies of Contacts & Calendar back to their operating location on Mac

Sync complete!

... when I was connected to Internet.

It is a good workaround when connected, does not work in the field w/o connectivity.

Yes, unfortunately that is true.

But our only other option is to set up a server at our office, so I'd only be able to sync while I was at the office. Similar constraints - I'm not there every day.

This is simpler (for us). At least I could sync while at home or on the road in a hotel or something....

With this insidious update, how do you trust Apple, now? Not so much. And it was FREE. Wow, how nice of them. And maybe tell us things like this before we update?

I was a paying MobileMe client, and boy, did I regret that. I had to go to the Genius Bar about 10 times before I found someone who could fix the 40,000+ contacts that duplicated my 4,000+ actual contacts. So frustrating. I turned off MobileMe on their advice and never looked back. I have avoided this iCloud since then. I just tried it, so I'm hoping I don't start the duplicating problems from before.