My problem is very similar to the one described here, However I don't want to fix it, I just want to TRY and retrieve my contacts!!!!
I am looking for the contact data files in WM 6.1 (in other words, the outlook data files that are probably hidden).
Backstory: The resident idiot here (ME) neglected to sync his phone and back things up for, oh, about 3 months. (yes, you know what comes next, and I fully deserve it!).
The phone has now stopped working... Specifically, the Phone application, contacts application, and calendar application. The rest of WM is working fine, except that there is something causing it to run sluggish. AND the phone will not sync. It will connect, but it refuses to sync. Nothing was done to cause this failure, other than waking up one morning.
SOMETHING is corrupted, but I don't think its the actual data file (logic for that is below), SO before I hit the hard reset.... I thought I might try to back it up manually..... what do I have to lose?
A few more specifics:
1. Samsung i770 running WM 6.1 (but I think more of a WM specific issue than a i770 issue). Activesync 4.5 will connect, but it will not sync contacts.
2. When the phone booted for the first 20 or so times after the problem appeared, an error message would across the screen as soon as the desktop was loaded, but far too fast to make out any of the words.
3. Trying to load contacts, calendar, or the phone application produces absolutely no result. No error message, to hung process, nothing.
4. The messaging application works fine, BUT any attempt to load a contact from within fails. Again, no error message, just... nothing happens, it's like you never clicked it....
5. The radio antenna in the top bar says that it has no service.
6. NOW the error message is no longer flashing by the screen when you boot the phone, but all other symptoms remain.
7. Despite the fact that the radio icon and status indicator claims there is no signal, I can send and receive text messages (I just have to enter the number manually).
8. Once, very recently, without doing anything, an error message appeared and STAYED on the screen. Shape of the text looks about right for the message that previously has been flashing by on the screen, I think they are one in the same.
"Shortcut Target"
"error opening the shortcut or locating the target filename."
ANY THOUGHTS? Primarily I'm looking for the contacts data file (I don't care about the calendar, but its probably in the same spot) to TRY back it up before I hard reset the phone.... BUT if anyone has any ideas about a cause or temporary fix to the problems, I'm all ears!!!!!!
I'd highly recommend trying Microsoft MyPhone, just to see if that can access your contacts. It may be that the contacts DB itself is knackered, in which case you obviously can't get anything back.
Worth a try
http://myphone.microsoft.com/
Good luck!
johncmolyneux said:
I'd highly recommend trying Microsoft MyPhone, just to see if that can access your contacts. It may be that the contacts DB itself is knackered, in which case you obviously can't get anything back.
Worth a try
http://myphone.microsoft.com/
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed it was worth a try. Connected via Wifi to install (can't use data plan, that requires "dialing" an internet connection, which must use the phone app).
Synced documents, txt messages, photos, and then said "Synchonization Successful". WOOHOO! all done.... OR NOT! checked online, NO contacts information. No Calendar information. Apparently MyPhone takes the stance of "if it won't work, just ignore it and report success".
Thanks, A very good thing to try, but no go
Unfortunately, I can think of a number of different ways that WM could be programed, each pointing to a different culprit for the problem. If it's straight DB access for each program, then the only conclusion is that the DB is knackered. But if there's a some kind of access control program that handles those things, maybe its just the program that's no good (hence the message that it couldn't load the target shortcut when the phone boots up).
Anyone have any ideas where to find the DB itself? I can always try the traditional (and very bad idea) of a file swap.....
Looks like this mystery will go unsolved... last chance to figure out where to find the contacts db file is. I'll probably be wiping it tomorrow, can't live without the phone much longer. Thanks for the suggestions so far!
Search for PIMBackup, that will enable you to save all your PIM related stuff and then restore it once you have a working device.
Edit
Forgot to say this doesn't require you to install anything, just save the EXE to your memory card and then use File Manager to run it on the PPC.
"Connecting to outlook...."
"Could not connect to Outlook."
Beautiful suggestion, I really thought I had the answer there... Thank you!
Seems to be that poutlook.exe is knackered, but that really would not explain why the Phone (cprog.exe) won't load...
PIM Backup log history is mostly what could be expected:
appointments failed - cant connect to outlook
call logs worked
contacts failed - cant connect to outlook
messages worked - "connected to outlook" (but thats a different db and a different connection app, tmail.exe)
speed dials worked
tasks failed - cant connect to outlook
So it comes down to this: PIM.vol is knackered, OR poutlook.exe is dead, and I'm not sure which. Anyone have WM 6.1 and feel like emailing me a copy of poutlook.exe? (powderkeg500 ~a~t~ gmail ^d0t^ com !)... I'm sure the versions may be a bit different... but *shrug* maybe it will work?.....
Does anyone know if I can simply copy PIM.vol to my computer, reload the device, and then copy PIM.vol back to the phone? If the answer is absolutely yes, then I can simply try that. But if the answer is no... I could be shooting myself in the foot
i think copying PIM.vol off and then back on might work, but i seem to recall it may require Total Commnader to get it back on as it's locked by the OS on startup - deemed a system level file i think.
i remember doing this once myself but can't remember that far back now.
Sorry for not sounding more positive. You might like to look at alol.net.br as they offer a free Exchange acount you access OTA and so your contacts would always be backed up in future.
Related
I am having a problem with ActiveSync on my phone an Orange M700 running the HTC P3600 ROM. It was working with no problems until a few weeks ago when it stopped syncing. I have tested the laptop with another PPC and ActiveSync notices it straight away.
I have installed ActiveSync 4.5 to no avail so I returned to 4.2 and still nothing. I deleted all partnerships in both the phone and the laptop and when I plugged it back in the Windows saw the device as there was a pop up bubble in the bottom right corner but ActiveSync never kicked in.
I have had a look at the ActiveSync settings in the M700 but everything looks fine to me.
I have also been having problems with my 3G connection not connecting and doing the regular syncs it normally does e.g. my personal mail every 5 mins, my yahoo mail every hour and the weather every 2 hours. The only thing that has changed in this time is that I installed Fring, I can't imagine its related but I uninstalled Fring just in case but still no luck.
Anyone got any ideas how to fix it as I have some new appointments (I'm not sure which ones) in my PDA which I want to get synced before messing around with hard resets etc.
Thanks
Did you delete any notifications of any kind, usually replog files? If YES, then you just deleted your notification to activate Active Sync on your computer. You can solve that easily by returning the file. READ this for the solution: http://www.cs.pitt.edu/~jmisurda/ppc/blog/index.php?entry=entry051203-201515
...
cktlcmd said:
Did you delete any notifications of any kind, usually replog files? If YES, then you just deleted your notification to activate Active Sync on your computer. You can solve that easily by returning the file. READ this for the solution: http://www.cs.pitt.edu/~jmisurda/ppc/blog/index.php?entry=entry051203-201515
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think I did that but I tried the file anyway, still no joy. I think my phone is also vibrating when I plug it into the PC now, very strange.
LSmith4285 said:
I don't think I did that but I tried the file anyway, still no joy. I think my phone is also vibrating when I plug it into the PC now, very strange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you ever used Check Notifications? It is a free software to clear away JUNK notifications.
Link: http://www.scarybearsoftware.com/cn_overview.html
Sometimes, our PPC just creates duplicates of certain Notifications that can cause conflicts with some softwares. Maybe this is what is happening in your device. You can try and download Check Notifications, even though it says it is only compatible with WM 2003, I use it for my HTC Universal (WM5). Just go to Check Notifications settings and tick the 3 choices, run it and CLEAR those pesky bugs.
...
cktlcmd said:
Have you ever used Check Notifications? It is a free software to clear away JUNK notifications.
Link: http://www.scarybearsoftware.com/cn_overview.html
Sometimes, our PPC just creates duplicates of certain Notifications that can cause conflicts with some softwares. Maybe this is what is happening in your device. You can try and download Check Notifications, even though it says it is only compatible with WM 2003, I use it for my HTC Universal (WM5). Just go to Check Notifications settings and tick the 3 choices, run it and CLEAR those pesky bugs.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right I ticked the three boxes and cleared the issues but still nothing
Normally I'd just hard reset but I am worried about losing appointments I've forgotten I have made since my last sync.
LSmith4285 said:
Right I ticked the three boxes and cleared the issues but still nothing
Normally I'd just hard reset but I am worried about losing appointments I've forgotten I have made since my last sync.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know what else to suggest.
If you do decide to HARD RESET, take a look at this FREE BABKUP program for contacts and calendar events: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=299705&highlight=backup
I hate doing hard resets myself, that is why I have SPB Backup configured to do automatic backups everyday at 5AM.
Good Luck...
---
Thanks for your help.
I'm not sure how I am going to progress this. My major issue is that we use GroupWise at work with a third party app to allow the PocketPCs to sync with it. When you set it up it blanks the device before you can do anything, if I wait and import everything after this it usually can't cope with the levels of changes and kills the system on the server.
Oh joy, why wasn't someone looking at the "bigger picture" when we choose an e-mail system.....
I have an O2 XDA Exec running one of the old Crossbow ROMs (one of those where it's "Outlook Mobile" instead of "Messaging", I forget exactly which ROM it is I went for at the time). One thing I quite enjoy is that even after switching devices and upgrading the ROM is still having every SMS I've sent or received since summer 2006. This might all end here, sadly, as Outlook Mobile won't load and neither of the SMS backup programs I've tried have worked.
Here are the symptoms:
When I try and load Outlook Mobile (regardless of whether it's from the Start menu, HTC home screen, the messaging part of the today screen or the text option in Contacts) it simply does nothing.
I have tried two SMS backup programs. The EasyHelper "Contact + SMS Backup" which I normally use flashes up an error saying "Read SMS failed. Please restart device and try again. If the problem still exists, please contact your vendor.(401)" The other one (which I forget the name of now) failed to show a list of folders to backup from and if I ignore that option and try to back up anyway it sits for a while trying and then gives up (it says it's finished but it lies, the resulting file is way too small).
Don't know if this is related but the problem started around the same time. After having my device switched on for a minute or so a message will appear saying "Voice Command has encountered a problem. Restart Voice Command and try again." I don't use Voice Command so this isn't the problem but this error started showing around the same time this started.
When someone sends me an SMS nothing happens.
Don't know if this is normal or not, I get an access denied error when I try and do *anything* with cemail.vol (copy, rename, whatever)
Everything else seems to work fine (except ActiveSync but I can't remember the last time I had that working anyway, I don't use it).
I have tried:
Many soft resets.
Killing poutlook.exe and removing from the Today screen anything that might interact with the messaging.
Launching Outlook Mobile in different ways.
Two SMS backup programs.
Sending myself an SMS from a different phone.
Nothing works and I can't access my messages. Obviously as someone who's been keeping messages for about two years now (crossed the 10,000 mark I think) I'm slightly annoyed about this. I'm planning to reflash my phone to a newer WM6 ROM as soon as I'm not using it as my sole method for Internet access so my only concern here is saving my mass of text messages (either in a format I can read on my PC or a format I can restore from after reflashing my Universal).
If only I'd known before tonight that there was a free program to backup SMS on a schedule...
Any ideas at all? I'm comfortable doing registry hacks or typing commands or whatever needs doing. My messages are on this device somewhere and I want them. There's important nostalgia in there. Help greatly appreciated as ever.
Huh. It works now. No idea why, just got a text message today having not tried it for a couple of days and it seems okay. Frantically taking backups now.
Something on my SD card was messing it up, not sure what but removing the SD card allowed me to back up my messages. I removed the SD card, allowed it to create a "Storage Card" folder when it fails to save something to the SD card (it does this) and then reinserted the SD card and had the backup software back up to "/Storage Card2".
Weird. But I've solved the problem (in my case) and made a note of it on the offchance it might help someone coming in from Google someday.
ROM flashing time!
Thank youu!
Thank you very much... I had the same problem, but noticed it only yesterday!
Apparently I have been receiving sms messages since 3 or 4 days, but it shows nothing on my today screen. Yesterday I tried to open outlook because a friend told me he sent me a message, but... nothing!!!
When I removed the SD card it worked
But no messages since 3 or 4 days! and thus can't know who sent me messages
Anyway, thank you for your thread... and yes, I came from Google
sorry to bump an old thread, but this exact problem happened to me out of nowhere today. google searched it and this thread came up. i noticed i hadn't received even spam in my email to day and that error popped up about voice command. removed my sd card and it all went away.... very strange.
i have not installed any new programs either...
Can someone please help me out. I'm using rDosti V11. Fantastic ROM, love it. However, one thing I can't work around is that whenever I'm syncing all my email with Outlook, it will suddenly stop somewhere whilst syncing the attachments. Connected through USB. Given, I'm syncing almost 150 email in full HTML with attachments (some of them) to SD Card, I can't understand why this is happening. And it syncs slow also. I re-installed ActiveSync, but that didn't help. Didn't have this issue on Tomal's ROM or the Original i-mate ROM. That's all I've tested.
No problems when syncing to my JAM (Magician) running WM2003 SE. The worst thing is, I have to restart my mobile to resync, coz it still thinks it's connected to PC. Even when I tap disconnect from the tray, it just doesn't know what to do. So I soft reset, re-sync and sometimes it tells me, "there's been a change in the database, do you want to resync all your items." Then I've got to tap YES to continue, and back at square one. Sucks. I don't want my Uni to be useless.
I've also tried reducing the amount of email to sync. No luck.
Please advise.
Hello everybody!
Hope someone can help me, as this is a troublesome issue:
First of all, I'm on a Touch Pro with a Stock WWE ROM. The one that was provided with the phone.
Since yesterday, and without any apparent cause (haven't installed/changed a thing), the Pocket Outlook refuses to open my email messages.
I get the email in the inbox, but when trying to load a message, it just flashes the taskbar, changing the 'X' closing button to 'ok', marks the message as read, but doesn't load it.
The weird thing is it does open the SMS messages. I'm guessing that works because of the threaded view being enabled, so the viewer program is different.
I've tried to erase the account (GMail) and recreate it, didn't help at all.
Any ideas?
Can I reinstall the Outlook in any way without Hard-resetting the device?
Thanks a lot!
wow sounds pretty similar to my problem (except i couldn't open sms's either).
I found my problem to be my memory card....maybe try removing ur memory card(if you have one installed) and resetting the phone, then try to access your outlook messages.....worked for me anyway....hope it helps
Hi guys
A few days ago, I did a soft reset on my O2 Serra and when it switched back on, some of the most important functions (for me) does not load up, such as tasks, calendars, phone dialler, contacts, and a few more not worth mentioning. I normally don't use the TouchFlo and just have a standard windows desktop with a few of my main functions displayed on the "today" screen -- date, messaging, tasks, calendar and tomtom. After this problem has occured, now the today screen does not show the calendar and task any more. When I press the "answer" hard key, nothing happens. I tried accessing these functions from the Program menu, the screen just blinks once. Except when I try to access "tasks", an error msg comes up saying "no program memory available. tap start>system>task mgr, stop programs that did not stop automatically and try again", but when i check, nothing is running and there's lots of program memory remaining.
Just before this problem, I did not install or uninstall anything, all I did was change the time and time zone, and then I did a soft reset. I did this because I am on biz trip abroad 6000 miles away from home at the moment, and which is also the reason why I can't just do a hard reset. And my own laptop which I sync to is at home and not with me now. I don't want to just lose everything if anyone here can help me to recover it. I also have loads and loads of important things marked down in calendar, tasks and contacts which I need for my biz trip!!!!!!
Can anyone out there help out???
Or is there a way I can pull out a few files from the phone where tasks, calendar and contacts are saved? and maybe I can read them using another laptop whilst I am away from home?
It seems that windows in the phone did not start up properly, maybe some files corrupt? is there like a "windows repair" like u have on desktop windows?
Hi guys
Anyone got any ideas? just reading the data off the phone is good enough for now, i.e. is there one file that stores all the calendar, one file that stores all the tasks, one file that stores all the contacts? If there is, then I can just extract these and read them with, Outlook I presume, on any computer?
Thanks in advance.