After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Discussion of EssentialPIM for Android and synchronization
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DoctorBrown
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After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by DoctorBrown »

I believe this issue started after I configured a new Samsung Galaxy A32-G5. Prior to this I was using a Moto G5 Plus. When I was setting up the new phone, I used a USB cable to transfer the data to the new phone. This transferred all EPIM data, including the App and Contacts.

I then added the synchronization for the Galaxy in Desktop EPIM as usual. When I initiated a sync, the Calendar synced (although the catagories of some events changed), but my contacts list in the Desktop now shows 0 entries. The contact list on the phone is fully populated. I tried to add a new contact on the Desktop but it did not sync to the phone. In database mgmt, I cleared the sync data, but didn't help. I have deleted the synchronization and re-added it but still nothing. I have reinstalled the Desktop EPIM. Still no joy.

The next step would be to delete and re-install EPIM on the phone, but I reluctant to try that because I might loose all the contacts. They are still on the old phone so that may provide protection. Oh, I do have backups from prior when the contacts were lost from the Desktop.

What is the correct process for recovering this?

Desktop: EPIM Pro 11.2.4
Android: EPIM Pro 6.0.10
Windows 10 Pro 21H2

I'd super appreciate a timely response since I am currently unable to use and update my contacts list

Thank you,
DocBrown
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by admin »

I think we need to see the sync log file in order to understand the problem with contacts. Please forward it to us, get it from here: Tools->Options, "Logs Folder" and its filename should start with "AndroidSync". Thanks!
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DoctorBrown
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by DoctorBrown »

Thank you very much for the quick response. It is greatly appreciated. I have collected the log files from yesterday. They should contain data for all the attempts to solve this as stated above. I have sent them via a private message with subject: Can't sync contacts - Logs

Doc
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by DoctorBrown »

Hello admin,
I just realized that my private message was stuck in my outbox. I recomposed it and I think it got sent this time.
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by admin »

Yep, we got the log files, thanks!
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by admin »

It seems the problem here is that you used a third party software to transfer your EPIM data from one phone to another. We'd recommend you to use a backup file or sync via WinEPIM or via EPIM Cloud. Thanks.
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by DoctorBrown »

Given that at this point I just want to get this environment up and running I decided to start from scratch and build up a (almost) new DB. So I starting with the latest active EPIM DB (in which the Contacts list was missing) and a backup (which contained the contacts list that was as new as I could find).

I went through all the steps (I knew) to create a new DB and new installation on the phone. (Details of the steps below) When I tried to sync, the setup and sync seemed to go well, but at the end the Contacts list was wiped from the Desktop and remained on the Phone. I have no idea why this is occurring and how to fix it, or what I did wrong.

Here is the procedure I executed:
1. Open the active DB and verified that the Calendar events (and other module's items), except that number of Contacts is 0, are up to date and appeared to be correct.
2. Create new DB: File > New. Save the new file in the same folder as the active DB.
3. Import all items from (now old) active DB.
4. Delete all Synchronizations including the Sync for old phone.
5. Verify that all items (except Contacts) appear to be correct.
6. Open Backup containing Contacts. Export Contacts to the now existing New EPIM DB.

7. Uninstall EPIM Pro app from phone. Insure no contacts exist in native contacts app.
8. Install EPIM Pro from Google Play Store.
9. Set up Sync in Desktop (leaving default settings, except turn off Passwords) and initiate Sync from Phone. Verify Sync is started.
10. When sync is complete, the Contacts just disappear!

I know there are many parameters and answers to prompts that I have left out. So I hope this is enough info to get started and you can ask me what parameters are important. I am a long time Essential PIM user and have never had this much difficulty transitioning to a new phone. I appreciate all the help I can get.
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by DoctorBrown »

I have composed a new private message with the log file attached, but it's again staying in my Outbox. What am I missing?

Oh, just searched and that's the way the PM system works. Seems like a strange behavior for 'email' type interface. Normally, I see a message in 'Outbox' when the client has a problem sending messages.
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by admin »

Please try to do the following now:
- open a backup EPIM db file
- copy-paste contacts from the old db into the existing one, where there's currently no contacts after the last sync
- run synchronization
Will contacts stay in WinEPIM and at the same time appear in AEPIM then?
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by DoctorBrown »

admin wrote: Tue Feb 28, 2023 12:22 pm Please try to do the following now:
- open a backup EPIM db file
- copy-paste contacts from the old db into the existing one, where there's currently no contacts after the last sync
- run synchronization
Will contacts stay in WinEPIM and at the same time appear in AEPIM then?
I did exactly as you described. When I initiated the sync, the contact remained in the Desktop EPIM, but the contact was duplicated on phone. When I merged duplicates on the phone and then ran sync, the contact in the D-EPIM was deleted.

When I tried it again and didn't merge duplicates, after a second sync the contact was delete in D-EPIM, but the contact remained duplicated on the phone. When I added a new contact, that behaved normally, it synced to the phone and wasn't deleted. But when I edited the contact on the Desktop, and synced again the new contact was DELETED, but remained on the phone and the edit didn't sync to the phone.

So, it seems I will have to import the contacts into the new DB in a different way. Say export as CSV? And then wipe the phone contacts and sync? How do you explain what is happening?
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by admin »

Copy-paste would be the easiest way to move contacts from one DB to another. So far we couldn't reproduce the issue on our end, unfortunately.
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by DoctorBrown »

I have been out of town for a week and now am back working on this issue. After much testing and your guidance I have managed to construct a DB that is functional and as complete as the backups I have. Essentially, I built a new DB by exporting all the modules from the old DB, except Contacts, into the new DB. Then I used a backup that contained the contacts and exported them as CSV. Then imported the CSV into the new DB. This created a DB that seems to function normally and has the most up to date info I can get.

To try and isolate the source of the issue and generate a test DB I experimented with the failed DB. I found that the contacts module contained something that seems to cause all of this. To build a test DB that shows the failure I used the following process:
1. I started by creating a new DB. And AEPIM was uninstalled from the Moto G5 Plus, and the contacts in the native app were deleted.
2. I restored the last backup which contained the last known complete Contacts list. I exported two of the Contacts into the new DB.
3. Opened the new DB and insured that all Synchronizations were deleted.
4. Opened: File > Synchronization > Add Synchronization > Android.
5. Deselected Passwords > Next. The EPIM is now waiting for pairing.

On the Moto g5 Plus:
1. Installed AEPIM from the Google Play store.
2. Started up AEPIM and opened the Contacts module. Entered= Use system account: No, Import contacts: NO, Google Contacts Sync: No.
3. Returned to the main menu and opened PC Sync.
4. AEPIM found the system and I initiated Sync.
5. The sync completed normally.
6. I created a new contact on the Desktop.
7. I synced again. When done, the Desktop only contained the new contact. Meanwhile the AEPIM module now had three contacts, the original two and the new one.

So it seems that the Contacts module of the original file has something that is triggering this behavior. I have kept that DB that has only the two contacts to demonstrate the failure and the logs from the sync. I can provide them to you if you want to look into this. Although I can't tell when the DB got into this state.

Let me know if you want to take a look at these file.
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by admin »

Yes, please forward me that DB file (via PM here in the forum), will have a look at it and try to reproduce the issue on our end with it.
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by DoctorBrown »

I have sent a private message containing the files. I look forward to hearing the results of your investigation.
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Re: After configuring new phone, unable to sync contacts.

Post by DoctorBrown »

The remainder of the work on this issue took place via private message. The purpose of this reply is to document the resolution for the public users of this forum.

After submitting my files via private message, I received a response and was informed that support was able to reproduce my issue, and will address it. As described earlier, I was able to rebuild the DB by exporting all my data and importing it into a new DB. that resolved the issue for me.
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