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Synch Contacts

PBat

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Greetings,

Here is the system we are dealing with, a Dell Desktop running Vista Home Premium and iTunes 11, and a IPAD 2. One the Desktop, we use Windows Live Mail for our EMail.

Some background. When my wife got her IPAD2 our son installed an earlier version of iTunes and synched the IPAD 2 with the computer. My wifes contacts were a mess on the desktop and the mess was copied to the IPAD2. She has now cleaned up the IPAD2 contacts to what she wants. He desktop contacts are still a mess.

OK, here is the first question. When we connect the IPAD2 to the Desktop, iTUNES wants to synch the messed up contacts from the Desktop to the IPAD2. So we cancel out of that synch phase. Is there a way to get the Desktop contacts to match the IPAD2 ones so my wife doesn't have to spend hours redoing the same thing on the Desktop that she did on the IPAD2?

Second question. I have a huge collection of Kindle Books from a previous account that are stored on the Desktop. I was slowly moving them to the IPAD2 using the file sharing route so I could read them. With iTunes 11 I don't see file sharing available anywhere. How can I move the files?

Thanks for your help!
 

twerppoet

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First, I really recommend against using iTunes to sync contacts. Go to the Info tap when the iPad is plugged in and make sure contact and calendar syncing are turned off. It's an older and less robust method, prone to errors. (in my opinion).

Use iCloud or GMail to sync your contacts. If you are not using either at this time, iCloud is the easiest to set up. Be sure to choose Merge when offered the option. Go to the site (icloud.com or google) and make sure the contacts are there.

Now the hard part. It depends on what you are using for contacts on the computer. Without knowing which one (and owning the same) I can't get too detailed.

First, clean out your contact list on the computer. You've got them on the iPad, and you've got them online. That's enough backups to recover from if necessary.

If the computer app will sync with iCloud (via the iCloud Control Panel) or Google, do this. That will keep your contacts nice and neat forevermore. Again, choose merge for safety.

If you computer app will not sync with iCloud or Google, consider switching to one that will.

Otherwise, you can go to the icloud.com or google.com site and export your contacts as vCard files, then import them into the computer app. A one time solution that will not keep the contacts synced.

Good luck.
 

twerppoet

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As for the Kindle question, it is far easier to just add your Kindle account to the Kindle app and download them directly from Amazon.

But, the File Share section is where it always was, at the bottom of the Apps tab. To see the syncing tabs the iPad must be available in and selected. By default the device is selected at the top right (next tot he Library/iTunes button). It is only visible when the iPad (or other iOS device) is available for syncing either via USB or Wi-Fi.

If you prefer the old method, go to the View menu and turn the Sidebar back on. This will Make iTunes 11 look and behave more like iTunes 10. You can select the iPad under the Devices list. Again, only visible if available for syncing.
 

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