I broke my Iphone 2G screen (long story) and had to get a 3G.
When I synced the phone with itunes it did not copy all my contacts just the ones in my Windows address book. When syncing I remember it error ed out.
How can I do this from my backups.

Thanks, in advance.

Originally Posted by mruk69

I broke my Iphone 2G screen (long story) and had to get a 3G.
When I synced the phone with itunes it did not copy all my contacts just the ones in my Windows address book. When syncing I remember it error ed out.
How can I do this from my backups.

Thanks, in advance.

If you are on a Mac you can use Erica sadun's mdhelper.

Download (http://ericasadun.com/ftp/Macintosh/...-universal.zip), unpack and place mdhelper on the desktop. Start application Terminal and change directory with
cd Desktop/
chmod 755 mdhelper
./mdhelper -C .sqlitedb

The programm looks inside ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ for the backup folders and extracts the files. You will find a new folder on the desktop containing AddressBook.sqlitedb and the one holding pics of your contacts.

You have to jailbreak your 3G, install openSSH and SFTP into your iPhone 3G then and put the once back you want to have.

Unfortunately I am on Vista. Any windows solutions?

Originally Posted by mruk69

Unfortunately I am on Vista. Any windows solutions?

Not that I am aware of. Do you have a buddy with a Mac?

On Vista the backup folder is in here:

Vista
C:\users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\AppleComputer\ MobileSync\Backup\

You should be having two folders (long number/characters), one for the old iPhone, one for the new. Grab the old, copy it to a memory stick or so and copy it on a Mac to

Mac OS X
~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/

where ~is the users Home directory. Then run mdhelper. Hope you'll find someone with a Mac

If you still have your 2G iphone working, connect it to iTunes and right click on the device name and select copy, this way you'll have a new backup stored at /MobileSync/Backup/ folder. Then, just restore your 3G and when it finishes apply the last backup you've done when itunes asks ("Setting your new iphone")

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by crispain

If you still have your 2G iphone working, connect it to iTunes and right click on the device name and select copy, this way you'll have a new backup stored at /MobileSync/Backup/ folder. Then, just restore your 3G and when it finishes apply the last backup you've done when itunes asks ("Setting your new iphone")

Hope this helps.

Agreed if the 2G was at Firmware 2.1 aswell. I would not recommend the restore option if the 2G is at 1.1.4 or earlier. May work but lots of users ran into trouble when doing so. Especially if you had tweaked the iPhone a bit ;-)

Thanks, I will try connecting my 2g and see if it will be recognized.

Originally Posted by volkspost

Agreed if the 2G was at Firmware 2.1 aswell. I would not recommend the restore option if the 2G is at 1.1.4 or earlier. May work but lots of users ran into trouble when doing so. Especially if you had tweaked the iPhone a bit ;-)

Indeed.
Anyway this method helps for recovering data that is kept in a previous/old iphone and that can be recovered in a new/another one. Then the final recommendation is to backup through syncing/export. If the new iphone becomes buggy with the restored data, then restore, but you can recover through a new syncronization.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by crispain

If you still have your 2G iphone working, connect it to iTunes and right click on the device name and select copy, this way you'll have a new backup stored at /MobileSync/Backup/ folder.

I forgot to say:
For safety's sake, always backup your backup stored at /MobileSync/Backup/ before proceeding a data restore.
Sounds confusing?? sorry...

would you happen to know the exact file containing only the contacts? I am trying to help someone upgrade to 2.2 from 1.1.4, and he needs his contacts back, and I do not want to do a full backup restore, as I know that there are problems with the .plist differences. Could someone post a post with the exact locations of contacts file, call history file, notes file, calendar file, and all of that? or are they already on this site, but I did not see it? I know the exact file name for the sms though...
3d0d7e5fb2ce288813306e4d4636395e047a3d28.mdbackup
at least in vista....