External Memory Question

[firedancer1189]

So I have read some conflicting/confusing reports on using memory cards and how they store your contact information.

From what I have read so far when people take out their cards for one reason or another all their contacts disappear. I think some of it is attributed to just the OS being a bit buggy since it's so new. Now the reason I would take my card out is because I currently just have a 2 GB one in my Blackberry. I obviously want to import all my contacts into my new Focus once I receive it but I also want to upgrade to 32 GB card after I do this.


So my question is will I have issues with losing my contacts once I pull my 2GB card out and replace it with a newer and larger capacity card? Does the Zune interface work like iTunes and Blackberry Desktop where it stores your contacts on your PC as well?

Any help for a WP7 Newbie would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[selfcreation]

well

- if u remouve your SD card: you will NEED to do a HARDRESET! no matter what , so yeah expect to losse it all.

- your contatcs are SAved on your LIVE account , not directly on the phone or SD directly. so when you HARD reset , type in your e-mail , all your contacts SHOULD come back.

-If you have contatcs on SIM card: go to: people HUB click N hold on PEOPLE . acces setings , click on `Import from SIM``

The only big issue ( is what im dealing with right now ) is your gona need to RE-dowload ALL your APPS!

- you might losse stuff like MS word/excel/one notes , and music witch i think you can backup with ZUNE ( the music any ways )

hope this helps

 

[chsoriano]

OP: What I would suggest is backing those contacts up to your SIM (instead of microSD), then when you get your WP7 device, import those contacts from your SIM. From there, you can edit them as necessary online (they are stored in Windows Live).

This is more convenient than people sometimes realize... if for some reason you lose your phone or have to reset it, you just sign back into the phone (or your new WP7 device) and everything is automatically synced back to the device.

The only big issue ( is what im dealing with right now ) is your gona need to RE-dowload

That's what everyone keeps saying... but I've hard reset my phone a couple times and as soon as I connect it to my computer, all of the apps are automatically downloaded and installed... unfortunately, this seems to go for ALL apps that you've downloaded/purchased, even if you removed them before the hard reset.

 

[selfcreation]

That's what everyone keeps saying... but I've hard reset my phone a couple times and as soon as I connect it to my computer, all of the apps are automatically downloaded and installed... unfortunately, this seems to go for ALL apps that you've downloaded/purchased, even if you removed them before the hard reset.

lol , ether you re-downlaod them to your phone or sync them back ony our PC with Zune = same thing lol .

it still a pain , it be cool if they could save the info on ypur live account so when ur contacts come back , they ALSO KNOW what apps you had and just gives them back .

from the phone it self its a b**** cause i have to go find them 1 at a time . and i havent installed ZUNE on my PC , YET!!! ( just got a new PC with WINDOWS 7 )

 

[chsoriano]

lol , ether you re-downlaod them to your phone or sync them back ony our PC with Zune = same thing lol .

it still a pain , it be cool if they could save the info on ypur live account so when ur contacts come back , they ALSO KNOW what apps you had and just gives them back .

from the phone it self its a b**** cause i have to go find them 1 at a time . and i havent installed ZUNE on my PC , YET!!! ( just got a new PC with WINDOWS 7 )

Oh okay... then I can understand. I agree it's a pain to re-download apps without the PC.

I do think the OS needs an app manager (similar to the Marketplace app on WM 6.5) that will let you check the apps you want to re-install (from a list of your purchased apps) after a hard reset.

Congrats on the new PC! Now go install Zune, haha.

 

[firedancer1189]

Thanks again for the input,

One last newbie question on this topic. I have owned CDMA phones my whole life and this will be my first GSM device. Are you supplied a SIM card with the phone when you purchase it or is this something I will also need to purchase on top of my micro-SD card.

 

[VernonEL]

CDMA to GSM

I too will be switching from CDMA to GSM. (Bold to Focus.). I had a Windows Mobile device before, and made a point to back up my contacts to Microsoft MyPhone, but more importantly, Live.

I'm just making an educated guess, but I would bet that you are being transitioned over to AT&T from Alltel. That's the case for me. AT&T will include a SIM card with the device. I'm not entirely sure if there will be a charge for it, but if so it will not be much.

Another thing worth mentioning is this: When I tried to use my 16 GB micro-SD from my Touch Pro in my Bold 9650, I could not find a way to just swap it out without reformatting and reloading all my work pics, docs, and personal music. Frustrating.

Just something to consider.

 

[firedancer1189]

A fellow North Dakotan! You are correct...Alltel to AT&T transition here.

Ok...so what is the main difference between a SIM card and a micro-SD card? I am assuming that a SIM card is kind of your own personal blueprint that you can take with you from phone to phone. But other then your number does it hold anything else like contacts?

 

[VernonEL]

Sim

Correct.

The SIM card is basically your ID for your actual phone number. SIM cards can be switched out between different devices. (Another GSM plus.) You can specify where you save your contacts: either SIM or device. There may still be a limit of how many contacts will fit on a card (I think it used to be only 250), but you can go back and forth between devices if you have to. Kinda like transferring 2 gigs of pics with a 512 meg zip drive. Another issue can be that the SIM will not transfer (or possibly recognize) every information field, such as Anniversary or Job Title. It's been a few years since I've been a GSMer, so I'll let others fill you in on what I may have missed.

 

[selfcreation]

Another thing worth mentioning is this: When I tried to use my 16 GB micro-SD from my Touch Pro in my Bold 9650, I could not find a way to just swap it out without reformatting and reloading all my work pics, docs, and personal music. Frustrating.

Just something to consider.

thats normal:

blackbery Messes with the SD card in a way thats you need to Format it if you go from BB to an other phone or the other way arround.<


and as for the SIm card : you prety much got it right , i just wana add that Wp7 OS it will only Import your COnatcs from SIM , not pics/sms/vids ect... , and it is 250 contacs.

if your Using a CDMA phone , when your gona go get your new GSM or HSP or HSP+ phone (lol) ask the people in the store if they have something called `` CELEBRIGHT `` its a machine that can transfer contacts from Phone to SIM or SIM to Phone or SIM to SIM or phone to phone. lol