Losing Address Book Data

> Now I am pretty good at backing up so I only lose a day of editting the
> address book. Still I have questions:
> 1) why
> 2) is there a way that I can get address book to automatically back up when I
> close it so I lose even less
> 3) is there somewhere I should be looking to see if the address book is there
> but not opened so I can try to save it.

If you have a utility like iKey or Keyboard Maestro, which can perform an
action when a particular process quits, you probably can create an
AppleScript that would do the backup, and run that script when Mail quits.
Or when it launches, which might be almost as good.
--

Allen Watson . Writer/Webmaster [ p. 503 .281 .0250 m. 503 .916 .9411
e. watson.allencomcast.net
homepage.mac.com/allen_a_watson/

On 5/14/07 07:14, "Allen Watson" <watson.allencomcast.net> wrote:

>> Now I am pretty good at backing up so I only lose a day of editting the
>> address book. Still I have questions:
>> 1) why
>> 2) is there a way that I can get address book to automatically back up when I
>> close it so I lose even less
>> 3) is there somewhere I should be looking to see if the address book is there
>> but not opened so I can try to save it.

Address Book does do some basic backups. Look in ~/Library/Application
Support/Address Book/ and you should see a file called
"AddressBook.data.previous". That would be a backup of your main Address
Book data file, also in the same directory called "AddressBook.data"

--
John C. Welch Writer/Analyst
Bynkii.com Mac and other opinions
jwelchbynkii.com

On May 12, 2007, at 11:40 AM, Deborah Seltzer wrote:

> 2) is there a way that I can get address book to automatically back
> up when I close it so I lose even less

Not automatically, but you can save a backup with the File > Back up
Address Book… command in Address Book. I have daily automatic
backups, using Retrospect, but I occasionally save a backup using the
Address Book command, since they're easier to restore from than
searching for the appropriate files in Retrospect.

These backup files can also be handy for keeping a history of your
address book, retaining older information that you later replace or
remove. For example, someone may change their address and I may not
want to keep all their old addresses in their address book entry, but
I can keep old addresses around in the backup files.

--
Chris Page - Computer Professional

  The most likely way for the world to be destroyed, most experts agree,
  is by accident. That's where we come in; we're computer professionals.
  We cause accidents. -- Nathaniel Borenstein

Address book ate my info twice in the past. Last time I checked Apple's discussion boards, people were still complaining about it and there was no official solution. Apple doesn't post on those boards, and I don't know if they read them or not... but I think it would be pretty stupid if they DIDN'T read them, since I think that there is a gold mine of suggestions on them.

Anyway, I don't have a solution to help you AUTOMATICALLY back up... however, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the fact that there IS a menu item specifically labelled "Back Up Address Book..." SHOCKING, I know :)

It's in the file menu when you're in Address Book. iCal has a similar function. It of course remembers the folder where you saved the last backup, so it's really a very simple process.

For me, I just hit "Back Up Address Book..." and then press enter... because it's already going to have my "address book backup stuff" folder as the default save folder, and it intuitively names each back up "Address Book - [date]" where [date] is of course the date that you save the backup.

I do use .mac to sync, and when I DID lose my address book data (before I knew I could back it up manually from within the application), the system actually overwrote the normal backup on my idisk with the empty address book on my computer.

At 7:14 AM -0700 2007/05/16, redsteven1 wrote:

>I do use .mac to sync, and when I DID lose my address book data
>(before I knew I could back it up manually from within the
>application), the system actually overwrote the normal backup on my
>idisk with the empty address book on my computer.

        Note that there is a setting in iSync (which you don't
otherwise use for .Mac sync) to pop a warning and require
confirmation before doing a large-scale modification like deleting
all your contacts. Highly recommended.

--
Chris Pepper: <http://www.reppep.com/~pepper/>
                              <http://www.extrapepperoni.com/>
The Rockefeller University: <http://www.rockefeller.edu/>

On 16-May-2007, at 08:14, Chris Page wrote:
> On May 12, 2007, at 11:40 AM, Deborah Seltzer wrote:
>
>> 2) is there a way that I can get address book to automatically back
>> up when I close it so I lose even less
>
> Not automatically,

.Mac will automatically sync to the server, giving you a backup. And
Apple's .mac backup utility will allow you to schedule backups of
various user data, including the AddressBook.

Speaking of .Mac, anyone know any good deals on a renewal number? I
don't want to wait until the October rush again...

FWIW, the problem (which has hit me 4 times in the last 6 months, twice while I helplessly watched the contacts disappear from both Entourage and AddressBook, one by one) seems to be related to the mac's sync facility. I've turned off syncing for now, and the problem has not recurred since. Aloha

>>> get address book to automatically back up
>>
>> Not automatically.
>
> .Mac will automatically sync to the server, giving you a backup.

Sync'ing does not a backup make...

<http://www.hawkwings.net/2006/11/07/address-book-wipeout-mac-support-
saga-fix/>


Regards,

Jochen.


--
Jochen Wolters
jochenpolytropia.com | http://polytropia.com | jochenwolters (Skype)

Speaking of .Mac, anyone know any good deals on a renewal number?

I've never paid the full $99 .mac renewal fee. Look at deals on Amazon where I've gotten it for around $70. Here's the last one I used:

"Apple .Mac 4.0 Online Service" DVD-ROM; $68.99 Sold by:asenashop-com

Well there's a simple solution to this problem, just backup your files to a device that's not connected to your pc or mac. Well I suggest not to use flash drives, I always had a lot of trouble with them.

A good and low-cost or even no-cost way to store files secure is Online Backup:

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/internet/online-backup-services/review.html

http://www.onlinebackupguide.com

You can store address databases too.

Greets, Alex

For online backup news, information and articles, there is an excellent website:

<http://www.BackupReview.info>

This site lists more than 400 online backup companies and ranks the top 25 on a monthly basis.

Any one can add their company in the directory. Just click on the "Search" button found at the top.

Cheers,