How do I delete the entire contacts database?

I had a major crash with Google Sync. Basically, my contacts database on the phone got really screwed up -- tons of duplicates, emails deleted and replaced with "<content protection enabled>", contacts ended up being sorted by first name, etc. The sync back to Google appears to work now too because all that junk ended up going back to Google, so then I had a major mess at both places.

Thankfully I had made a backup of my contacts at Google, so I deleted everything, uploaded the backup and tried to resync, but it just made a bigger mess of things. What I decided to do was to try to wipe the contacts database on my Curve entirely. I did a selective backup excluding the two address databases and did what I thought was a restore.

The problem? Everything in the contacts database remains -- the restore didn't wipe them out at all. Help! There are way too many contacts including all the duplicates to try to delete them manually.

How do I delete the entire contacts database and start over?

Use Desktop Manager, Backup and Restore, Advanced. Select "Address Book" in the "Device Database" list on the right side of the screen, then press the Clear button. This will work as long as you are not on BES.

Bless you! I was doing it wrong. I thought I needed to copy everything to a file and then restore. I didn't realize it was THAT easy! Then again, I never tried clearing a database before.

Now I just have to hope that Google Sync puts the contacts back the way they were originally.

What a mess! This on top of my desktop crashing after a Windows update -- not a good day on the technology front. :(

Thanks so much responding so quickly!

My Blackberry Bold contacts are also out of whack with duplicates. I've followed the above path to the list of databases, but the Address database is not listed. I've searched the entire list for a name other than Address, but nothing is found like that.

Any idea why it would not be showing up in the list? Is there any other way to delete just the Address database? (I don't want to clear the device just for this)

Thanks for the help.

What Desktop Manager version are you using? I'm using DM 4.6. Does your pin show up at the bottom of the DM Home Screen, confirming that DM is seeing your device? When you click Backup & Restore, then Advanced, do you get a Transfer status box showing DM reading your device? If the answer to any of these questions is No, then you have some problem preventing DM from reading your device. If all are Yes, then the Address Book should be the first entry in the databases list. If you are on BES, it will be greyed out, but still visible.

JeffH


i have had a few problems in this area. synicing with mac and PocketMac and having doubles etc. i have got to the root of the problem with syncing, but now i have the problem in that as i do as you, and everyone else, says to do, use a PC, Desktop Manager, advanced and then clear the address book, i have done this, and now i am left with a sinlge copy of all my contacts down from all doubles.

aha you might say, mission accomplished. not so as i know these are not the ones that my pocketmac and sync andsync to. i know that if i now sync i will get the doubles again.

any idea how to clear the storm after doing as you have said above? ironically i have had thr same problem with caledar items but these clear with DM no probs despite being doubles by the same provess as contacts.

i am so close... please help..


Andi