[sivan]

Hi, I know this has been rehashed already but I'm trying not to install Google sync. I've had many duplicates in the past and I'd rather just let BIS do it for me.

I just replaced my BB and while setting up my Gmail account on it, it started syncing with the address book. It downloaded most contacts fine, but it says sync was incomplete. I don't know what this means.

I go to the address book and wireless sync is grayed out. Why? Is it just a one time sync?

I don't remember if BIS syncs the calendar. Again, I'm trying not to use Google sync. Can I use BIS for syncing my calendar? Wireless sync is grayed out in the calendar options.

So what I'm trying to get a definitive answer on: can I just use BIS to sync with Gmail without using Google sync? And if so, why are wireless sync options grayed out?

Thank you.

[akiva7777]

the bis is going to be primarily for the emails. the bis will not sync the calendar, that is a feature that the bes can do, or an exchange server. The bb desk top manager is the program to use if you are wanting to sync your calendar with the bb device with out using the google sync.

[AmigaDude]

Definitive answer = NO, if you want to sync Contact information. Yes, for just email.


Not sure what you did to get a partial sync, unless you still had G-Sync installed or running or something similar.

[sivan]

Looks like I got address book and email to sync fine.

Calendar I can sync only with Google sync. I installed and set it up but surprisingly I can see my events only under by AT&T BlackBerry calendar. The Gmail calendar is blank.

Sigh. Can someone remind me where I go to select which email accounts the calendar syncs with?

[sivan]

Okay, so here's what I did which hopefully is going to work.

After receiving the replacement device, I set BIS to sync my gmail account for email and contacts. This seems to work fine. I don't want Google sync to touch my contacts because it has issues with address fields.

I then installed Google sync for my Gmail calendar. However, I did not first set CICAL entries to point to gmail for everything, so on the first sync, it populated my AT&T BlackBerry email account.

After setting the CICAL to gmail, I could not get Google sync to populate the gmail calendar because it thought everything was already synced. So I reinstalled Google sync and it synced to the gmail calendar.

But now I had entries on both my AT&T BB account and Gmail account, which showed as duplicates in the All Calendars view. So I deleted and reinstated my AT&T BB account. This cleared that calendar, but now I had a new "Device Default" calendar to which all the AT&T entries went when that account was deleted. I finally manually deleted all entries from that calendar. When no more entries existed, that default calendar no longer displayed.

I think I got it now, just have to remember the following next time:

1. Set up the Gmail email account
1. Point the Advanced > Default Services > CICAL entries to Gmail
1. Let BIS sync Gmail email and contacts only
2. Install Google Sync and let it sync the calendar only

[oops-ohmy]

I read where a lot of folks has issues when trying to sync their contacts with google sync--- I never had a problem, it's my all time favorite way to keep my contacts updated. I don't know if it's because I use my BB device email with google or what, or even if that makes a difference. Now my dh had this same issue you described using his ATT Bold 9700, he had to use outlook in order to sync contacts without the duplication.

just curious...

[sivan]

I read where a lot of folks has issues when trying to sync their contacts with google sync--- I never had a problem, it's my all time favorite way to keep my contacts updated. I don't know if it's because I use my BB device email with google or what, or even if that makes a difference. Now my dh had this same issue you described using his ATT Bold 9700, he had to use outlook in order to sync contacts without the duplication.

just curious...

I think the problem is due to both BIS and Google Sync syncing contacts at the same time. Trouble is, usually one first adds the Gmail mailbox and BIS pulls contacts then. Later on the user installs Google Sync which works a little differently.

One difference between a BlackBerry address book contact and a Gmail contact is the address field. Gmail uses one address field, BlackBerry breaks it down to multiple sub fields like street, zip code etc. Gmail fails to recognize existing contacts as having equivalent addresses and downloads the same contacts again as new ones. I think it's Google's fault in this case, but I wish RIM and Google provided a simple way to choose one or the other for managing contacts, but both BIS and Google Sync working together is asking for trouble.

FWIW, RIM announced that BIS calendar sync with Gmail is due soon. Hopefully then we won't need Google Sync.