Importing Contacts To Windows Mobile Without MS Outlook

If you’re smitten by windows mobile phone like HTC, Asus or likes (just like me), and have switched your loyalties from Symbian (SE, Nokia etc.) to MS Windows mobile recently; you should find this article useful.

One of the good things about Windows Mobile is that it uses MS ActiveSync to synchronize your important data from mobile to your desktop. However, the bad thing about it is that MS ActiveSync requires MS Outlook to be available on your desktop and MS Outlook is *expensive* (Typical of M$, isn’t it ).

Yeah, there is usually 60 day trail version offered via download with Windows Mobile,; but if you’re like me – you’d probably prefer continuing with your preferred email client and still be able to import your existing contacts to your desired windows mobile phone.

Here are steps that would enable you to import contacts to windows mobile without requiring MS Outlook.

1. Install PIM Backup – First and foremost, install PIM Backup from dotfred.net, this is an excellent freeware tool and would allow you to do backups/restore on your windows mobile easily with several features.

   

   You can just download the zip file from the link given above and unzip the .exe file and put it in appropriate directory on your windows mobile phone, and it’s ready to work. The installation is as simple as that. You have to have this application installed on your windows mobile phone; and you’d sure thank me for recommending!

2. Get your contacts in CSV format – Save your contacts in plain text file in CSV (Comma Separate Values) format (Regular Windows Address book allows you to do this). Let’s call this file as contacts.csv.
3. Rename the CSV file – Rename the file from contacts.csv to contacts to contacts.csc. This is a very important step to make sure that contacts get imported to your Windows Mobile
4. Zip the file – Zip the file contacts.csc and create contacts.zip from it.
5. Rename the ZIP file – Rename the zip file contacts.zip to contacts.pib. Again, renaming is very critical for importing the contacts.
6. Copy file to your windows mobile – Copy this contacts.pib file to your windows mobile using either bluetooth or USB via file explorer of MS ActiveSync.
7. Restore using PIM Backup - Run PIM Backup on your windows mobile, select “Restore” option from the drop-down, browse to the location of contacts.pib on your windows mobile. The PIM Backup will ask you to choose correct field delimiter (comma, semi-colon etc. It should be the comma if you have created default CSV file) and once you do that, it will map all fields correctly (Name, Last name, Home Phone and so on) from the pib file to contacts; press “Next” button of the PIM Backup and follow instructions there and it will have all your contacts imported successfully on your windows mobile! Allow yourself a little dance of victory & joy!