Syncing address book to old(ish) iPhone

[Legoman]

Looking for a software solution to the following dilemma of being painted into a corner by Apple Inc.

Problem: Have iPhone SE 2020 model working fine. Don't want to buy a new phone, this one is more than adequate. Runs iOS 14.4.2 because this is the last iOS that works with iTunes 12.10.10 which in turn is the last iTunes that runs under W7. Computers are all W7.

Apps are starting to insist on upgrade to iOS 15, which will force iTunes > 12.10.10, which in turn will force W10, which in turn will force buying a new computer.

Currently, syncing Outlook contacts/address book to the phone is simple and easy. Connect phone, open iTunes, press sync with contacts checked and it's done. What I'm looking for is a software solution that can replicate as close as possible that ease without requiring a wholesale transformation of all my hardware and software just because Apple Inc. claim it necessary because of their enforced obsolescence policy for repeat sales.

I know about iMazing and have v2.12.3 installed which works well. The problem is the process for syncing contacts is extremely hard to work out and nothing like as easy or automated as iTunes. As best I can figure, it involves exporting contact information to PST database file, force feeding that to iMazing, manually defining where you want all the data items mapped to on the phone and then hoping for the best. This is massively too involved and hard to do for minor updates every few days or so. Maybe once to set up a brand new phone, but it's not something anyone will do after meeting someone new and wanting to add their details.

Can anyone recommend a software solution that will run under W7 that can sync Outlook address book information to an iPhone simply, quickly and easily, like iTunes does so I can update my phone to iOS 15 but at the same time not have to completely change all my computers to running W10 just for that one task?

[FunkyBuddha]

Have you tried FoneTrans? Also, not sure why you think you need to buy a new pc to go W10. I recently upgraded to W10 using my old PC. I installed it as dual boot (W10/W7). 

 

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[Legoman]

No I haven't, but I will, thanks for the tip!

[Legoman]

Unfortunately, FoneTrans is the same sort of thing as iMazing, in that it doesn't interface directly with Outlook like iTunes does. It requires the inport/export of contact information into discrete data files outside of Outlook first, which is fine if all you want to do is a one-time transfer of contact information to set up a new device, but is not ideal for daily incremental syncing updates.

I shall look at your other recommendation of creating a dual boot W10/W7 system instead. I'm actually setting up a new restored computer right now which is looking more and more like my new dual boot system for the purpose of running W10 apps where forced to by the likes of Apple.

[Legoman]

On 8/15/2023 at 11:00 AM, YSL said:

I recently upgraded to W10 using my old PC. I installed it as dual boot (W10/W7).

My spare computer I've rescued from the rubbish bin is an ASUS P7P55D-E LX, which I know is at least 13 years old, hence my concern that it would not be able to run W10, but it might be just good enough to do so for the purpose of upgrading iTunes to a version that can work with iOS 15 if I also upgrade the iOS on my phone.

Can you share any tips for creating a dual boot system? Where do you start? Do I install W7 first and then W10, or other way around? I've obviously never tried this before. All I've done so far is update the BIOS to latest manufacturer release and I've created a bootable USB with mt preferred W7 version on it.

[FunkyBuddha]

2 hours ago, Legoman said:

My spare computer I've rescued from the rubbish bin is an ASUS P7P55D-E LX, which I know is at least 13 years old, hence my concern that it would not be able to run W10, but it might be just good enough to do so for the purpose of upgrading iTunes to a version that can work with iOS 15 if I also upgrade the iOS on my phone.

Can you share any tips for creating a dual boot system? Where do you start? Do I install W7 first and then W10, or other way around? I've obviously never tried this before. All I've done so far is update the BIOS to latest manufacturer release and I've created a bootable USB with mt preferred W7 version on it.

I'm assuming, you already have win7 installed. Install win10, but DO NOT DO an upgrade. Select custom install.

More info here:

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[Legoman]

I have installed W7 yes, but it's only a test install. I've done nothing with it and added no other software, so I can easily reformat and start again with no loss. Someone suggested to me a program called Lilo, and then another suggested you just install each OS on separate SSD and the BIOS will automatically detect two OSes and ask which one to boot at startup.

[FunkyBuddha]

2 hours ago, Legoman said:

I have installed W7 yes, but it's only a test install. I've done nothing with it and added no other software, so I can easily reformat and start again with no loss. Someone suggested to me a program called Lilo, and then another suggested you just install each OS on separate SSD and the BIOS will automatically detect two OSes and ask which one to boot at startup.

That’s right. I had W7 and installed W10 after. At boot up, it prompts me to select the OS. I set my default to W10 if I don’t make a selection after a period of time. Good luck!

[Legoman]

I'm actually going to try a custom build of Windows 11 Lite to see if that works alongside Windows 7. The W11 Lite is supposed to work on only 2GB installed RAM. I have 16GB RAM in the computer, but it shows how much bloatware has been stripped out if it can work on only 2GB without slowing down to cache. It will not upgrade as that functionality has been done away with.