How do I force sync from MobileMe contacts to Address Book?

[Doctor Q]

My contacts in MobileMe are more up to date than my contacts in Address Book on my Snow Leopard Mac. I keep getting the message

You need to replace your Contact information on MobileMe. If this computer has the most current information, click Replace. If the most current information is on another computer, click Fix Later and replace your information from that computer.​

Apple apparently expects you to pick one Mac on which you have current information and then sync from Address Book to MobileMe. However, that's not suitable here. I want to sync from MobileMe to Address Book.

But how???

I tried every technique I could think of:

• Syncing.
  
  
• Turning off syncing, turning syncing back on.
  
  
• Resetting sync history: option-Sync -> Reset Sync Services... -> Reset Sync History, as Apple describes in Support Article TS1627.
  
  
• Resetting sync data: System Preferences -> MobileMe -> Advanced... -> Reset Sync Data... -> Replace Contacts on this computer with sync info from MobileMe, as Apple describes in Support Article PH1161.
  
  
• Trashing all preferences and caches and logging out and back in, as Apple describes in Support Article TS2481.
  
  
• Deleting all Address Book entries (after a backup) so my Address Book is empty, then trying to sync.
  
  
• Installing all pending software updates, as Apple's MobileMe support page suggests.
  
  
• Repairing permissions, as Apple's MobileMe support page suggests.
  
  
• Restarting.
  
  
• Making sure my sorting preferences in Address Book and MobileMe matched, as one thread here suggested.
  
  
• Trying to sync from another Mac. But it too says You need to replace your Contact information on MobileMe, even though what's on MobileMe is perfect.
  
  
• Reading many other threads at MacRumors.

In all cases when I try to Sync, the Sync icon spins for a while and then says Sync Cancelled for Contacts.... My Address Book remains empty and MobileMe continues to show all of my contacts.

Any ideas?

 

[Shawnpk]

I actually just did this today. Goto System Preferences -> MobileMe. Click on Sync -> Advanced. Click on Reset Sync Data. Under the Replace: pull down, make sure whatever you want to sync is checked off. Directly underneath this, click the arrow pointing to the left. This will sync from MobileMe to your computer. Press replace and viola. Should be good to go.

 

[Doctor Q]

I actually just did this today. Goto System Preferences -> MobileMe. Click on Sync -> Advanced. Click on Reset Sync Data. Under the Replace: pull down, make sure whatever you want to sync is checked off. Directly underneath this, click the arrow pointing to the left. This will sync from MobileMe to your computer. Press replace and viola. Should be good to go.

That was my 4th bullet above and yes, it should have worked. But it didn't have any effect at all.

 

[Shawnpk]

That was my 4th bullet above and yes, it should have worked. But it didn't have any effect at all.

Your bullet point says you tried to sync from your computer to your MobileMe account. Earlier in your post you say you want to sync from MobileMe to your computer. That's why I was suggesting that you make sure the arrow goes from MobileMe to your computer. The first time I did this I wasn't paying attention and synced from my computer to MobileMe, which wasn't what I wanted.

 

[Doctor Q]

Your bullet point says you tried to sync from your computer to your MobileMe account. Earlier in your post you say you want to sync from MobileMe to your computer. That's why I was suggesting that you make sure the arrow goes from MobileMe to your computer. The first time I did this I wasn't paying attention and synced from my computer to MobileMe, which wasn't what I wanted.

I must have proofread that post 10 times, but I typed that one wrong. Sorry. I fixed it now.

I did not try syncing from my Address Book because it had the wrong information and it is now empty. I tried syncing only from MobileMe.