10.4: Reset the .Mac Sync Server with Syncrospector
Feb 07, '07 07:30:05AM
Contributed by: kohlmannj
The Remove applications from Sync Services database hint provided a method to remove the .Mac Sync items for one application, Panic's Transmit. The provided instructions, however, did not work when attempting to remove other apps, such as BareBones' Yojimbo, from the .Mac Sync Services list. This gaping hole in .Mac Sync management allows third party .Mac Sync items to remain in the .Mac Sync Services list, even after removing the application itself.
Fortunately, Apple has provided us a little-known solution to this problem with Syncrospector, an application available on the ADC website, which macosxhints.com members bed124 and luomat mentioned and linked to in the comments of the original .Mac Sync hint.
Working off bed124 and luomat's lead, I have determined out how to successfully clear out the .Mac Sync Services with Syncrospector. Be aware, however, that it involves restoring your entire .Mac Sync setup to a "never synced before" state. Make sure you have working copies of your Safari bookmarks, Address Book contacts, etc., on one of your Macs before proceeding. I'd also try doing this without any .Mac Sync-enabled applications (Safari, Address Book, iCal, Transmit) running.
Without further adieu, then:
- Download the Stickies example application, which includes the Syncrospector application, from the ADC website. Mount the disk image (or expand the zip file).
- Open Syncrospector in the StickiesExample -> Applications folder. Don't bother trying to use the Unregister button to eliminate any third party client identifiers. I tried "unregistering" Yojimbo's entry after launching, quitting, and removing the application itself from two of my Macs.
- Choose Window » Show Sync Plans from the menu bar, or press Command-5.
- Click the Reset Server toolbar item in the resultant Sync Server window. Make sure you heed Syncrospector's warning before proceeding.
- Quit Syncrospector.
There's a bit more to this, yet. Now that you've reset the .Mac Sync Server, you also need to re-activate it. If you were to open the Sync section of the .Mac System Preferences pane at this time, you'd see no change in the available sync items; the third party remnants would remain. Instead of opening the .Mac preference pane, reactivate an application's .Mac Sync Service with the following:
- Open any built-in Mac OS X application that supports .Mac Sync Services, such as Safari, Address Book, or iCal.
- Open the application's preferences and find the .Mac Sync option. In Safari, this option appears in the Bookmarks section of the preferences as the "Synchronize bookmarks with other computers using .Mac" checkbox at the bottom of the window. There are similarly-labeled checkboxes in the General section of Address Book's and iCal's application preferences.
- Enable the Sync option. Safari will claim that "You need a .Mac account that has syncing enabled" and prompt you to Set Up your account. Address Book and iCal will simply display "Updating .Mac configuration..." text notification underneath the checkbox.
- Open the .Mac preference pane. You can click the .Mac... button near the Sync checkbox to open the .Mac System Preferences pane right from the application you're in.
- Click on the Sync tab of the .Mac System Preferences pane, and wait a while.
The .Mac Sync preferences will likely reset themselves without any further fandangling, but the list of available sync items will still list third party items. The list will update a moment after the "Getting .Mac Info..." progress indicator has disappeared. Once this happens, only the original six .Mac Sync items will appear (Safari Bookmarks, iCal Calendars, Address Book Contacts, System Keychains, Mail Accounts, and Mail Rules/Signatures/Smart Mailboxes).
After resetting and re-enabling .Mac Sync, I would assume that third-party apps you like to keep around (such as Transmit) will either prompt you to enable their .Mac Sync items within the application, or simply re-enable their items silently.
Congrats, you've finally conquered .Mac Sync Services!
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