[TUT] Migrating text messages from WinMo to Android and back

Greetings

For a few days now i am running an Android build on my HD2. Not exclusively, since i have some apps on my WinMo build that i do not want to abandon (as a matter of fact i don´t want to abandon WinMo as well).

Running both OS works quite well for me, so there is no reason for me to choose just one of both.

Only thing that bothered me (quite a bit actually) was the fact, that i could not have my text messages on both OS. Now there might be those of you, who wouldn´t deem this as very important, but for me it is, so i tried to work this out and am happy to have found a way, which I would like to share with you.

I admit, that it may be a somewhat lengthy and tedious procedure, but unless there is no faster way to do this, it´s fine with me and after all, no pain no gain

I do want my messages on both OS´ and if that means that once in a while i´ll be occupied in front of my laptop, then so be it

Migrating messages from WinMo to Android

Migrating text messages from WinMo to Android is quite easy, i´ll include this, so both directions are stated in this post.

Install the cab from this link http://www.sorobangeeks.com/software/sms-exporter-05-free-download

Unfortunately i do not know the creator of this cab, it was something i found in my many searchs. This one was very useful for me, if ever the originator of this little program should stumble across my thread, THANK YOU

Run it and let it export your text message (creates an xml-file in a folder which is mentioned after exporting the text messages).

Now you have to load the created xml-file with an xml-editor and edit the lines as follows.

Original line in xml-file:

<sms protocol="0" address=""SENDERS NAME" <SENDERS NUMBER>" date="1281196885000" type="1" body="TEXT MESSAGE" status="-1" read="1" />

Edited line you need in Android: (else the senders name and number are not displayed correctly and will not be added to the specific contact).

<sms protocol="0" address="SENDERS NUMBER" date="1281196885000" type="1" body="TEXT MESSAGE" status="-1" read="1" />

After that, boot up Android and load “SMS Backup + Restore” by Ritesh Sahu from Android Market (it´s for free).

From there you can import the edited xml-file into Android and migration this way is done

Migrating messages from Android to WinMo

For migrating the messages from Android to WinMo you have to perform the following steps:

Load the app “SMS Backup” from Michele Valentini from the Android Market (free, as well) and export the messages in Android.

Again you have to open the created xml-file with an xml-editor and edit the lines.
One text message in this file looks like this:

<sms _id="55" thread_id="9" toa="0" address="SENDERS NUMBER" person="135" date="1287921897000" protocol="0" read="1" status="-1" type="1" reply_path_present="" subject="" body="TEXT MESSAGE" sc_toa="0" report_date="" service_center="" locked="0" index_on_sim="-1" callback_number="" priority="0" htc_category="0" cs_timestamp="-1" cs_id="" cs_synced="0" error_code="0" seen="0" human_readable_date="DATE AND TIME" name="SENDERS NAME"/>

Now open the XML template I have enclosed to this post and copy /paste the data of those text messages you want to have in WinMo as well.
- SENDERS NUMBER (with “+” and country code)
- TEXT MESSAGE (who´d have thought )
- DATE AND TIME
- SENDERS NAME

<message date="DATE AND TIME" sender=""SENDERS NAME" <+SENDERS NUMBER>" recipient="">TEXT MESSAGE</message>

I was using a WWE Rom, so the format of the date might be dependent from the ROM you are using. I suppose if, for example, you are using a german ROM you will have to enter the date in the german format (dd.mm.yyyy instead of mm/dd/yyyy).

Keep a look out for the date, the content of the xml file has to be correct, else it will not be imported (which doesn´t do any harm anyways, so…)
I had to change the format, since Android was running in german and WinMo in WWE English.

You can repeat this for all the received and sent messages, and you can add only those messages you want to import to WinMo, regardless whether there are more messages already saved in WinMo or not. The tool (also enclosed) will import the data in the xml-file and leave all other messages, which already are in WinMo alone. You do not have to “import” all your messages, just the ones you are missing in WinMo).
By the way, the attached tool is an .exe file which just has to be copied to the phone and then can be executed directly, installation is not necessary.

After the messages are imported, go to the messages tab and open “all messages” once. I am using pyrorob´s HTC messaging client, the first thing it did was close right away, just open it again and you will see that while closing itself it imported the new text messages into a (maybe already existing) conversation.

I tried this several times with my HD2 (you can see the OS´ I am using in my signature) and it worked just fine
.
I would however strongly recommend to backup your messages prior to trying this out. I did several runs with this until at last I got it working and did not loose any data whatsoever, but I won´t take responsibility for any data losses you might encounter.
You shouldn´t, there is no reason, but as always take care, mind your steps, take all the necessary preparations, you never know

I hope this is helpful for at least a few of you, since I have been a member of this forum, I was able to benefit from the talents, the experience and the know how of so many members, maybe I can give a little something back.

Happy new year everyone

jcsy said:

useful for me and knowing that there is a solution to my problem migrating out of Windows Mobile 6.5 to Android for my SMS's are about 21,000 now

if this can migrate 21,000 SMS's , im sure anyone out there would be covered

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21.000 messages? Really? Can´t quite imagine running WinMo and Android for so long that the messages received on android would reach that high a number.

Now that kinda work i would call diligent

EDIT: Ah, you are talking about migrating from WinMo to Android, that of course is different, sorry i misread that.
I´d try deleting the contacts, so the exported xml file out of WinMo doesn´t contain the sender´s name at all, so you won´t have to edit them out of the xml file. Give it a try

I´ll edit the link in my previuos post, the link was working, but now it seems to have died.

Before exporting your messages from WinMo delete all your contacts (you can backup and restore them with PIM backup or ActiveSync), this way you won´t have to edit the xml-file at all.

The exporter is from Ritesh Sahu and is called SMS Exporter 0.5 (if ever the link should die again), the same dev as the Android App needed to import the messages to Android.

Thank you Ritesh

EBonillaRosaly said:

Thanks for the info... not difficult to do, and the result is great.
I was able to transfer all my messages from WM to Android without any problem.

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I´m glad this was useful to you Since i have switched to a NAND build i don´t need the migration from android to WinMo anymore, and i find the migration from WinMo to Android very easy as well

coolfire said:

Did you have any draft smses without recipients, which you managed to transfer over to droid?

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I never came around to trying this, but if my memory serves me well, there should be a line in the appropriate xml file "<folder name="Drafts">".

However i suppose this is the folder with those sms which are waiting to be sent and will be pushed to the "sent" folder after transmission, so this would not be the solution you are looking for.