@ simone
re: If we were to install a whole new connections would we still have this issue? Do you know? Will a new install wipe it and a way to keep the listings?
Sorry, but it is possible for me to know because I do not know to what extent the changes are. If the changes are only cosmetic, then installing an unmodified version of Connections should cause no trouble. But, if there were changes to the way the data was saved then the results would not be good.
You could try creating a clone of you site and installing the unmodified version and see if there are any adverse effects. If there are none, then you know it is safe to update your live site.
Alternatively, for a very reasonable service fee I can evaluate the changes that were made and then advise you on the path forward. If it is as simple as upgrading the the current release there will be no further charges. If it will require additional work, I’ll let you know what needs done and give you a quote to how much it’ll cost to fix. If you are interested in this solution, let me know.