Importing contact data from backups

[Frank aerosocc]

I have Outlook 2007 on my XP. I backup the Outlook.pst file (renamed: OldOutlook.pst) every week to an external drive. My computer crapped out and had to be re-imaged. On reloading MS Office, I simply copy/pasted the OldOutlook.pst file into my Doc/settings folder and told Outlook to go get it. All the emails came through okay; I did have to re-create the Rules for emails, though. It cannot find any Contacts. Should I have used the Import/Export function to begin with instead of the cut/paste? How do I retrieve my contacts?

 

[Karl Timmermans]

Can you define exactly what you mean by "cannot find any contacts"?

#1 - Are you saying that the default contacts folder is not present via the "Navigation Pane"? (that would be an almost impossible scenario)

#2 - The contacts folder is present but is "empty"? If yes, that would indicate that you were saving your contacts in another folder (suspect that this is not the case)

#3 - Or the most likely cause, the "oldoutlook.pst" file is opened as a secondary PST file and the contacts folder is not set for "Show this folder as an email address book" (or, if 2 PST files are open, you would have 2 "contacts" folder and likely the current default is what you are looking at which would be empty - just need to go to the AddressBook and view the secondary contacts folder)

If you were saving your contacts to the default contacts folder, then it will be contained in the same PST file as your emails.

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[Frank aerosocc]

Karl...Let me clarify the situation. I have only one pst file open (OldOutlook.pst) which I dragged from my external drive onto the newly re-imaged directory (C:\Documents and Settings\Frank\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook). I did a copy/paste to do this and did not use Outlook's import/export function. When I started up the newly installed Outlook I was happy to see all the emails in place (and in their proper folders) on the email display page. Likewise, when I went to the calendar page, all the calendar events previously entered came across also. However when I went to the Contacts display there were 2 folders present (Contacts & Contacts in Personal Folders). Each folder display the identical message "no items to show in this view". When I went to Tools/Address book, all the pulldown selections were empty. As I am typing you this assessment I am also switching back & forth to Outlook to write down the exact messages above. I just now went to the Navigation pane on the Contacts page and hit the Folder List icon at the bottom, and voila! all my 8 previously defined contact folders have NOW appeared. Looks like I'm good to go. Thanks much for your speedy help and response.

 

[Karl Timmermans]

To be honest, a little confused on how it went from 2 contact folders being displayed to 8 (should have been an all or nothing scenario in the folder list) - that part doesn't make any sense <to me>. "Contacts in Personal Folders" would normally be the default contacts folder (in the default PST store where the Inbox is) and "Contacts" on it's own would be a secondary contact folder either in the same or different PST file (unless the name for the PST file itself is "Contacts" which is something completely different from a folder named "contacts"). The other possibility is that the 2 folders you are seeing were contained in the "favorites list" which is independent of which folder list group has been selected.

In any case, the important thing is that you found contact folder(s) which is all that matters.

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[Frank aerosocc]

Karl...

Again thanks for you in-depth analysis. When we first installed Outlook 2007, many months ago, we did not know the distinction between the new version of contact folders and address books. Our earlier version (2003) allowed us to create 8 separate contact folders (xmas mailing, business, general, friends, neighborhood, etc.) called Personal folders (PAB's). Thus, when we couldn't find the contents of those 8 personal folders inside the Contacts folder(s), we were a bit distressed. However, when I had the good fortune to hit the folders icon within the Navigation pane and the 8 appeared, we were relieved. But now my wife is re-populating the address book with that data so that it appears when you hit "to" in creating an email. I think that what we're doing is not the most efficient way to use Outlook but the procedure is doable so that's the path we're on. Thanks again

Frank Prokop

 

[Karl Timmermans]

In terms of the "to" issue - sounds like you just need to ensure that each of the folders has been set with "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book". Right click on each folder --> Properties --> Outlook Address Book tab --> option is at the top of this tab page

As for PABs - those are no longer used (haven't been for a very long time). What you have with O'2007 is the Outlook Address Book. By adding each of your 8 contact folders as an "e-mail address" book - what you will have are 8 "containers" of addresses from which to select from within the OAB (the term <container> is merely a view of each contact folder). In short, there will not be a "single" list of email addresses that reflects the combined contents of the 8 folders. You will need to select the appropriate folder to select your email addresses. Specifically, when you hit the "To" button, you will be presented with a screen which has a dropdown list under "Address Book" which should have 8 folders listed once these have been appropriately set as stated above.

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