Topic: Outlook - importing problem

[Ian]

I need to move existing Outlook data onto a new pc, and have followed the instructions on this forum and on Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 287070.

My mail messages are there OK. The prob is with my contacts - I can see them (the folders with contents are there in the folder list), but if I try to use them (clicking 'to' in a new email) there is no data in the 'select names' window which appears.

Even if I manually add a new contact, it's not there either.
Or if I drag and drop a contact card I sent as an attachment, it disappears too if I drop it in the contacts folder.

Any suggestions?

[Simon]

Hi Ian, let's deal with the obvious first - have you also transferred your Address Book to the new PC?  If both machines are using Outlook, it should be a simple Export / Import procedure, but you know that already!

[Ian]

Hi Simon,

All I transferred was the outlook.pst file - the contacts are in there.  When I searched for '.pab', nothing came up, so I couldn't copy it across.

[Simon]

Well, it was a bit cack handed, but I've just done it one way:

1. In Outlook (on the old PC): File > Import and Export > Export to a file.

2. Choose Comma Separated Values (Windows) from the list, then navigate to the Contacts folder, and export the file to your desktop.

3. Open Outlook Express, and Import the CSV Address Book

4. Go back to Outlook (on the new PC)and Import the Address Book from Outlook Express.

Simple!  

[Ian]

Ok - that went OK. There are now tons more contacts in Outlook.

However - the same problem persists - I can see the contacts, I can even right-click on them, choose to send them an email and a new email opens with their address all nicely in the 'to' field. But, if I click 'to' in an email, the resulting window is devoid of data.

It's as if the 'to' function is looking elsewhere for the data...

[chorleydave]

A bit of a long shot, Ian, but have you looked under the "Programs" Tab in Internet Options to check which program Windows is using for contacts?

[Simon]

Hmmm... how strange.  I can't see how it wouldn't work.  Just another stab in the dark, but when you click Tools > Address Book, are the entries in there also?

I'm sure there must be a simple solution.  

[Adept]

Try this:

If you click on the New message and To: a dialog box appears which should contain the contacts. However, what it will actually display is the Outlook Address Book, which will not have any contacts in it.

To solve this temporarily, simply choose "Contacts" from the "Show Names From the" drop down list. You may actually have more than one "Contacts" listed. Choose the last one in the list.

To change the default list, choose Tools|Email Accounts (works in Outlook 2003 not sure about others), then View or change existing directories or Address Books from the Wizard. Press Next. The next screen should list something like "Outlook Address Book". Select it and press the Remove button. Restart Outlook.

Then select Tools|Email Accounts again and this time select Add a New Directory or Address Book. Press Next. Choose "Additional Address Books" from the list given and press Next. Choose Outlook Address book from the list and press Next.

From the Folder List view, right clich the Contacts folder and choose Properties from the menu displayed. Choose the Outlook Address Book tab. Check "Show this folder as an Outlook Address Book" and press OK.

The Outlook contacts should now appear by default in the To: Address List.

[Ian]

Success!

There were no entries in the address book, but after the above- mentioned shuffling it worked!

  Many thanks to Sean, Simon and chorleydave!

[Simon]

[Adept]

 

[chorleydave]

Excellent news, Ian.