Contact List

[Ed Wood]

I had an infection with some viruses and trojan horses, and had to completely
reformat my hard drive and reinstall all of my programs.

I was able to make a backup of my outlook.pst folder and my mailbox folder.
When I reinstalled Windows Outlook (I am running MSO 2003), I successfully
restored my email folders, and am able to access them.

My contacts is a different story. I was only able to import them from a csv
file that I created. The file was from my isp's (AT&T) mail program where I
had exported them from Outlook 2003.

If I click on the Contacts tab, the address files are there. However, if I
am composing or forwarding an email, and click on the "To...:" to select the
person to send the email to, it opens up a blank select to box. I have tried,
without success to find and copy the contacts file into the blank box that
opens.

My contacts/email files are stored in D:\My Outlook, and I have set Outlook
2003 to point to that location.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Thanks,

 

[Vince Averello [MVP - Outlook]]

If you right click on the Contacts folder and choose Properties, is the
"Show this folder as an email address book" box checked on the Outlook
Address Book tab?

 

[DL]

If you restored your origonal pst file all your Contacts were contained
within that.
You have to select Properties of Contacts and on the Address book tab,
select show this folder as address book

 

[Frank]

Hi,

I had the same exact problem. I can access all my contacts in my Contacts,
but the To field does not recognize my contacts when I start a new email.

Make sure that if you have any additional folders in your Contacts (other
than "Contacts"), that each folder has the option checked in the Properties
that the other posters said.

~Frank

 

[Ed Wood]

When I open the contacts folder, and navigate to the Contacts
Properties/Outlook Address Book, the "Show the folder as email addresses" is
greyed out, and I cannot select it.

In the above response, under the Mail Folders on the left window of Outlook,
I do not have a Contacts folder listed. I only have a Contacts Button that
opens up the Contacts Window. That might be the problem with not being able
to access the contact information on creating an email.

Thanks,

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

When I open the contacts folder, and navigate to the Contacts
Properties/Outlook Address Book, the "Show the folder as email addresses"
is
greyed out, and I cannot select it.

Your mail profile is damaged and you need to create a new one. Control
Panel>Mail>Show Profiles>Add

In the above response, under the Mail Folders on the left window of
Outlook,
I do not have a Contacts folder listed. I only have a Contacts Button that
opens up the Contacts Window. That might be the problem with not being
able
to access the contact information on creating an email.

Naturally, when using the Mail view if the Navigation Pane, you'll see only
mail folders. Click the Contacts view button or the Folder List view button
to see Contacts folders.

 

[Frank]

Hi Brian, I'm sure you know a ton more than I do about Outlook, but that
option for me is also greyed-out and, but just for the "Contacts" folder
Properties. Not my other folders. And I don't think my profile is damaged in
any way.

Also, the Contacts folder used to show up in my Personal folders back when
using Outlook 2003, but now it doesn't in 2007. So I wouldn't say it
"naturally" doesn't appear in the Mail button.

Frank

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Hi Brian, I'm sure you know a ton more than I do about Outlook, but that
option for me is also greyed-out and, but just for the "Contacts" folder
Properties. Not my other folders. And I don't think my profile is damaged
in any way.

But it is. They graying out of that check box indicates that the Outlook
Address Book service isn't working in the mail profile and the only way to
fix it is to create a new mail profile. Outlook 2007 won't let you remove
the service and add it back in.

Also, the Contacts folder used to show up in my Personal folders back when
using Outlook 2003, but now it doesn't in 2007. So I wouldn't say it
"naturally" doesn't appear in the Mail button.

Did you upgrade to OL 2007 from OL 2003? This particular change usually
requires a new mail profile for proper operation.

Are you averse to trying a new profile for some reason? You don't lose any
data.
http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/newprofile.htm

 

[Frank]

Hi Brian,
Thanks for the info. Yes, I'm kind of afraid to mess with anything since
everything in Outlook seems to be working fine for me now.

It was not an upgrade to 2007 from 2003. I installed a new version of 2007
on my new Vista machine.

Thanks!
Frank

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Thanks for the info. Yes, I'm kind of afraid to mess with anything since
everything in Outlook seems to be working fine for me now.

But you said everything isn't working. Your Contacts folder is not
available as an address book. A new mail profile will not affect your
existing data in any way because you'll reuse that data in the new profile.

It was not an upgrade to 2007 from 2003. I installed a new version of 2007
on my new Vista machine.

I guess when you said "the Contacts folder used to show up in my Personal
folders back
when using Outlook 2003", that implied to me you may have upgraded. That's
why I asked.