Outlook 2003 Address Book

[donna balfe]

Hello Everyone,

Please could someone advise the file & directory location within XP where
the Outlook 2003 Address Book data is stored. The reason being that I've
backed up my emails & re-built my hard drive. I've got everything working &
retreived all of my backed up emails, but couldn't find my signatures (not
too much of a prob as can easily be re-created if need be) or my address
book. I really need to restore this data as have (stupidly) relied too
heavily on it & have made no precautionary backup except for when I
transferred as much as possible to DVD when the hard drive was giving up the
ghost!

Any advice as to address book directory & file location for Outlook 2003 on
XP will be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[Tom Willett]

You'll get the best results by asking the experts in the Outlook newsgroups.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Hello Everyone,

Please could someone advise the file & directory location within XP where
the Outlook 2003 Address Book data is stored. The reason being that I've
backed up my emails & re-built my hard drive. I've got everything working
& retreived all of my backed up emails, but couldn't find my signatures
(not too much of a prob as can easily be re-created if need be) or my
address book. I really need to restore this data as have (stupidly) relied
too heavily on it & have made no precautionary backup except for when I
transferred as much as possible to DVD when the hard drive was giving up
the ghost!

Any advice as to address book directory & file location for Outlook 2003
on XP will be greatly appreciated!!!

How did you back up your emails and restore them? If you backed up the
emails but not the core file, you need to get that file back.

Outlook usually keeps emails, contacts, calendaring etc. in one file. By
default, that file is "outlook.pst".

And by default, that file is helpfully stored in a hidden folder, making it
simple and intuitive to include in a regular backup.

Look here, but bear in mind you may have to change Explorer settings (tools,
folder options, view, show hidden files and folders) to see this:

C:\Documents and Settings\<account name>\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook

When you include this file in a regular backup in future, bear in mind that
Outlook must be closed when the backup runs or the file will normally be
locked and not included in the backup.

By default, the Local Settings folder structure is hidden, as is the
location for the Windows Address Book and the Outlook Express message
stores.

The Outlook Express message store can be found by going to Tools, Options,
Maintenance, and clicking on Store Folder. You can also move this
location to somewhere you prefer, as I have done - that's why I don't
include the default location. But in any case, OE emails and addresses are
not stored in the same folder and the default folders are not visible.

The Windows Address Book can be located by opening the address book (you
can click on Start, Run, type in "wab" and press enter), then clicking on
Help and About. This displays the file location.

C:\Documents and Settings\<account name>\Application Data\Microsoft\Address
Book\<account name>.wab

HTH
-pk