Transferring contacts from Outlook to Windows mail

[jlittle99]

Has anyone figured out how to do this easily??

 

[BurrWalnut]

If Outlook is installed on the Vista computer you can directly import .pst
files into Windows Mail.

Otherwise, on a computer running XP, Outlook and Outlook Express, import the
Outlook messages and Contacts into Outlook Express, copy the .wab and .dbx
files to the Vista computer and import them into Windows Mail.

 

[Rainald Taesler]

If Outlook is installed on the Vista computer you can directly
import .pst files into Windows Mail.

This is only partly true.
One can import *mail* form Outlook.
But the OP obviously wants to import *CONTACTS*

Win Mail (Windows Contacts) does not have a feature for importing from a
PST. There are only import options for CSV, LDIF, vCard, WAB

CSV-files created by exporting from Outlook have data structures which
heavily differ from the data structures of "Windows Contacts".
Therefore it needs quite some work on the list of fields to be exported
from Outlook and then again for the field assignment when importing in
Contacts.

Further obstacles (among others):
a) Outlook creates true "CSV" (comma separated" output.
WinMail (Contacts) import, however, can not work with that. It needs a
semicolon (";") as a separator for the fields. Therefore prior to
importing the CSV-file has to be treated with search+replace to change
the ";" to a ";".

b) WinMail has problems which "special characters". It does not import
"Umlauts" and characters with accents.

c) It's not possible to import more than just 1 nail address per
contact.

d) Imported contacts are created with the sort order <first name>
<surname> (which is hardly usable). Therefore the field "complete name"
has to set manually for each and any contact.
Outlook does not offer the field "Save as" for being included in the
export field-list.

So exporting Contacts from Outlook and importing them in Wimail is
anything but a trivial affair.

Otherwise, on a computer running XP, Outlook and Outlook Express,
import the Outlook messages and Contacts into Outlook Express, copy
the .wab and .dbx files to the Vista computer and import them into
Windows Mail.

Outlook Express does not offer an import of Outlook Contacts into a WAB
either (and Outlook does not offer an export in the WAB format).

So this suggestion does not show an easier way.

Rainald

 

[Rainald Taesler]

Has anyone figured out how to do this easily??

No easy way for contacts {siiiigh}.
I'm seriously suffering from this issue and did did not yet come across
a tool for syncing contacts from Outlook to WinMail and vice versa.

AFAICS exporting from Outlook in the CSV format and then importing in
WinMail is the only option :-( :-(
For details pls see may reply to BurrWalnut.

My latest idea was using a PDA as an intermediary (as I do for syncing
Outlook data between my desktop computer and my TabletPC). But I could
not yet find any software for syncing Widows Contacts with a WM device
:-( :-(

Rainald

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

This is rather round-about, and it may not work any better than the manual
method you described:

On the XP computer, install the Outlook Connector:
http://www.windowslive-hotmail.com/LearnMore/default.aspx?page=domore4

Allow the Outlook Connector to sync the Outlook contacts with a Hotmail account.

On the Vista computer, install Windows Live Mail:
http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview

Let the Hotmail (Live ID) contacts sync with WLM contacts.
Then, either continue using WLM, or export WLM contacts in a CSV file,
then import that into Windows Mail

 

[Rainald Taesler]

This is rather round-about,

LOL, but this expression seems to fit <g>.
Perhaps one might add Excel and/or Notepad in order to give the

and it may not work any better than the manual method you described:

Did you try it out yourself?

On the XP computer, install the Outlook Connector:
http://www.windowslive-hotmail.com/LearnMore/default.aspx?page=domore4

Allow the Outlook Connector to sync the Outlook contacts with a
Hotmail account.

Needs a hotmail account.
I think to remember that I had one light-years ago and only used it for
a couple. It was just horrible ...

On the Vista computer, install Windows Live Mail:
http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview

Let the Hotmail (Live ID) contacts sync with WLM contacts.

How comfortable would this be regarding field mapping?

Then, either continue using WLM, or export WLM contacts in a CSV
file, then import that into Windows Mail

How about the field structures?
Are WinMail and WLM work with similar fields?

Although have always been famous for my solutions with sending data
through other applications for converting. My top hit (used by dozens if
colleagues) was the conversion of Word DOS files for usage in WinWord:
Sending them through AmiPro brought ways better results than importing
in WinWord <g>

All on in all IMO a recipe hardly easier than the manual way.

Rainald

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

No, I have not tried the method I proposed. It was just a suggestion.

Having a Hotmail account does not oblige you to use it for email.
I use it strictly for the purpose of maintaining a fully synchronized
backup copy of my Windows Live Mail contacts.

 

[Rainald Taesler]

No, I have not tried the method I proposed. It was just a
suggestion.

That's what I was pretty sure of!!!
Otherwise - most probably <!> - you would not have made such kind of

Having a Hotmail account does not oblige you to use it for email.

I know.
But as a German saying puts it:
"The child bewares of the fire in case once being burnt ..."

I use it strictly for the purpose of maintaining a fully
synchronized backup copy of my Windows Live Mail contacts.

May work.
Will have to try it out.
Getting *Contacts* in synch again is my major problem since OL2007 and
Vista.

Everything was pretty fine with OE and OL until OL2007 killed the
feature of using Outlook Contacts in OE.
It's been a total mess ever since ...

Rainald