Viewing missing Contact list

[stevec]

I stupidly tried to combine PST files without backing each up (don't do
this!) Now I can't find my main Contacts folder. I see an older, smaller
Contacts folder that cam in from the smaller imported PST. I think it is
still in the merged PST (500 MB)because it is larger than it was previous to
merging. Any ideas on how to view the important Contacts folder would be
very appreciated!

 

[Brian Tillman]

I stupidly tried to combine PST files without backing each up (don't
do this!) Now I can't find my main Contacts folder. I see an older,
smaller Contacts folder that cam in from the smaller imported PST. I
think it is still in the merged PST (500 MB)because it is larger than
it was previous to merging. Any ideas on how to view the important
Contacts folder would be very appreciated!

Exactly what did you do to try to combine them? What version of Outlook?

 

[stevec]

Using Win XP Pro, Outlook 2003. I used "Import" then the older PST files,
and selected to allow duplicates. When I opened the combined PST file, I
could not find my mian Contacts list, but I could see the older Contacts
list. The new PST file was, larger than the original PST file so I am hoping
the information is in there somewhere.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Using Win XP Pro, Outlook 2003. I used "Import" then the older PST
files, and selected to allow duplicates. When I opened the combined
PST file, I could not find my mian Contacts list, but I could see the
older Contacts list. The new PST file was, larger than the original
PST file so I am hoping the information is in there somewhere.

First, it's always a good idea to avoid importing PSTs. Since Outlook's
native file format is a PST, you should use File>Open>Outlook Data File to
open it and then drag-and-drop your items (or use Edit>Move to Folder).

That said, I've never known a situation where importing from one PST into
another deleted anything from the PST into which you are importing. All of
the Contacts that were in your Contacts folder should still be there (but
maybe duplicated) and your Contacts folder should still be right where it
was before: under your Outlook Today. Are you saying that you now have no
Contacts folder? Importing shouldn't add a second set of folders. It
should move messages into the current set of folders. Perhaps I don't
understand exactly what you see in your Folders list. If that's the case, I
apologize. Can you describe it more exactly?

 

[stevec]

Thank you for sticking with my problem, Brian. It is perplexing. I do have a
Contacts folder, but it shows only older contacts. Before importing, I had
subfolders under Contacts, e.g. Clients, employees, etc. Those are no longer
visible. I should mention that I am using the view that shows a file
structure in the left pane. To see Contacts, I must click on the Clients
button below the folder display.
-Steve

 

[Brian Tillman]

Thank you for sticking with my problem, Brian. It is perplexing. I do
have a Contacts folder, but it shows only older contacts. Before
importing, I had subfolders under Contacts, e.g. Clients, employees,
etc. Those are no longer visible. I should mention that I am using
the view that shows a file structure in the left pane. To see
Contacts, I must click on the Clients button below the folder display.

Is there any way for you to attach a screen shot, or to supply a link to
one?

 

[stevec]

Please download from this link: http://12.96.248.102/outlookimage.jpg

 

[stevec]

Sorry. http://12.96.248.102/temp/outlookimage.jpg

Please download from this link: http://12.96.248.102/outlookimage.jpg

 

[Brian Tillman]

Sorry. http://12.96.248.102/temp/outlookimage.jpg

So, you're saying that if you expand the "Clients email" folder, you see a
Contacts folder? Try this: Start>Run. In the Command window, enter
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\outlook.exe" /resetfoldernames
(quotes included) and click OK. If that doesn't work, find and delete (or
rename) the file outcmd.dat (usually in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook). If
neither of those work, create a new PST from scratch, make it your default
delivery location (Tools>E-mail Accounts>Next>Deliver new e-mail to the
following location drop-down) and then move anything you want to keep from
the old PST to the new one. I'm afraid I have no further suggestions.