# Outlook Express 6 - Contacts Disappeared



## cachelan (Sep 14, 2005)

I am running Outllok Exp 6, with Multiple User IDs.
When I switched identities, I noticed my Email Contacts List has vanished.
It has happened to all the contacts that I had in all identities.

I have no clue where to start.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.


----------



## Moby (Mar 19, 2002)

If you mean the contacts normally showing at the bottom left corner, in outlook express click view, layout, and check the contacts box.
I take it your address book still has the actual entries?


----------



## cachelan (Sep 14, 2005)

Moby said:


> If you mean the contacts normally showing at the bottom left corner, in outlook express click view, layout, and check the contacts box.
> I take it your address book still has the actual entries?


It is checked.
But the addresses are gone in all identities.


----------



## sting06 (Sep 28, 2005)

Do a search of your hard drive for *.wab. This will bring up your address book. See if you can find these first, then we can talk about importing them back into OE.


----------



## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

Hi *cachelan*

Look under the *Tools* menu in the Outlook Express Address Book.
Does it show *Share*?
If so, uncheck *Share*.

Do you have Outlook installed also?


----------



## cachelan (Sep 14, 2005)

sting06 said:


> Do a search of your hard drive for *.wab. This will bring up your address book. See if you can find these first, then we can talk about importing them back into OE.


I did the search, and found it.
I clicked on it, and ALL contacts in different identities are there!

Looking forward to your reply


----------



## cachelan (Sep 14, 2005)

cachelan said:


> I did the search, and found it.
> I clicked on it, and ALL contacts in different identities are there!
> 
> Looking forward to your reply


I have found the file containing all my contacts.
Does anyone know how to get them back??


----------



## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

Hi *cachelan*

Look in: Help > About Address Book
What directory does the Address Book show?


----------



## cachelan (Sep 14, 2005)

EAFiedler said:


> Hi *cachelan*
> 
> Look in: Help > About Address Book
> What directory does the Address Book show?


It doesn't!

But I found it in..
Aplication Data\Microsoft\Address Book


----------



## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

What operating system are you using?


----------



## cachelan (Sep 14, 2005)

EAFiedler said:


> What operating system are you using?


XP


----------



## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

Open the Address Book in Outlook Express,
File > Import > Address Book (WAB)

Browse to and select the .wab file in:
Aplication Data\Microsoft\Address Book

Let us know if that works for you.


----------



## cachelan (Sep 14, 2005)

EAFiedler said:


> Open the Address Book in Outlook Express,
> File > Import > Address Book (WAB)
> 
> Browse to and select the .wab file in:
> ...


It started to import all the contacts from all my identities into one account.. all the names were showing up.. and then 20% through, they vanished again while the file was still importing. After the import was complete, the names still were not there...

This is odd


----------



## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

Open the Address Book in Outlook Express,
Help > About Address Book
That should give you the directory path where that Address Book is located.

Mine shows:
C:\Documents and Settings\UserAccount\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\FileName.wab

Close the Address Book and Outlook Express.
Navigate to the directory you just located.
Rename the Address Book file from *FileName.wab* to *FileName.wab.old*

Copy the .wab file you found in:
Aplication Data\Microsoft\Address Book
and paste it into the directory with the renamed .wab file.
Rename the *new* .wab file to the same name as the previous .wab file.

Outlook Express should then use the newly named .wab file when it is restarted.

________________________________________________________________

Or, open the .wab file located in: Aplication Data\Microsoft\Address Book
File > Export > Other Address Book
Select: *Text File (Comma Separated Values)*
Click: *Export*
Browse to the Desktop and give the file a name.
Click: Save > Next
Select all the fields you want Exported.
Click: *Finish*

The Export should then complete.

Open the Address Book in Outlook Express,
File > Import > Other Address Book
Select: *Text File (Comma Separated Values)*
Click: *Import*
Browse to the Desktop and select the .csv file.
Click: Next > Finish

You can also copy the .csv file to CD as a backup file for the Address Book.

Let us know which method works for you.


----------



## jawbone78 (Dec 11, 2006)

I am experiencing the exact same symptoms as cachelan. I have been through all the same steps provided but have yet to solve the problem.

My Address Book has all of the correct information, but the Contacts List won't "populate."

Cachelan said:
*It started to import all the contacts from all my identities into one account.. all the names were showing up.. and then 20% through, they vanished again while the file was still importing. After the import was complete, the names still were not there...*

This same thing happened to me, too. The import was underway and names were appearing in the contact list, then at about 50% all names vanished and I was left where I started.

I see that this discussion started over a year ago. Did anyone ever solve the problem?
I'm running XP Pro.


----------



## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

What happens when you try this?
Start > Run
Key in: *wab /all*

Click: *OK*

Do you see the Contacts?


----------



## jawbone78 (Dec 11, 2006)

EAFielder says:
*Start > Run
Key in: wab /all
Click: OK
Do you see the Contacts?*

The Windows Address Book opened to the "Shared Contacts" list. There was nothing in that list, however the Main Identity folder just beneath it held all my contacts. For giggles, I copied that list into the Shared Contacts list and restarted Outlook Express to see if anything would change. No change.

This is irritating more than debilitating, though I wonder if this symptom is the harbinger of a more serious problem.


----------



## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

Did you try dragging the Contacts themselves (not the folder) into the *Shared Contacts* folder?
You will need to move/copy the contacts themselves as the folders will not move.

This link gives more information on the Address Book for Outlook Express.
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/files/wab.htm

Do you have Microsoft Outlook from the office suite installed as well?


----------



## jawbone78 (Dec 11, 2006)

EAFielder says:
*Did you try dragging the Contacts themselves (not the folder) into the Shared Contacts folder? You will need to move/copy the contacts themselves as the folders will not move.*

Yes, I was able to copy/duplicate my contact information into the Shared Contacts folder. I even outright cut everything from the Main Identity and moved it to Shared Contacts. Restarted Windows Address Book and Outlook Express. No change. Actually, when I had my contacts copied to both folders, I found that anytime I sent a message using names from my address book, I was prompted to choose which address to send the email to from a 2 choices that were exactly the same.

I've done multiple restarts of machine. I haven't loaded any new software lately, though I did defrag 2 days ago. The contacts disappeared this morning.

I do have MS Office installed, though I have never opened any of the programs except MS Word and MS Excel. MS Outlook is installed.

Attached screen shot of the problem area. Just so you can see what I see.


----------



## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

The light dawns.








I rarely use the Contacts pane myself. 

Open the Address Book in Outlook Express,
Do you have the command for *Options* under the *Tools* menu?
If so, you should be able to select *disable sharing* with Outlook.
Which version of Office do you have installed?

Also, see if this registry value exists on your system:
http://www.insideoe.com/files/wab.htm#share


----------



## jawbone78 (Dec 11, 2006)

The contacts pane is an old friend that is extremely convenient when I can't remember how to spell someone's name. This happens a lot when you are a mainlander living in American Samoa. Last names like "Sagapolotele" and "Teauafoa" or my current fave "Feagaimaalii" are sometimes hard to recall at once when filling in the TO: field of an email.

There was a reference to disabling the sharing of the WAB further back in this thread so I have already tried that solution. 

I do have the command for Options in the Address book. This is how I confirmed that sharing was still disabled. From reading in the link you provided, I can see that Options goes away in certain cases.

I am running MS Office 2000 v.9

The suggestion to check my registry for certain values sounds good. Except that my knowledge of computers stops at the "Preferences, Settings and Options" level of Windows.
Could you suggest a resource for learning how to do what you asked me to do?

My thanks to you for your help. Fa'afetai tele lava... Samoan for Thanks very much.


----------



## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

Start > Run
Key in: *regedit*
Click: *OK*

The Registry window should open.
Navigate through the directories shown in the link:
http://www.insideoe.com/files/wab.htm#share

| HKEY_CURRENT_USER
|----Software
|-------Microsoft
|----------WAB
|--------------WAB4

The Elder Geek has some information on the Registry:
http://www.theeldergeek.com/windows_xp_registry.htm

A Google search for: Windows XP Registry
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Windows+XP+Registry

Another option, would be to change the mode Outlook 2000 is running, from Internet Mail Only mode to the Corporate Workgroup mode.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=195507

Let us know what happens.


----------



## jawbone78 (Dec 11, 2006)

EAFielder kindly recommended:
*The Registry window should open.
Navigate through the directories shown in the link:
http://www.insideoe.com/files/wab.htm#share

| HKEY_CURRENT_USER
|----Software
|-------Microsoft
|----------WAB
|--------------WAB4*

I followed the instructions in the link exactly regarding adding a line to my registry. This doesn't appear to have done anything, even after a restart of the program and the computer.

Any other ideas?


----------



## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

EAFiedler said:


> Start > Run
> 
> Another option, would be to change the mode Outlook 2000 is running, from Internet Mail Only mode to the Corporate Workgroup mode.
> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=195507
> ...


----------



## jawbone78 (Dec 11, 2006)

I am in Coorporate Workgroup mode in Outlook already. No change.


----------



## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

Open the Address Book in Outlook Express,
Do you still have the command for *Options* under the *Tools* menu?


----------



## jawbone78 (Dec 11, 2006)

No, I no longer have the Options menu.


----------



## Guy Courchesne (Oct 4, 2007)

After finding Tech Guy to answer the same problem as the OP, I found it's stupidly simple. Contacts disappearing from the bottom left window of Outlook Express...once you've accumulated more than 999 contacts - poof, it's gone. Simply pare down the number by opening Address Book. They reappear when you get below 1000.

Not sure if is the same solution for all the issues above though, but worth a look.


----------



## jawbone78 (Dec 11, 2006)

That worked! THANK YOU SO MUCH!


----------

