can't download backed up win7 contacts

I accidentally deleted my Windows Live Mail contact list while coping and transferring it to another PC. That works fine.

I keep my contact list backed up in .VCF format and have Imported from my backup before.

But now, when I try to Import the (entire) contact list at once, (as I've done before), it imports VERY slowly, and after each contact slowly comes into the list,



I get a message " you already have this contact, do you want to over-write it?" (There are ZERO contacts there now??)



It would take days to import my contact list at this pace.



I have Windows 7 Pro, 64 bit.



Any ideas as to what is causing this?



Thanks in advance........................

jerrylite said:

I accidentally deleted my Windows Live Mail contact list while coping and transferring it to another PC. That works fine.

I keep my contact list backed up in .VCF format and have Imported from my backup before.

But now, when I try to Import the (entire) contact list at once, (as I've done before), it imports VERY slowly, and after each contact slowly comes into the list,



I get a message " you already have this contact, do you want to over-write it?" (There are ZERO contacts there now??)




It would take days to import my contact list at this pace.



I have Windows 7 Pro, 64 bit.



Any ideas as to what is causing this?



Thanks in advance........................

If I am not mistaken WLM keeps a backup (hidden) that you are overwriting as you restore hence the message.

I had hosed a HD and stumbled across this gem to restore my messages as well as contacts. Try googling it

Close WLM and use Windows Explorer to navigate to <username>/appdata/local/microsoft/windows live contacts and delete the entire folder called "Windows Live Contacts". Now when you reopen WLM it will create a brand new clean "Windows Live Contacts" folder; when you sign in it will repopulate it with whatever you left on the website contacts.live.com so you may want to make sure that is empty before opening WLM. Hopefully, if both the website and your new contact list is clean you will be able to start the import from the vcf file with no delays or questions.

Thank You,

I will try that.
I have since, manually re-created a new contact list. I guess I will back this up to an Ext HD, as I have always done, prior to win7.
But now, this may not be the way to 'backup', WLM keeps a copy online?

You're not the first person who has mentioned a scenario like this.

This is most confusing to me that it works that way. I have 5 win7 manuals that I referenced before asking the forums, and the books don't mention a thing about this?

Thanks again,
jerrylite

jerrylite said:

...But now, this may not be the way to 'backup', WLM keeps a copy online?...

Yes, the contacts are saved at the site "contacts.live.com" as long as you "sign in". If you do you are using the "signed-in" contacts list (located both in WLM and online). If you set the option to "never sign in" you will be using the "not signed-in" contacts list (located only in WLM). The later can be backed up either through the export/import option or by saving the entire "Windows Live Contacts" folder.

I thank you for you help. I just don't understand how this online contacts works.
I have never signed in to WLM.
I can't even find 'contacts.live.com'.
I have manually recreated contacts, or at least several of them. I can SEE the contacts in my backup, and can Import ONE contact at a time, but cannot Import all of them at once. I get 'they are already there, overwrite?' messages when I try. This makes no sense to me, because there were ZERO contacts in my contact list when I was doing this??
I am afraid to trust a contacts backup again, because Import doesn't seem to work on bringing in ALL of my (VCF) contacts. I tried the other formats, CSV and WAB, with similar results.

Again, thanks for your help, I just don't understand how to do what you're saying.

jerrylite

jerrylite said:

...I just don't understand how to do what you're saying...

I don't understand the error message you're getting if there are no contacts. You must have a Windows Live ID or you couldn't have downloaded Windows Live Essentials in the first place. But if within WLM options you you set the connection tab to "stop signing in" and you see "sign in" in the upper right corner of the WLM main window instead of your Live ID, then you are not signed in and won't be signed it automatically. If that is the case the contact list that WLM shows you is your "not-signed-in" list. I suggested you go to Windows Explorer's storage location for WLM contacts on your computer and delete it while WLM is closed. When you reopen WLM it will create a brand new empty contact list in the same place from which you deleted the old one. Now you can try reimporting from scratch. (Keep in mind all the contacts will be imported, but not their categories/grouping).

Should you decide to sign in at some point the "not signed in" contact list will not be visible but instead you will see an empty list or whatever happens to be in your "signed-in" contact list located at Sign In (website=contacts.live.com). So one basic decision you need to make is whether or not you want your contacts to be duplicated (continuously backed up) on MS servers; if so switch the WLM connection option to "sign in" and from then on you will always be signed in as long as you have internet access.

Roncerr,

Thanks again,

I have used 'Win Live Mail' ever since I got my win7 desktop and win7 laptop. Prior to these PC's, I used XP and 98 for years, using Outlook Express as my email software. I loved OE and backed up my email contacts on a regular basis. I used these backup's (via Import), when I needed to, like when I upgraded to new PC's etc. This all worked great.

To be honest, I don't recall downloading WLM or Win Live Essentials to my (2) win7 PC's. I may have, but certainly don't remember doing a download. I think that software came with the PC's.
I do remember that I was disappointed that win7 didn't play with OE, and the Win7 manuals, and the PC Help suggested using WLM, if you came from OE. So I started using WLM and I remember exporting my email contacts from my XP PC to a file in the win7 PC. I then Imported ALL of my email contacts, using the win7 'IMPORT' contact function. This worked great. I did this on both my new (12-2009) win7 PC's.

THAT, is at least one reason why I don't understand why I can't download ALL my contacts now?

I was not aware that being online had anything to do with any of this.

I do have a 'windows live messenger ID', I got it years ago on my XP machine. I'm not sure why I have this messenger ID, because I never use it. It is on my win7 pc's, but I don't remember downloading it??

I have never looked at the upper right portion of the WLM page, and don't know what any of it means. Here's
what is there:

1.Far upper right> My name and a down arrow, in a box, and a box with a generic picture to the right of it.

2. If I click the box, I get a pulldown, with these 4 choices:

a. 'sign into messenger'
b. 'view profile'
c. 'view account'
d. sign in with different ID.

I briefly looked at some of what this means. I don't appear to 'signed in' to WLM, Messenger, or any of these right now.
I am begininning to see what you are saying now about being online with WLM.
I need to keep what you've sent me, read it closer, and experiment with this.

I am leaving for about 10 days on vacation, and should have online access. I will try to educate myself on all this.
You were RIGHT (I never doubted you, I just didn't understand, and still don't know what I need to do as yet). But, I'm begininng to understand that WLM is wrapped around being online or not.

Thank you (Again), for all your help. I hope don't mind this dummy (me), asking you other questions later, If I need to. You have been a tremendous help to me.

Sincerely,
jerrylite