Transfer windows live mail contacts and groups

Is there a way to transfer contacts with groups from one machine with WLM 2011 to another with WLM 2011 ? When I do an export to .cvs all I get are just the contacts.

Thanks

spacekowboy said:

Is there a way to transfer contacts with groups from one machine with WLM 2011 to another with WLM 2011 ? When I do an export to .cvs all I get are just the contacts.

Thanks

That is what you get.
Cannot transfer groups. Just contacts. You will have to re-create the groups.
P.S. They call it " category " in WLM 2011, not group.

t-4-2

spacekowboy said:

Is there a way to transfer contacts with groups from one machine with WLM 2011 to another with WLM 2011 ? When I do an export to .cvs all I get are just the contacts....

If you "sign-in" with WLM, your contacts and their grouping into "categories" are continuously updated and saved at "contacts.live.com" so there is never a need to back them up.

If it's too late to do that or you want to avoid "signing-in" you could try unhiding "system" files and drag and drop the contacts store in Windows Explorer to a new install. (You will probably have to confirm multiple times that you really want to do that but when the dust settles you may find your old "not-signed-in" contact list will appear in the new install. I tried that with a few contacts a while ago in WLM 2009 and it seemed to work. However, signing in is much easier and gives you the option to use Photo Email when you want to.)

Where is the contacts store located?

spacekowboy said:

Where is the contacts store located?

C:\users\(your name)\contacts

Copied that over to new machine - no difference.

spacekowboy said:

Copied that over to new machine - no difference.

I did not imply that there will be a difference. My reply is to show you where the contact folder is located.
You wanted the " groups " transferred as well, and 2 of us have already told you that you cannot import groups.

So I guess "groups" or "categories" should be discouraged.

spacekowboy said:

So I guess "groups" or "categories" should be discouraged.

Necessity is the word.

If you use WLM to send distribution e-mails, then, you have no choice but to create categories.

spacekowboy said:

Where is the contacts store located?

Under AppData/Local/Microsoft there should be a hidden system subfolder like Windows Live Mail/Contacts or Windows Live Mail Contacts.