Windows live mail 2012 contacts incompatible with Windows 7 contacts

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

  1. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Home 64 bit
       #1

    Windows live mail 2012 contacts incompatible with Windows 7 contacts


    I have upgraded my Computer from Vista and Windows live mail 2011 to Windows 7 and Windows live mail 2012.

    Live Mail 2011 used as Contacts just the Vista Contacts.
    Live Mail 2012 is having it's own Contacts which are not compatible with Windows 7 Contacts.

    I found a way to import Windows 7 Contacts as Live Mail 2012 Contacts but no way to export it as .contact file again (export can be done as CSV or VCF file only).

    Since I still want to synchronize my Windows 7 contacts with an old Vista Computer the Import is not a solution for me.

    Is there a way to persuade Live Mail to use the Windows Contacts again
    and where are these new Live Mail Contacts saved?

    C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live\Contacts seems not to be used.

    Walter
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,362
    Win7 H.Prem. 32bit+SP1
       #2

    Hi Walter, welcome to Seven Forums.

    Your best plan is to access your mail account directly, the use .csv format to export / import them into WLM 2012.
    If you don't use WLM signed-in they wont be remembered.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Home 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Hi Roderunner,

    thanks for your fast answer.

    What do you mean with "access your mail account directly"?
    I do not know different ways to access my mail account.

    What do you mean with WLM signed-in?
    Are there Options to use WLM signed-in and not signed-in?

    My contacts are in .contacts Format.
    I do not Need to Export them to csv Format to get them imported in WLM,
    WLM can Import .contacts Format directly, but this is not the way I want to go.

    Walter
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 1,219
    Windows 7 Pro 32/64 bit and Windows 10 Pro 32 Bit/64bit
       #4

    the best way to sync the two machines is to make a Live Mail Account. On the vista machine where you have WLM sign into this account. On the Windows 7 machine where you have WLM sign into the same account.
    Your contacts will go into the live account, now when you update one name or add another, as long as you are signed in to both of them, you will see it on both machines

    you can sign up here

    https://signup.live.com/signup.aspx?...&lc=1033&lic=1
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Home 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Hi Robinb9

    thanks for the tip with Live Mail Account.
    I already have a SkyDrive Account (but never used it), so this seems to be the same.
    Although it is crazy that I need Internet to synch local Computers.

    What Contacts do you mean?
    The Problem is that Windows is using different inkompatibel contacts.

    On Vista and Windows 7 there are C:\Users\Username\Contacts
    In WLM 2011 there are Contacts which are the same like C:\Users\Username\Contacts
    In WLM 2012 there are new contacts now which are not C:\Users\Username\Contacts (no idea where they are stored)
    And there is a Folder C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live\Contacts
    were I do not know which Software is using this Folder.

    How can I synchronize all these contacts via SkyDrive or Live Mail?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 1,219
    Windows 7 Pro 32/64 bit and Windows 10 Pro 32 Bit/64bit
       #6

    The contacts in vista are different then the contacts in windows 7
    The contacts in vista were associated with windows Mail
    Windows mail is not the same as windows live mail
    Those contacts on vista synced with the contact folder in vista, WLM does not sync with the contacts folder in windows 7
    When windows 7 came to be, microsoft eliminated windows mail
    The only way to sync your contacts on both machines is to install windows live mail on both computers
    You do it first on the vista machine
    When u do it on the vista machine it will automatically pick up all your contacts and emails from windows mail
    When you set up a live account, within the program it will ask you if you want to sync your contacts, once you say yes it will put your contacts in wlm, live account
    Now you go onto the windows 7 computer and install wlm and sign in with the live account you made
    You should see it sync and bring in your contacts
    The only way to do this is over the internet
    I have 11 computers. I have wlm on all of them, and i have a live account and 5 other but my primary is the live account
    When i make a change or add a contact it shows up on all 11 computers
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Home 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Thanks a lot for this detailed description.

    I understand that WLM 2012 cannot use Windows 7 Contacts any longer although old WLM could.
    So it makes no sense to use both Windows Contacts and WLM Contacts because they cannot be synchronized.

    I understand that WLM Contacts between different local Computers can only by synchronized via Internet.
    That sounds very crazy but seems to be true. (Why can't good things just be kept?)

    I have WLM 2012 from Windows Essentials and I have SkyDrive installed.
    What I do not understand is the following:

    "When you set up a live account, within the program it will ask you if you want to sync your contacts, once you say yes it will put your contacts in wlm, live account"

    I have to set up a live account. Is this the same like my SkyDrive account or something different?
    Withhin WLM I found a button to connect to WLM. (note: WLM is not WLM)
    I pressed this button and connected to my SkyDrive account.
    There was no question if I want to Sync my Contacts or something else.
    When I look in SkyDrive there are 3 folders: Pictures, Documents, Public. All of them are empty.

    What am I doing wrong?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 1,219
    Windows 7 Pro 32/64 bit and Windows 10 Pro 32 Bit/64bit
       #8

    Skydrive ands WlM are totally different. One is an email program , one is a backup program
    But, you can have the same login username and password for both
    On the top right side in WLM is where you sign in using your live account
    That is for email only
    The two programs do not sync to each other, again the only thing they have in common is the same live account you set them both up with.
    This should not connect to your skydrive account, my WLM does not have a button in it to connect to skydrive

    As for skydrive, yes it has folders in it because it is a backup syncing program
    You can copy or save a word file in skydrive, and the same file will show up on every device or computer it is installed on. It is just like the program Dropbox
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Home 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    ok, seems I have made an error and mixed up SkyDrive, WLM from Live Essentials and WLM as on online service.

    But I have created only one MS Account and this account is a Live account as well as a SkyDrive account.
    Thats the reason why I really cannot see if I am connected to Live or to SkyDrive.

    I am pressing this top right button to get connected to my MS account (Live)
    but I do not get the question if I want to sync my contacts.

    How can I check if my local WLM contacts are synchronized with my Live account?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1,219
    Windows 7 Pro 32/64 bit and Windows 10 Pro 32 Bit/64bit
       #10

    Sign into windows live mail in the email program
    Go into a contacts
    Either make a change in one contact or add a new one and make sure you click save
    Now open internet explorer
    Go to live.com and sign in using your live account
    Look at the contacts
    I believe in there, it might be called People
    Look and see if your changes are there
    Or
    Sign in on windows live mail on your vista computer (not windows mail)
    Look at the contacts, you should see the change there
      My Computer


 
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:20.
Find Us