Windows Live Mail - lost contacts

I have been using windows live mail for years, and today I noticed my contacts have all disappeared. I try to restore to a former date, but it wouldn't let me do that, either. I have Windows 7, had taken the computer in because my windows mail got corrupted and it kept downloading Outlook.com for my mail. I did not want that mail program. The computer tech fixed it for me, but at that point my contacts disappeared. AFter working on it longer, I don't know what he did, but the contacts showed up finally.

That was three days ago, now my contacts are gone again. Any suggestions how to get them back? When I log into my email program, it is titled Windows Live Mail 2012.

Thank you.

Ok, I saw that box come up, but it's linked to another hotmail account. Didn't know I had to sign in. Now my contacts have shown up. Thanks!!! Does this mean I have to have a live mail account box pop up all the time to get my contacts? I was thinking of deleting my hotmail account.

tielfeathers said:

Ok, I saw that box come up, but it's linked to another hotmail account. Didn't know I had to sign in. Now my contacts have shown up. Thanks!!! Does this mean I have to have a live mail account box pop up all the time to get my contacts? I was thinking of deleting my hotmail account.

If you happen to have one or more Hotmail accounts, and you don't want to use Hotmail or Outlook.com as your email service, you can delete all of them except the one that you want to use as your Microsoft Account (aka Live ID). [Don't delete the one with your contacts until you export them to your PC in a location you can get to again when you want to import them into your WLM in a different account (Live ID) or when you use WLM without "signing-in".] It's good to have a Microsoft Account in case you want to use a Microsoft service or feature that requires one. If you like Windows Live Mail (the Microsoft replacement for Outlook Express and Windows Mail) you can use it without "signing in" to a Microsoft Account with your "ID" and use an email service provider separate from Microsoft using their IMAP or POP3/SMTP settings just as you did with the older email programs. But you can also optionally and automatically "sign-in" as well. If you do sign-in you can use the same email service provider(s) with the added Microsoft features of live Contact management and optional Photo email. I mention this because the continuous contact management is so useful: you never have to worry about backing up your contacts, or exporting/importing them either. They are always there and up-to-date on whatever PC you install WLM and sign-in to it. There are also at the website "http://contacts.live.com".