Windows 7: Outlook 2007 - Export Address Book

I am running Outlook 2007 in Windows 7 Ultimate on both machines.

I have been trying all morning to export - import my Outlook Address Book from my PC (4 years old) to my new laptop.

Can anybody point me to Microsoft's instructions or can anyone tell me how it is done?

Please do not confuse 'Contacts' with 'Address Book'. I want to be able to click the "To:" button on new email to bring up my addresses. (To: Cc, Bcc etc)

TIA for your time and trouble.

Ed

How to copy your Personal Address Book to another computer will explain how to copy your Address Book.

However, you should read through Display a Personal Address Book (.pab) in your Outlook Address Book - Outlook - Microsoft Office before you proceed.

I hope that helps...


More useful information http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287070

Thanks, Irene. I'll get down to this tomorrow (sun) and let you know how I get on.

Ed

Good luck

Well, Irene, I have looked really hard but, unfortunately the main link you kindly posted refers to Outlook 2003, and I cannot find similar advice anywhere for Outlook 2007. For example, identifying the PAB file, which is pretty critical. Without this info I'm stone dead..! BTW, I'm 74 now and getting a bit slow so I may have missed something!

I cannot believe Microsoft could make such an obvious requirement so difficult!

How to export .pst file data

If you want to back up only some of your Outlook data, you can create a new backup .pst file of only the data that you want to save. This is also known as exporting .pst file data. For example, you might want to use this section if you have important information in only some folders and you have other, less important items in much larger folders. You can export only the important folders or contacts and omit folders like Sent Mail.



Follow these steps to export a specific folder:

1. Open Outlook.
2. On the File menu, click Import And Export. If the menu item is not available, hover your pointer over the chevrons at the bottom of the menu, and then click Import and Export.
3. Click Export To File, and then click Next.
4. Click Personal Folder File (.pst) , and then click Next.
5. Click the folder that you want to export the .pst file to, and then click Next.
6. Click Browse, and then select the location where you want the new .pst file to be saved.
7. In the File Name box, , type the name that you want to use for the new .pst file, and then click OK.
8. Click Finish.

Note Folder design properties include permissions, filters, description, forms, and views. If you export items from one .pst file to another, no folder design properties are maintained.

How to import .pst file data into Outlook

You can use the backup copy of your .pst file to restore your Outlook data if the original .pst file is damaged or lost. Everything that is saved in the .pst file is returned to Outlook.



Follow these steps to restore, or import, your data into Outlook:

1. If the .pst file that you want to import is stored on a removable device, such as a floppy disk, a portable hard disk drive, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape cassette, or any other storage medium, insert or connect the storage device, and then copy the .pst file to the hard disk drive of the computer.
   
   When you copy the .pst file, make sure that the Read-Only attribute is not selected. If this attribute is selected, you might receive the following error message: The specified device, file, or path could not be accessed. It may have been deleted, it may be in use, you may be experiencing network problems, or you may not have sufficient permission to access it. Close any application using this file and try again.
   
   
   If you receive this error message, clear the Read-Only attribute, and then copy the file again.
2. Open Outlook.
3. On the File menu, click Import And Export. If the command is not available, rest the pointer over the chevrons at the bottom of the menu, and then click Import and Export.
4. Click Import from another program or file, and then click Next.
5. Click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
6. Type the path and the name of the .pst file that you want to import, and then click Next.
7. Select the folder that you want to import. To import everything in the .pst file, select the top of the hierarchy.
8. Click Finish.

This selection was taken from How to manage.pst files in Outlook 2007, in Outlook 2003, and in Outlook 2002 and relates to Outlook 2007. You can use the 'browse' button to select where you want to save it to - I usually find that the 'Desktop' makes it easy to find again.

You can then copy it onto a flash drive and 'Import' it into the Outlook on your laptop.

Hope this helps.

I must thank you for all the time you are spending, Irene but I have already transferred the PST file which set up everything except the Address Book.

I see the problem, Edsaid.
Personally, I don't use the 'Address Book', although I can see your difficulty.

It would seem that the Address Book is part of/within the Contacts Folder. If you have imported your Contacts into your new laptop, the addresses should be available.

I found another link which explains.. Manage addresses in Outlook 2007 - Outlook - Microsoft Office. Perhaps this will help.

Thanks, Irene. I think I may have encountered an unidentifiable defect that may require a reinstall. I typed an address into "New Entry" and it shows fine. The Address Book shows the default Contacts folder but not the addresses therein. I only have the one Contacts folder so there is not risk of selecting the wrong one.

Thanks again for your time and trouble.

Ed

You are welcome, Ed.
Hope the reinstall works for you.