Outlook Express transfer of Contact Group List???

[ManDeJapan]

Hi Techies,

I was able to transfer my entire contact list from outlook express on one computer to outlook 2002 on another computer. The only thing that seems to be missing when I go in my address book on the new computer are the "contact group lists" that I created in outlook express. I have some lists with a lot of names so it would take a long time for me to go in and add each individual to a specific group list one by one.

Do any of you know how to do this? For example, I have a distribution list or contact group called Veterans in outlook express that has about 100 contacts in it. How would I transfer that group over to outlook 2002 on my new computer? Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Lord Evermore]

I'm not sure what format Outlook 2002 uses for its address book. But if it uses the .wab file extension, you should be able to just copy the entire address book file over and rename it to whatever the username is when you log into the new machine (delete the one that is there already). Outlook will use that file, which should include any groups. For some reason, it seems that the export process doesn't include that sort of thing.

If it doesn't use the .wab file, then you may be able to copy the file over, and then use Outlook's import function to bring in the entire contents of the old address book, including the groups.

 

[ManDeJapan]

Outlook 2002 uses the .pst format for address books. The way I transferred the addresses originally was by that second option that you suggested there. I think I saved the contacts from outlook express as a text file with commas between the names in the list (one of the saving options) and then once I brought that text file onto the new computer...I imported it into outlook 2002.

Have any other suggestions? Thanks for the help.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Yes, copy the .wab file directly and import it into Outlook. When you use Outlook Express to export to the .csv text format, it doesn't export everything. The .wab file does have everything in it, and Outlook may import the group lists from it which it can't get from the text file.

It's been a long time since I used Outlook, forgot about the .pst format for messages and addresses. In some ways it's better, but I also like the separate files for each Outlook Express folder, easier to manipulate.

 

[ManDeJapan]

Thanks for your help evermore. Here's what I ended up doing...

1. Found the .wab file from outlook express.
2. Copied it to the new computer.
3. Imported it into the outlook express on the new computer.
4. Then transferred from outlook express to outlook 2002 using the import function in outlook 2002 which allows you to import an entire address book from outlook express.

I had another quick question that you may know something about.

You know when you have addresses saved in your contacts or when someone emails you and then later if you want to email them, you just start typing the first part of their name and outlook uses an "auto complete" feature to guess what name/email address you're trying to put in?

For some reason that doesn't work on the new computer unless it's an email address or person that I've emailed before, or if they've emailed me. Do you know if there's a setting somewhere that you can set, so that it will use the auto complete feature for all of the contacts that you already have stored in your address book?

If anyone else has experience with this as well, I would appreciate your input.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Lord Evermore]

It does use auto-complete for all stored addresses. Most likely Outlook doesn't by default have the setting enabled that Outlook Express does, "Automatically put people I reply to in my Address Book". In OE, if you reply to someone's email, they're added to the address book, so if you usually reply to people once immediately from the email they just sent, then they're in your address book, but if you never replied before, then their address wouldn't autocomplete because it isn't in the address book. I don't know if Outlook even has that setting or something similar.