How do you enabled your contacts folder as an address book?

[Gordon]

Diane, you wrote: Go to Tools | Email Accounts, choose View or change
existing directories or

I'm using VISTA and Outlook 2007

As in Diane's post - with 2007 you need to create a new Mail Profile. Do
Control Panel-Mail-Show Profiles-Add.

 

[Two Collie Tom]

I have the same problem, but unfortunately I don'tunderstand the answser that
is given here. I'm unsure what yoiu mean by the "contacts bar" and the "New
Group" I'm not sure where to find these items. I'd appreciate it if you
could be a bit more specific as to how to find the particular
screens/items/etc. that you mention here, as I can't find any other
references to this problem in any of the Microsoft help files (which I find
particularly frustrating since they have changed them in Office 2007 and
Vista.)

Thanks.

 

[msbatty]

I am having the exact same problem. If you hear of a fix please let me know.

Boy, I have gone through every one of these posts, tried every suggestion
which each time just takes me back to a grayed-out, unaccessible Outlook
Address Book, and gets me no way to use my contacts. Has anyone had any
luck???

Hi Diane, How do I make a new profile?? I've been working for hours and had
a computer programmer friend work for an hour on trying to get my address
book but still nothing! It's so frustrating. Thanks,
Linda

Since you are using Outlook 2007, you'll need to make a new profile to fix -
see the last line.

---
If you have Contacts in the Contacts folder but they are not accessible when
you click on the To button, check these settings:

Make sure the Contact folder is enabled as an email address book. Right
click the Contacts folder, choose Properties then Outlook Address Book. Is
the box to enable as email address book is checked?

If this is grayed out...

Go to Tools | Email Accounts, choose View or change existing directories or
address book. Is the Outlook Address Book present? If it isn't listed, add
it and close and restart Outlook. If it is listed, then remove it and close
then restart Outlook and repeat these steps to add it.

==> If you are using Outlook 2007 and the the checkbox is grayed, you'll
need to make a new profile as you can't add the Outlook Address Book service
due to a bug.
---

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.


I am using Vista and Office 2007, too. I had the grayed out box for "Show
this folder as the email address book". I tried your suggestion of
overwriting Contacts, but the computer won't let me delete or overwrite
"Contacts". So, I have a bunch of names in my contacts but no way to
access
them from an address book. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Beth

:

That grayed out box happened in my case also. I have a vista, Office
2007
and i was trapped with only a contact lis. I solved this issue by right
clicking on the Contacts bar, right above New Group,got the properties
option, clicked on the Addree Book tab and overwrote Contacts with
Address
book. Done, now my formerly Contacts list is all in my Address Book.
:

IanRoy,

I am using Word 2000 and Outlook 2000.
I did right click on Contacts and thenon Properties.
I get the Contacts Properties box and I then click on Outlook Address
Book
tab and at the top it says Contacts and there is a check mark in the
box next
to the wording:
"Show this folder as the email address book" but the box and check mark
is
grayed out.

Any other suggestions as to why I cannot access the address book when I
use
th Word program and use Send to Email Recipient function ?

Thanks,
Paul



:

Hi, Paul;

I am using Outlook 2003. However, I have a tutorial for Outlook 2000,
and
that shows "Folder" as one of the items in the File menu for the
Inbox for
that version. My tutorial doesn't show the file menu for the Contacts
folder,
so I am not sure "Folder" is there also, but I would have expected
it. If you
are using personalized menus, did you wait for the full menu to
appear?

Another way: If right-clicking Contacts in the Outlook Bar desn't
give you a
"Properties" option, open the folder list (from the View Menu in
Outlook
2000). Then right click the Contacts folder on that list, and choose
Properties. I don't know what you will see when you get there, but
that is
where I'd look.

If you are not using Word 2000, you may not get this function to work
with
Outlook 2000. I am not sure, but they may have to be the same
version/year.

Regards,
Ian.

:

IanRoy,

It was a longer hal time show so I went to try what you suggested.

I am using Oulook 2000 - I can't find any of the items you are
mentioning.

I click on File, but I don't see Folder and thenI can't go any
further.

Are you using Outlook 2003 ?

Please let me know.

Thaank you,
Paul

 

[Gordon]

I am having the exact same problem. If you hear of a fix please let me
know.

So creating a new Outlook Profile and adding the pst file to it (NOT
importing) doesn't work?

 

[msbatty]

Thanks
That has fixed the problem

So creating a new Outlook Profile and adding the pst file to it (NOT
importing) doesn't work?

 

[Don Smith]

Can you tell this was written by Micro. support?
It doesn't state specifrically what you see on the screen. It uses insider
language. Then, it leaves you hanging with the new profile thing at the end.
I have been trying to fix this since 2007. It is always the same thing from a
techy.

Since you are using Outlook 2007, you'll need to make a new profile to fix -
see the last line.

---
If you have Contacts in the Contacts folder but they are not accessible when
you click on the To button, check these settings:

Make sure the Contact folder is enabled as an email address book. Right
click the Contacts folder, choose Properties then Outlook Address Book. Is
the box to enable as email address book is checked?

If this is grayed out...

Go to Tools | Email Accounts, choose View or change existing directories or
address book. Is the Outlook Address Book present? If it isn't listed, add
it and close and restart Outlook. If it is listed, then remove it and close
then restart Outlook and repeat these steps to add it.

==> If you are using Outlook 2007 and the the checkbox is grayed, you'll
need to make a new profile as you can't add the Outlook Address Book service
due to a bug.
---

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

I am using Vista and Office 2007, too. I had the grayed out box for "Show
this folder as the email address book". I tried your suggestion of
overwriting Contacts, but the computer won't let me delete or overwrite
"Contacts". So, I have a bunch of names in my contacts but no way to
access
them from an address book. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Beth

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Can you tell this was written by Micro. support?

It wasn't written by Microsoft Support. Diane doesn't work for Microsoft.
She's a user, just like yourself.

It doesn't state specifrically what you see on the screen. It uses insider
language. Then, it leaves you hanging with the new profile thing at the end.
I have been trying to fix this since 2007. It is always the same thing from
a
techy.

Give me a break. You don't need to see what's on the screen if you follow the
instructions she gave. They'll work. They've worked for hundreds to
thousands of other non-techies. Don't be so timid.

 

[Don Smith]

I have tried the tutorial. Video was helpful except for a couple of things.
When I go to Outlook (pinned to my start menu, in the program section of my
start menu, or on the desktop) and right click, my pop-up menu does not look
like yours. I get a properties box for the link, not the program. I went to
the Control Panel and cannot find a mail icon. I do not know where it went. I
remember one used to be there, but that may be XP or before. I see no way of
getting to my mail settings or the dialogue box to create a new profile.
This is intractable.

see http://www.slipstick.com/Tutorials/profile/profile.htm

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

Hi Diane, How do I make a new profile?? I've been working for hours and
had
a computer programmer friend work for an hour on trying to get my address
book but still nothing! It's so frustrating. Thanks,
Linda

Since you are using Outlook 2007, you'll need to make a new profile to
fix -
see the last line.

---
If you have Contacts in the Contacts folder but they are not accessible
when
you click on the To button, check these settings:

Make sure the Contact folder is enabled as an email address book. Right
click the Contacts folder, choose Properties then Outlook Address Book.
Is
the box to enable as email address book is checked?

If this is grayed out...

Go to Tools | Email Accounts, choose View or change existing directories
or
address book. Is the Outlook Address Book present? If it isn't listed,
add
it and close and restart Outlook. If it is listed, then remove it and
close
then restart Outlook and repeat these steps to add it.

==> If you are using Outlook 2007 and the the checkbox is grayed, you'll
need to make a new profile as you can't add the Outlook Address Book
service
due to a bug.
---

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point
your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.


I am using Vista and Office 2007, too. I had the grayed out box for
"Show
this folder as the email address book". I tried your suggestion of
overwriting Contacts, but the computer won't let me delete or overwrite
"Contacts". So, I have a bunch of names in my contacts but no way to
access
them from an address book. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Beth

:

That grayed out box happened in my case also. I have a vista, Office
2007
and i was trapped with only a contact lis. I solved this issue by
right
clicking on the Contacts bar, right above New Group,got the properties
option, clicked on the Addree Book tab and overwrote Contacts with
Address
book. Done, now my formerly Contacts list is all in my Address Book.
:

IanRoy,

I am using Word 2000 and Outlook 2000.
I did right click on Contacts and thenon Properties.
I get the Contacts Properties box and I then click on Outlook
Address
Book
tab and at the top it says Contacts and there is a check mark in the
box next
to the wording:
"Show this folder as the email address book" but the box and check
mark
is
grayed out.

Any other suggestions as to why I cannot access the address book
when I
use
th Word program and use Send to Email Recipient function ?

Thanks,
Paul



:

Hi, Paul;

I am using Outlook 2003. However, I have a tutorial for Outlook
2000,
and
that shows "Folder" as one of the items in the File menu for the
Inbox for
that version. My tutorial doesn't show the file menu for the
Contacts
folder,
so I am not sure "Folder" is there also, but I would have expected
it. If you
are using personalized menus, did you wait for the full menu to
appear?

Another way: If right-clicking Contacts in the Outlook Bar desn't
give you a
"Properties" option, open the folder list (from the View Menu in
Outlook
2000). Then right click the Contacts folder on that list, and
choose
Properties. I don't know what you will see when you get there, but
that is
where I'd look.

If you are not using Word 2000, you may not get this function to
work
with
Outlook 2000. I am not sure, but they may have to be the same
version/year.

Regards,
Ian.

:

IanRoy,

It was a longer hal time show so I went to try what you
suggested.

I am using Oulook 2000 - I can't find any of the items you are
mentioning.

I click on File, but I don't see Folder and thenI can't go any
further.

Are you using Outlook 2003 ?

Please let me know.

Thaank you,
Paul

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

I went to the Control Panel and cannot find a mail icon. I do not know where
it went.

If you're using a 64 bit version of Windows, you must use enable viewing the
32 bit Control Panels in order to see the Mail applet.

 

[Jeremy]

I have read and tried everything here but no luck.

My position is:
New PC with Windows 7
Installed Outlook 2007
Used Windows easy transfer to transfer everything from old PC
Opened outllook on new PC and all mey emails are there
If i click the Contacts TAB I can see all my contacts
IF i create a new email and click TO, there are NO contacts shown
If i right click on contacts and click properties and outlook address book,
i cannot tick Show this folder........ because it is greyed out
I have tried going to tools, account settings and selecting address books
there it shows "outlook Address book" MAPI
If i click change the dialog does not list any address books
I can't remove it because remove is greued out
I can't create a new one becuas it says account or directory type already
exists !!

So bottom line, i can't use my contacts.

Any ideas?

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

My position is:
New PC with Windows 7
Installed Outlook 2007
Used Windows easy transfer to transfer everything from old PC
Opened outllook on new PC and all mey emails are there
If i click the Contacts TAB I can see all my contacts
IF i create a new email and click TO, there are NO contacts shown
If i right click on contacts and click properties and outlook address book,
i cannot tick Show this folder........ because it is greyed out
I have tried going to tools, account settings and selecting address books
there it shows "outlook Address book" MAPI
If i click change the dialog does not list any address books
I can't remove it because remove is greued out
I can't create a new one becuas it says account or directory type already
exists !!

So bottom line, i can't use my contacts.

Windows Easy Transfer breaks the mail profile created when you installed
Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2007 has a bug that won't let you repair the Outlook
Address Book service in a mail profile. You must create a new profile. It's
really quite easy. http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/newprofile.htm
Just point this profile at your existing PST and make it the default PST
before opening Outlook.

 

[Jeremy]

Thank you for your advice Brian. I tried this and still have the problem.

What I really want to do now, is remove outlook 2007 completely and start
again. uninstall does not remove it completely, because when i ran it after
re-installing it was still looking for my PST file.

So ...

1) how do i remove all traces of outlook 2007?
2) If i reinstall it, can i just copy the PST file from old PC to new PC
before starting outlook? Will that resolve it?

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Thank you for your advice Brian. I tried this and still have the problem.

Describe exactly what you did. It should have worked.

What I really want to do now, is remove outlook 2007 completely and start
again. uninstall does not remove it completely, because when i ran it after
re-installing it was still looking for my PST file.

Access to the PST is controlled vvia the mail profile, which is a registry
hive not touched by uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook. You need a new
profile and if Outlook is still trying to access an existing PST, then you did
NOT create a new profile.

1) how do i remove all traces of outlook 2007?

Use the Mail applet in Control Panel to delete the mail profile and make
Outlook "unavailable" in the Office installation wizard in Add/Remove
Programs. I'd probably try starting Outlook with the /firstrun command switch
before doing this, however.

2) If i reinstall it, can i just copy the PST file from old PC to new PC
before starting outlook? Will that resolve it?

No. Copying a PST doesn't tell Outlook how to access it. You must do that
yourself, either when creating a mail profile before running Outlook or by
using File>Open>Outlook Data File after configuring and running it the first
time.

 

[Jeremy]

I can't believe that moving from a Vista PC to a Windows 7 PC can be so
difficult. I am fairly experienced and would think things should get easier
not harder. All I wanted to do was replicate everything I had. So stupidly
(logically) I used Windows Easy transfer to transfer everything and it seemed
to work. I get all my settings, all my accounts (I have 10) and all my
emails. I can even see my contacts in Outlook if I look at the contacts
folder view. But when I want to send an email, clicking "TO" shows nothing !!

If this is a bug in Outlook, it must have been known for a long time, so why
don't Microsoft fix it ?? It ridiculous that something so simple doesn't
work and I am stuck not being able to use a new PC

Anyway i have now followed your instructions as follows and still no closer
to getting it working.

1) I removed the PST file
2) I created a new profile using MAIL in Control panel by clicking ADD
3) i then went through creating an email account (although these are already
setup)
4) I then clicked File Open and pointed to my old Outlook PST and all my
emails appeared again
5) I even removed the old PST file as instructed

And I am in the SAME position or worse again.

=I have all my emails
=I no longer have all my email accounts (i did have them before)
=All my contacts and sub-contact folders are shown in folder view
=If however I click Tools, Address book - it is blank !! Even if i click
the dropdown it shows nothing.

So, how do i migrate a perfect running Outlook 2007 from a Vista PC to a new
Windows 7 PC? Emails, rules, accounts and contacts?

thank you for your attention ffrom a very frustrated Jeremy

regards
Jeremy

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

I can't believe that moving from a Vista PC to a Windows 7 PC can be so
difficult. I am fairly experienced and would think things should get easier
not harder. All I wanted to do was replicate everything I had. So stupidly
(logically) I used Windows Easy transfer to transfer everything and it
seemed
to work. I get all my settings, all my accounts (I have 10) and all my
emails. I can even see my contacts in Outlook if I look at the contacts
folder view. But when I want to send an email, clicking "TO" shows nothing
!!

Windows Easy Transfer damages the mail profile. It has been a problem for WET
since it was introduced. Moreover, Outlook 2007 contains a bug that doesn't
allow you to fix the mail profile. Instead you must create a new one.

Anyway i have now followed your instructions as follows and still no closer
to getting it working.

1) I removed the PST file
2) I created a new profile using MAIL in Control panel by clicking ADD
3) i then went through creating an email account (although these are already
setup)
4) I then clicked File Open and pointed to my old Outlook PST and all my
emails appeared again
5) I even removed the old PST file as instructed

And I am in the SAME position or worse again.

The description of what you did sounds correct and it should have worked. I
myself would have added the PST using the Mail applet before opening Outlook.
I've never seen that fail, but there's a first time for everything, I suppose.

=I have all my emails
=I no longer have all my email accounts (i did have them before)
=All my contacts and sub-contact folders are shown in folder view
=If however I click Tools, Address book - it is blank !! Even if i click
the dropdown it shows nothing.

If you right-click the Contacts folder, choose Properties, then select the
Outlook Address Book tab, is the checkbox labeled "Show this folder as an
e-mail Address Book" still grayed out?

 

[Jeremy]

Thank you again. See below

Windows Easy Transfer damages the mail profile. It has been a problem for WET
since it was introduced. Moreover, Outlook 2007 contains a bug that doesn't
allow you to fix the mail profile. Instead you must create a new one.


The description of what you did sounds correct and it should have worked. I
myself would have added the PST using the Mail applet before opening Outlook.
I've never seen that fail, but there's a first time for everything, I suppose.

I will start again and try adding the PST file from the mail applet and let
you know

If you right-click the Contacts folder, choose Properties, then select the
Outlook Address Book tab, is the checkbox labeled "Show this folder as an
e-mail Address Book" still grayed out?
--

Yes, that is the frustrating part. I can see all my contacts listed in the
folder. When I right click and go to properties / Outlook Address book, I see

[ tick] Show folder as an email Address book (all greyed out)

Name of Address book
[Contacts ]

thanks again
Jeremy

Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

.

 

[Jeremy]

I have finally resolved this by repeating the advice many times in a
different order each and suddenly I got all my contacts. I lost all my
Account settings though, but at least I could enter them manually.

I can't advise anyone else how to resolve this because I don't know what I
eventually did.

The only advice i can give is NOT to use Windows Easy Transfer.

Thanks again Brian

Jeremy

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

I have finally resolved this by repeating the advice many times in a
different order each and suddenly I got all my contacts. I lost all my
Account settings though, but at least I could enter them manually.

I can't advise anyone else how to resolve this because I don't know what I
eventually did.

The only advice i can give is NOT to use Windows Easy Transfer.

Thanks again Brian

You're welcome. I'm glad you got it sorted. Why not post just how you solved
the propblem so that others may benefit from your experience?

 

[Jeremy]

Essentially I followed your instructions but i had to repeat them a number of
times in various orders. I think this is the way to do it:

1) Don't use Windows Easy Transfer
2) Install outlook 2007 and don't start it up
3) Use the Mail option in Control Panel to create a profile with one account
(I actually have 6)
4) Copy the PST file from your old PC to this one and place it in
\users\yourname\local\microsoft\outlook folder
5) Use Mail option 'Data files' to point to the PST file
6) Start Outlook and you should get your emails and contacts.
7) I lost all my accounts and had to re-enter these manually

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

4) Copy the PST file from your old PC to this one and place it in
\users\yourname\local\microsoft\outlook folder

Except for this, stop, what you posted should always work. There's nothing
special about the folder you name in this step, except that it's where Outlook
creates PSTs by default. I'd tend to use a folder more easily found, like
Documents\OutlookFiles, which I can create myself.