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How to import addresses from Outlook Express to Outlook

Article ID: 196215 - View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q196215

SUMMARY

Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express are different programs with different capabilities, although both can send to and receive e-mail from the Internet. There are two ways to share contact information between these two programs. If, during Outlook Active Setup, you choose to upgrade a program that uses the Windows Address Book, Setup will do a silent conversion of the address entries to the Contact format used by Outlook.

If you choose not to convert during Setup, you may do so later using the Import and Export Wizard. Outlook provides a tool to assist you in converting Windows Address Book (WAB) information.

The Windows Address Book is used by the following products:

Microsoft Internet Mail and News
Microsoft Outlook Express
Microsoft Outlook 98 Internet Mail Only

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MORE INFORMATION

You can choose to store address information in two ways. You can store the information in your Windows Address Book (WAB) and export to Outlook. Or, you can select the option in Outlook Express to share contact information among Microsoft Outlook Internet Mail Only (IMO) installation.

Using the Outlook Import Export and Wizard

In Outlook, you can use the Import and Export Wizard as the interface for Address Book conversion. To convert a WAB file, follow these steps:

Start Outlook if it is not currently running.
On the File menu, click Import and Export.
Select Import Internet Mail and Addresses, and then click Next.
Select Outlook Express 4.x, 5 from the list, and then click Next.
Select the product for which you wish to convert items from the list, and then click Next.
Select any combination of the Mail or Addresses from the items listed.

NOTE: With the exception of rules conversion from Outlook Express, the steps to convert addresses is the same.
Click Next.
Select a destination for the imported address data. The destination depends on the type of Outlook installation you selected initially.
1. The Internet Mail Only installation of Outlook 98 allows only the Contacts folder as the destination.
2. The Corporate or Workgroup option allows the options of Personal Address Book or Outlook Contacts.
Select the appropriate duplicate items option. Click Finish to complete the import.

Share Outlook Contacts with Outlook Express

You can share Outlook contacts with Outlook Express if you have the Internet Mail Only option of Outlook installed. The option to do this is in a feature of the Windows Address Book.

On the Start menu, click Run. In the Open box type Wab, and then click OK.
On the Address Book Tools menu, click Options.
Select Share contact information among Microsoft Outlook and other applications, click OK, and then close the address book.
Quit and restart Outlook Express for the changes to take effect.

You can now use the Outlook contact list in both applications.

Drag Address Information to Outlook

It is possible to move individual or groups of WAB entries to Outlook by dragging them. To do this, follow these steps:

On the Start menu, point to Find, and then click Files And Folders. In the Open box type *.wab, and then click OK. Double-click the WAB file from which you wish to move addresses. Open Outlook if it is not already open.
Resize Outlook so that the WAB and Outlook are visible next to each other on the screen. Ensure that the Outlook Contacts folder is visible in the resized Outlook window.
Select an entry from the WAB. Drag it to the Contacts folder. A new Outlook Contact form will be created with the information from the WAB entry. Click Save and close.

NOTE: Press SHIFT and select contiguous groups of entries or press CTRL and select non-contiguous entries. You may want to do this for selected Contacts or small groups.

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