OLEXP: Import of Text File Ignores Last Field

When you import data into Microsoft Outlook Express 5 using the Other Address Book option and data from a comma-separated values (.csv) text file, the last data field does not import.

The following example illustrates the behavior, where the first row of data is designated as a header row and the subsequent rows are address data: The comma between each element represents a delimiter. If you import this data using the Other Address Book option, the Windows Address Book (WAB) entries used to display Outlook Express contacts contain only the first name and last name.

Add a comma in the header row after the last element in the .csv file, and then import the file as a comma-seperated address book.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

Modifying the Comma-Separated Values File Using Excel

To successfully import the .csv data for use in the WAB:

1. In Microsoft Excel 97 or 2000, open the .csv file that contains the addresses.
2. In the first row, at the rightmost position, type Extra to add that item to the header row.
3. In the cell below the Extra field, type any character.
4. Click the fill handle at the lower right corner of the cell, and then drag down to the row that contains the last data record in the .csv file. Release the mouse. The character you typed in the second row under the Extra field is replicated as the last field in each record. If you use the example in the "Symptoms" section above, the file looks similar to the following:

   First name     Last name      E-mail address   Extra
   John           Doe            JD@microsoft.com    X
   Mary           Doe            MD@Microsoft.net    X
   						

   NOTE: Although your data may have more fields than this example, it is critical that you insert the Extra field in the rightmost position.
   
   
5. On the File menu, click Save As, and ensure that in the Save As Type list, CSV (Comma Delimited) is selected.
6. Start Outlook Express. On the File menu, click Import, and then click Other Address Book.
7. Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Import.
8. Click Browse to locate the .csv file you modified in the steps above, and then click Open. Click Next.
9. In CSV Import, ensure that the fields are mapped correctly to the Outlook Express fields. Click Finish. The expendable Extra field is ignored and the remaining data is imported correctly.

NOTE: If you do not have Excel, you can get the same result by opening the .csv file in a text editor such as Notepad or WordPad. Refer to the file structure included in the "Symptoms" section above. On the header row, add a comma and the word Extra, and then on each row of data add a comma and a text character. This produces the same result as adding the expendable column in the steps above.