RESOLVED-Problems with Outlook contacts

[AlanHo]

I used to use Outlook XP and was able to share my contacts with Outlook

Express by the following registry mod :-

Go to HKCU\software\microsoft\WAB\WAB4. Add the DWORD value "UseOutlook" to

this key and set it to 1.

The trade off is that this change precludes you using identities in address

book and also stops you creating sub folders in the address book.

I have now installed Outlook 2003 and the registry mod no longer works.

Outlook help gives details on how to export Outlook contacts to Outlook

Express by first creating a Personal Address Book in outlook (pab file) and

then importing this pab file into Outlook Express.

However - I am unable to create a pab file that contains my contact

information - it is blank.

I am following this procedure :-....

In Outlook.......

Tools > Email Accounts > Add a new address book > Additional address book >

Personal address book > Type a file name in Name box > select "Last name" in

Show Names By > Quit and restart Outlook.

When I do this and (in Oulook) click on the address book menu item - the new

address book is shown in the drop down list but is blank - there are no

Email addresses. When I try to import the file into Outlook Express it is

not found.

Does anyone know what am I doing wrong ?

[Scarecrow Man]

Only thing I could find...

Officially, Outlook 2002/2003 and Outlook 2000 in Corporate/Workgroup mode do not support sharing of its contact data with Outlook Express, but there is a registry hack that works, at least with some versions of Outlook Express. Follow these steps:

1. Make a backup of your Windows registry.

2. Open the Registry Editor (regedit.exe or regedt32.exe).

3. Go to this registry key:

      HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB\WAB4

   

4. Add a new DWORD named UseOutlook (if it isn't already present), and set its value to 1.

Outlook Express will display the Contacts folder in the default delivery store (Exchange mailbox or Personal Folders .pst file) in Outlook. You cannot direct the WAB to a particular Contacts folder, except by changing the default store.

To turn off sharing, set the value for HKCU\Software\Microsoft\WAB\WAB4\UseOutlook to 0.

This is a valid registry entry for Outlook Express 5.0 and later versions. Outlook MVPs have tested it with Outlook 2003, Outlook 2002, and Outlook 2000 CW and OE 5.0 and 6.0 so far. Thanks to MVP Frank Saunders for pointing it out.

Note that this technique shares only contacts. Outlook Express cannot read information about Outlook distribution lists that might be stored in the Contacts folder.

Also note that when you use Outlook Express you'll see Outlook.exe running in Task Manager even if you don't have Outlook open.

Outlook stores everything as .pst files, and Outlook Express cannot read them.

I found these as well.

http://www.mailnavigator.com/reading_ms_ou..._pst_files.html

http://www.sitedeveloper.ws/tutorials/outlook.htm This is a back up page

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;en-us;q176267 This shows how to import from 2003 to express

I can't find anything about sharing them. May I ask why you want to share them? I find Outlook 2003 to do just about everything I need it to, and I've never liked Outlook Express. I use Thunderbird now, but that's a long story :P

[AlanHo]

Scarecrow Man

Thanks for your efforts - but in vain I am afraid.

As I said in my posting - the registry hack does not work now I have moved to Outlook 2003.

I have also carefully followed the procedure for making a personal address book in Outlook - but whilst the file is created - it appears to contain no contact details.

The reason I wanted to share contacts with OE is that I use Outlook for my Emails and newsreading but my wife prefers to use OE. Its a girly thing. She has now resigned herself to having to maintain her own address book. I can set up the initial one by the cumbersome chore of exporting Outlook contacts into a comma separated values file and importing this file into OE. (I think)

[AlanHo]

RESOLVED

Have now resolved the problem - managed to create a personal address book with all my contacts included and have imported the file into Outlook Express.

I had missed out a stage - previously I created a personal address book thinking that it would include all my contacts - it does not. You first create the file and then copy all or any of your contacts into it. :dummies:

[Scarecrow Man]

Yea, I've always had problems exporting things from Outlook to OE. Glad you figured it out for me. :P