Exporting An Outlook Express Addressbook
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So, you want to move your Outlook Express addressbook
to a new computer, or make a back up file.
Having a backup file is always a good idea so that you can
replace your addressbook if it becomes damaged or lost. I would recommend
backing it up to removable media that can be stored away from your
computer. If you back up to the hard drive (usually "C" drive)
your back up can become corrupted or destroyed if you have hard drive
trouble. You can also import your addressbook easily into another computer
if you save it to a floppy or other removable storage media. See the
important note at the end of the page. There are two ways to export and
import addressbook files. You can use OE's proprietary WAB format
or use the text or CSV formats.
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Exporting as a WAB file
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| This first method is the easiest and probably the most
useful if you are an Outlook Express user. The screen shots are from
Outlook Express 6, but will also work in Outlook Express 5. (To
export to a text file or CSV, you will want to go here.) Open the
address book and choose "File", "Export..."
then over to "address book" to export in the WAB
format, which is proprietary to Outlook Express. This is an
excellent way of backing up your address book. Back up your
address book on a regular basis if you add entries frequently. The address
book is usually small enough to store on a floppy disk.
(Note: you may not have to open Outlook Express to do this. First check
for "Address book" along the path:
[Start]>[Programs]>[Accessories]..."Address book". If it's
not there, open Outlook Express and then open your address book). |
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| Next you will get a dialog box for exporting your address book, similar to the example shown. Save the file using the date
for the name, like the example shown (add_03042003.wab) and save it
to a folder or to a removable disk that can be stored in a safe place. The
example shows the book being saved on a floppy disk. It can also be saved
on a Zip disk, CD Rom, or other media. After the export is successfully
completed, you will get a dialog box that tells you so. Just click OK. |
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Importing Your WAB address book back into OE
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| If your address book becomes corrupted, deleted or otherwise
comes up missing, you can restore it by importing the dated WAB file. You
can also use this import feature to move your address book to a new
computer. To import it, choose "File", "Import"
"address book" (not "other address book), from either the
main OE or the address book menus. |
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| You will get a dialog box to select your address book file.
Navigate to the file and select it in the window. The "Look in:"
text entry box is used to navigate to the folder or drive where your address book
file is located. Click the down arrow and select your floppy
drive (A) if that is where you stored it. Highlight the file you want by
clicking on it and then click [Open]. Your address book will be imported
into Outlook Express. |
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One important note: If you are exporting to a CD
Rom and then importing it from there to another computer you should drag
the file onto your computer first, I'd suggest to your
"Desktop". Then right-click on it and check the properties.
It is usually set to "Read only", which will be unusable for
import. Just uncheck it and then follow the import steps.
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