Import Contacts

[Mary G]

My contacts are in a folder in the backup from my old PC. Where should i transfer them to for ease ofaccess. Do I need Windows Contact Folder?

 

[wegmand]

If you use the Outlook program under Microsoft Office, you can put the .pst file just about anywhere and then open it with Outlook. I have my .pst file under My Documents.

 

[Mary G]

If you use the Outlook program under Microsoft Office, you can put the .pst file just about anywhere and then open it with Outlook. I have my .pst file under My Documents.

Thank s for your reply. I do not have Microsoft Office as Wordpad meets my needs. resent having to pay for office. There must be another way i can transfer from backup ?Any more ideas? confused by all the entries under Outlook.....
Mary G

 

[Trouble]

My contacts are in a folder in the backup from my old PC

Can you explain, which folder your "contacts" are in, in your backup? Do you have a similar folder in your current installation that matches your backup folder?
How did you formerly use these "contacts"? Within an email program" IF so.... which one? As a common rolodex for general information?
Some information in that regard might certainly prove helpful in a solution.

 

[davehc]

I am thinking you were using the contacts with a previous Email Program or address book.?

As Trouble asks. What was/were the programs, and how did you extract the contacts.

 

[Trouble]

I thought that the OP, might have been referencing the C:\Users\UserName\Contacts folder
Always wondered about that folder as mine never has anything in it but me.
After some further investigation it seems that a while back, in Vista..... Windows Mail actually used that folder and perhaps even Windows Live Mail.
SOURCE: http://freewindowsvistatutorials.co...FoldersWindowsExplorer/userProfileFolders.php

I excused myself from the whole Vista thing and only used Live Mail briefly as an experiment. Just like now.... I don't really use the "Mail" app or the associated "People" app. They're there and that's fine, I just choose to use the full Outlook product as my email program and have for many years.

The "Contacts" folder that is still present in Windows 10 at C:\Users\UserName\Contacts does have an import / export function which might be helpful if simply copying the contents of one into another doesn't work.
I'm not sure if that folder is still employed by any current Windows 10 default apps or applications.

 

[Mary G]

laptop

Can you explain, which folder your "contacts" are in, in your backup? Do you have a similar folder in your current installation that matches your backup folder?
How did you formerly use these "contacts"? Within an email program" IF so.... which one? As a common rolodex for general information?
Some information in that regard might certainly prove helpful in a solution.

sorry- lost the reply. The contacts are one of the folders in the back up thing on Lenovo Lap top which is Windows 10. I used contacts in Thunderbird on old dead PC- win Vista.
Mary G

 

[Trouble]

The contacts are one of the folders in the back up thing on Lenovo Lap top which is Windows 10

Have no idea what that "thing" might be, but....... can you open it and explore the contents, is there anything in it?

I used contacts in Thunderbird on old dead PC- win Vista

I was under the impression that "Thunderbird" stored its' "contacts" in a unique location.

Having never used "Vista" nor "Thunderbird" I'm afraid that I cannot be of much further assistance.
AND
Not knowing how you intend to use those "contacts" now..... in what program, I can only suggest that you attempt to export them from where ever they are into a CSV (comma separated value) file and then you might be able to import them into where you intend to use them now.

 

[davehc]

I thought that the OP, might have been referencing the C:\Users\UserName\Contacts folder
Always wondered about that folder as mine never has anything in it but me.
After some further investigation it seems that a while back, in Vista..... Windows Mail actually used that folder and perhaps even Windows Live Mail.
.

You are on the button. I was a keen user of WLM. But, if you are correct, the op will, I would guess, have to reinstall WLM temporarily at least, and export the contacts as a csv. Not too difficult in that case, just follow the cues. - Maybe the same procedure in Thunderbird.

 

[Grizzly]

Thunderbird stores the contacts in the Profile folder as a *.MAB file. Importing that is not possible in other email clients. The best thing is to install Thunderbird on your new computer and copy the old profile onto the new computer. You can store the profile anywhere you want to 9I have mine in the Document folder as a subfolder) then use the Profile manager of thunderbird to point in the right direction (where you stored the old profile). start Thunderbird and you have everything together again, emails and all....

 

[retired97]

If you move the Profile folder first from the old location to the new one (usually at c;\User\"user name"\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\) before installing Thunderbird, then Thunderbird will find and use the profile you just moved. Otherwise it will create a new different profile which makes the process more complicated.

 

[Tim Locke]

It isn't complicated. In tools -> account setting-> local directory just type the profile name as Retired97 suggests...even if t'bird has made a new profile, just ignore it.

 

[retired97]

It isn't complicated. In tools -> account setting-> local directory just type the profile name as Retired97 suggests...even if t'bird has made a new profile, just ignore it.

Not sure I agree because Thunderbird will open in the new profile and you are faced with using the profile manager to set up a link to the old profile and then when that is all set delete the new profile, a two step process. This can be avoided with first copying the old profile to the new hard drive or computer then Thunderbird sees an existing profile and points to it right away without creating a new one.

 

[Tim Locke]

OK but Thunderbird points to exactly one profile at a time...doesn't matter how many old/unused ones are lying around. I know I have at least 3, 2 of which are empty and the third one has been following me around since it was started on Linux 10 years ago!

 

[Grizzly]

I never had any problems with TB finding my profile. I have my profile in a document folder on drive D:\ . when I set up my PC again (fresh install) with all programs, TB automatically found my profile on drive 'D' and used it.