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Outlook 2003 Contacts Problem

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andiandi

Technical User
Dec 30, 2004
7
US
I recently had my data moved to a new hard drive. We were unable to properly use Outlook afterwards, concerning the addressing of emails. We have reinstalled Office 2003, to no avail. We have backed up our .pst files to several locations.
When I am in Outlook, I click New, and a blank message appears for me to fill in. I click on To or CC or BCC and I get a warning box entitled Microsoft Office Outlook. It says "The address list could not be displayed. The Contacts folder associated with this address list could not be opened; it may have been moved or deleted, or you do not have permissions. For information on how to remove this folder from the Outlook address book, see Microsoft Office Outlook Help." (Firstly, I don't want to remove this folder, I just want access to it). I click OK, and another box opens up: "Select Names". In the upper right there is a drop down box labeled, "Show Names From The:" and when I click on the arrow, it has Outlook Address Book, four (yes, 4) separate Contacts, and Personal Address Book. If I click on Outlook Address Book, it says No Addresses in this Address Book, and if I click OK it brings me back to the blank message. If I click on Personal Address Book, there is nothing, and clicking OK brings me back to the blank message. If I click on the first, third, or fourth Contacts, I get the same lengthy error message as listed above. However, if I click on the second Contacts, I get a box titled Select Names, with all my contacts, including Distribution Groups (what I use a lot). (I have since run the Inbox repair utility and it is now the 4th "Contacts" folder that brings up the addresses). I also have "Contacts", and "Contacts in Personal Folders" under "Contacts", "My Contacts" in the upper left of the Outlook page. I would like to be able to do what I could before I transfered the information to my new hard drive: click on Outlook, click on New, or the arrow next to it to select New Mail Message, then when that opens, click on the To, BC, or CC and not get that long annoying message that requires me to take a long roundabout path to simply address an email. Thank you in advance, I know this is a tough one!
 
It seems that you have a bunch of blank contact containers. you'll have to delete them. Go to Tools -> Address Book. In the Address Book window, go to Tools -> Options. You will see a list of Contacts and you'll have to somehow figure out which one is the one with your contacts on it. Then, remove the extra ones. Make sure you choose the correct one in Show this address list first and Keep personal addresses in combo boxes.

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Y0u are the best; you have no idea how many people could not get this one. I have another related question, but I should start another thread. Thanks!!
 
One thing, though. When I click on Tools, Address Book, my contacts are listed. However, on the right side of that box there is a drop down list entitled: "Show Names From The:" and in it is: Outlook Address Book (which shows "no entries in this address book), Contacts, and Contacts. Clicking on the first Contacts gives me that long error message above, and clicking on OK just closes that long warning message. Clicking on the second one shows all my contacts. But then when I click on Tools, Options from that location, I still have two Contacts lists in both "Show This Address List First", and "Keep Personal Addresses in". I only have one Contacts listed in "When Sending Mail.....". I don't know how I would delete the empty one(s). And ideas, or should I just forget it? I have closed and reopened Outlook. Thank you.
 
That is indeed a strange problem...one that I haven't encountered before :) . Just a thought: Do you only have one Contacts folder in Outlook or do you have more than one? Sometimes, there could be multiple contact folder but only one is used.

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I have Contacts, and Contacts in Personal Folders.
Can't seem to delete Contacts in Personal Folders. Any suggestions? Thanks.
 
If the other contacts folder is not empty, delete or move the contents. Then Right-click on contacts folder name and then choose Properties. Go to Outlook Address Book tab and make sure Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book is unchecked. Then click OK. You should be able to delete Contacts now. If you still can't, at least the double entry in Address Book should not exist anymore.

2B||!2B
 
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