How to move your Outlook Express address book

Rumas · Jul 29, 2007

Copy Your Outlook Express Address Book: CSV

You can export data from your address book to a CSV file.

Steps:

Select File | Export | Address Book from the menu in Outlook Express (at the computer whose address book you want to copy).
Select Text File (Comma Separated Values).
Click on Export.
Save the exported address book with a meaningful name to a floppy disk, ZIP drive or something similar.
Click the Next button.
Select the fields you want to include in the exported Outlook Express address book.
Finally, click the Finish button.

Restore Your Outlook Express Address Book from the CSV File

Insert the storage medium with the copied Outlook Express address book into the computer that you want to copy the address book to.
Select File | Import | Other Address Book from the menu in Outlook Express.
Make sure Text File (Comma Separated Values) is selected.
Click Import.
Select Browse.
Locate the file you exported from the other computer.
Click Open.
Click Next.
Select the fields you want to import.
Click the Finish button.

Rumas · Jul 29, 2007

Alternatively you could just copy the file it self.

Here is how:

Select Tools | Address Book... from the menu in Outlook Express.
Choose Help | About Address Book from the address book's menu.
Highlight the path in the File: box, not including the file name.
- If the complete string under File: is "C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\user_name.wab", for example, highlight "C:\and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\".
- If your "About Address Book" does not show a File: box, select Run... from the Start menu.
- Type "regedit".
- Click OK.
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB\WAB4\Wab File Name.
- Highlight the path of the Default key as above.
Press Ctrl-C.
Click OK.
Select Run... from the Start menu.
Press Ctrl-V.
Click OK.
Click on your address book file — the file name in the File: box above; it typically carries your user name — with the right mouse button.
Select Copy from the context menu.
Open the folder where you want to put the backup copy in Windows Explorer.
Select Edit | Paste from the menu.