[notsosmart1]

Yesterday, I extended and installed the upgrade kit for TM PcCillin Internet Security 2007 (I already had the 2007 version without the upgrades). Today, I discovered that I had lost all contact information in OE's Address Book. Both OE and TM work fine.

My gut says the contact information is somewhere on hard drive, perhaps under different name and/or extension than ".WAB.

STEPS TAKEN - 1. I have searched for all .WAB files. No contact information was found.
2. In the Address Book, I went to "File", "Import", clicked on "MS Internet mail address book". A window opened asking I choose the ".ABC" file I wish to import. No ".ABC" files were found.
3. I searched for 'MS Internet mail address book". I found many files, some of which had address book in them. None had contact information. Interestingly, there were 2 Address book file with a ".MDB" extension. I tried to open them with Access. Message was these files are not WIN32 files. Also a couple of other files asked whether I wish to "Vcard" as my address book default file ?? (don't understand). I hit "No". The empty address book opened.

Any suggestions?

[Advertisements]

Files with extension .wab are hidden by default which means the 'search' tool won't find them unless you tell it to include hidden files in the search as follows;
1. Open the 'search' tool (Start->Search)
2. Choose "All files and folders"
3. click "More advanced options"
4. Tick the check-box "Search hidden files and folders"
5. Now type in your search criteria (*.wab) and click "Search".
6. Remember it's location. Open OE, File->Import->Address book. Navigate to the location given in the search result.

Edited by pip22, 04 March 2007 - 05:14 AM.

[pip22]

Files with extension .wab are hidden by default which means the 'search' tool won't find them unless you tell it to include hidden files in the search as follows;
1. Open the 'search' tool (Start->Search)
2. Choose "All files and folders"
3. click "More advanced options"
4. Tick the check-box "Search hidden files and folders"
5. Now type in your search criteria (*.wab) and click "Search".
6. Remember it's location. Open OE, File->Import->Address book. Navigate to the location given in the search result.

Edited by pip22, 04 March 2007 - 05:14 AM.

[notsosmart1]

Thanks for the response pip22.

I have already searched for the hidden .WAB files and found them. All my contacts were missing. So there's nothing from them I can import.

I read that Trend Micro can screw up both Outlook and OE. But I can't find what it may have done with contacts. I am looking for places that my contacts may have moved, like another file and/or different extension. Any way to do that?

[notsosmart1]

pip22 - one more thing. I don't know anything about Microsoft Exchange email server. Could the loss of my contacts have somehoe ended up there?

[pip22]

Sorry, I,ve never used exchange server and so I'm unable to help you there. What I can say with certainty, however, is that Microsoft Outlook is way better than OE from a maintenance and backup point of view. You just export one file as a backup and it contains all your messages and contacts. Import that and everything is back in place.

I fear on this occasion you will have to re-build your contacts list manually. When you've done that I would seriously consider an alternative email client.

[notsosmart1]

Thanks pip.

I have one more question. I have a registry backup that is 1 month old. Would it have my contact information? If so, how can I open it and save ONLY that string?

[notsosmart1]

Pip:

Just made an amazing discovery. My contact info. is on hard drive somewhere. I just searched for a contact thru OE, and hit properties. The contact info. appeared as though it is in my address book. Therefore the search function id finding the contacts. They are just not in the address book. HELP.