Exporting an address book

If you want to keep your address book safe and sound, you can save a copy of it as a text file on your computer or wherever else you backup your files. It’s a good idea to do this, because if you need to rebuild your computer, you can simply re-import it after your computer is restored.

Click here for a list of programs supported for export from Outlook Express.

To export your Outlook Express address book to a text file:

1. Click on the File menu.
2. Select the Export option to display a sub-menu.
3. Click on Address Book. The Address Book Export Tool window displays.
4. Highlight the Text File option, and then click on the Export button. A new CSV Export window displays.
5. Click on the Browse button, and a new Save As window displays. Use this window to locate the folder into which you want to store your backup copy of the Address Book.
6. Type in a name for the backup copy (e.g. backup_address_book) in the File Name box.
7. Click on the Save button. The window titled CSV Export reappears.
8. Click on the Next button. You are prompted to select which Address Book fields you want to export. If in doubt, select them all.
9. Click on the Finish button. A confirmation window appears, advising the export process was successful.
10. Click OK to dismiss the confirmation window.
11. Click Close to dismiss the Address Book Export Tool window.

Restoring an exported address book

To import the backup copy of your address book back into Outlook Express:

1. Click on the File menu.
2. Select the Import option to display a sub-menu.
3. Click on Other Address Book. The Address Book Import Tool window displays.
4. Highlight the Text File option, and then click on the Import button. A new CSV Import window displays.
5. Click on the Browse button. A new window displays.
6. Locate the backup file that you created (e.g. backup_address_book). It will have a .csv extension).
7. Highlight the file by clicking on its name.
8. Click the Open button. The window titled CSV Import redisplays.
9. Click on the Next button.
10. You are prompted to select which address book fields you want to import. If in doubt, select them all.
11. Click on the Finish button. A confirmation window appears, advising the import process was successful.
12. Click OK to dismiss the confirmation window.
13. Click Close to dismiss the Address Book Import Tool window.