Contacts dissappeared after automatic update

[Claire]

Please help me find all my contacts that are no longer in my address book. I
don't know how to stop automatic updates and after one, I tried to open
Outlook and got message that it was preparing it for first use!!! Now my
contacts are gone. Please explain what to do next. Thank you so much.

Claire From Texas

 

[Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert]

Please help me find all my contacts that are no longer in my address book. I
don't know how to stop automatic updates and after one, I tried to open
Outlook and got message that it was preparing it for first use!!! Now my
contacts are gone. Please explain what to do next. Thank you so much.

Claire From Texas

You are logged into an alternate Outlook profile.

Two things could have happened:

1. You might be logged into a different Windows profile

Are all the files still in your My Documents folder? If yes, you are
probably in the right profile. If not, then you are logged in as a new
user into Windows. You can ask for help with that in a group dedicated
to Windows support as it is not an Outlook question.

None of the information that follows after this point applies to you.

2. You might be logged into your existing Windows profile, but not into
your original Outlook profile.

Go to Control Panel, select classic view, double-click Mail. Now click
on Show Profiles.

What do you see?

If there is more than one profile listed, select the option "Prompt for
a profile to be used". Now try to start Outlook and select a different
profile.

If only one profile is listed or none of the profiles bring back your
data, then your Outlook profile became corrupt and Outlook created a new
one. Your data is likely to be safe. Click on File -> Open -> Outlook
Data File and see if it shows your data. The file is normally named
Outlook or Outlook.pst (if you have file extensions display enabled).
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you

 

[Russ Valentine]

Automatic update of what?
Are your Contacts missing from your Contacts folder or just the address book
view of your Contacts Folder?
Any messages when you first start Outlook? Which version is it?

 

[Claire]

--
Claire From Texas

Automatic update of what?

I don't know. Frequently as I shut down the messages appear to not turn cpt
off... as updates are being installed. I don't know how to stop this.

Are your Contacts missing from your Contacts folder or just the address book
view of your Contacts Folder?

Both have no entries.

Any messages when you first start Outlook? Which version is it?

Outlook 2007- part of Office Sm Business 2007
Whatever happened caused a duplicate set of my folders to be created. Both
sets are receiving any new mail that arrives. Both sets contain all old data
as well.

I have not lost any of My Documents...so it must not be a Windows issue.

Your help will be greatly appreciated in restoring my address book and
contacts.

Thanks.....Claire

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]]

I don't know. Frequently as I shut down the messages appear to not turn cpt
off... as updates are being installed. I don't know how to stop this.

Modify the Windows Update settings in Control Panel so that updates atren't
installed automatically without your approval.

Outlook 2007- part of Office Sm Business 2007
Whatever happened caused a duplicate set of my folders to be created. Both
sets are receiving any new mail that arrives. Both sets contain all old data
as well.

Sounds like a corrupt mail profile, often caused by importing or by copying
one PST over the top of another with the same name. Create a new mail
profile.
http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/newprofile.htm

 

[Russ Valentine]

Somehow, your Outlook profile has become corrupted and you have duplicate
data files. I doubt automatic updates has anything to do with this.
Is it your contention that both of these data files contain your email but
neither of these data files contains any Contacts? That would be
inexplicable from what you've told us so far.
If you simply have duplicate Outlook data files, you will need to create a
new Outlook profile from scratch to fix the problem. Make sure you know the
name and location of your Outlook data file before you do, then connect the
new profile to it.

 

[Claire]

Could my contacts and address book entries have been removed when I deleted
the Accounting program of Microsoft Office..small business accounting?

 

[Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert]

Could my contacts and address book entries have been removed when I deleted
the Accounting program of Microsoft Office..small business accounting?

That would potentially affect BCM as it can be linked with Accounting,
but I don't think so.
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you