Exporting *all* contact data

[BobD]

I recently spent a couple of days merging a bunch of different address books
into Outlook 2007. I would like to make a csv backup of this data that is
usable in other applications, or to restore to outlook if my master copy gets
corrupted. Unfortunately, when I export contacts (File->Import and
Export->Export to a file->Comma Separated File (Windows)), the resulting csv
file is missing a lot of important data, for example the second and third
email addresses, and the name of the contact's spouse/partner. Moreover,
there is a real element of strangeness: the first data source I imported was
my wife's Christmas Card list (a csv file) which had a column "Sent08". Now,
every time I export my contacts from Outlook 2007, it creates a (blank)
column called "Sent08", even though I can see no reference to that in the
contact data.

How can I configure Outlook 20087 to do a full, clean export of my contact
data?

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

I recently spent a couple of days merging a bunch of different address books
into Outlook 2007. I would like to make a csv backup of this data that is
usable in other applications,

Certainly a legitimate use of export.

or to restore to outlook if my master copy gets corrupted.

Exporting is not the proper method of performing an Outlook backup. See this:
http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm

Unfortunately, when I export contacts (File->Import and
Export->Export to a file->Comma Separated File (Windows)), the resulting csv
file is missing a lot of important data, for example the second and third
email addresses, and the name of the contact's spouse/partner.

Did you reset the mapping to the default? Children and spouse fields are
definitely included as are all the mail addresses.

Moreover, there is a real element of strangeness: the first data source I
imported was
my wife's Christmas Card list (a csv file) which had a column "Sent08". Now,
every time I export my contacts from Outlook 2007, it creates a (blank)
column called "Sent08", even though I can see no reference to that in the
contact data.

Again, reset the mapping to default and see what happens.

 

[BobD]

Brian,

Thanks very much for this response. This machine is at home so I won't be
able to try this until this evening, but I do not recall any opportunities to
modify the mapping in the export dialog. Certainly I was able to manipulate
the mapping on import, and the program is in fact acting as if it is using my
custom import mapping on export. But I did not see a corresponding custom
mapping button on export. Am I missing something, either in my Outlook
install or possibly in my eyesight? Is there somewhere else to change this?
Do I need to use the import dialog to reset the mapping? Again, thanks for
your help.

 

[Karl Timmermans]

You would click on the same "Map Custom Fields" button for either import or
export to manually map the fields. If, during the export process, you click
on the <Map ustom Fields> button and see field names (in the right hand
listbox) that you're not expecting, then you have two buttons underneath
that listbox <Clear Map> & <Default Map>.

<Clear Map> clears the destination file listbox completely and allows you to
drag over whatever fields you want to export
<Default Map> will reset the mapping completely and should include all
fields that are exportable to be included. (BTW if you click on this option
and decide you don't want some of the fields - just drag the field in
question outside of the listbox and it'll be removed from the destination
file.

In reference to the <Sent08> field mentioned at the beginning of this
thread, that would occur <if> you selected the same file to export to as was
originally used for the file you imported (which contained the Sent08 field
name) and that field would be exported as an empty column since nothing was
mapped to it for export.

Final remark. As near and dear as import/export is to our hearts, it would
never be an approach we'd use for any kind of "backup purpose" if the
Outlook data is remotely considered the least bit important. Maintaining a
file in text/xls/or MS Access format for use by other programs is certainly
a legitimate purpose for exporting but at the same time, would always
recommend maintaining a current set of backups (on a very, very regular
basis) of all relevant Outlook files in tact. Having a viable backup means
the difference between recovering in a matter of minutes versus the
potential of spending endless hours getting back to some semblance or
normality or in a worst case scenario - losing it all and starting from
scratch.

Karl
___________________________________________________
Karl Timmermans - The Claxton Group
ContactGenie - Importer 1.3 / DataPorter 2.0 / Exporter
"Power contact importers/exporters for MS Outlook '2000/2007"
http://www.contactgenie.com

 

[Roady [MVP]]

You might want to use this freeware solution instead of Outlook's built-in
export function;
http://www.codetwo.com/freeware/outlook-export/

 

[BobD]

Yes, that was the problem; I'm just blind and i missed the mapping button on
the final dialog of the export process. Sorry to trouble everyone and thank
you for y'all's help.

 

[BobD]

Thanks, I'll take a look.

You might want to use this freeware solution instead of Outlook's built-in
export function;
http://www.codetwo.com/freeware/outlook-export/