OL98: (IMO) WAB Entries No Longer Available After Outlook Setup (192080)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Outlook 98
This article was previously published under Q192080


NOTE: These procedures only apply if you have installed Outlook with the Internet Mail Only option. To determine your installation type, click About Microsoft Outlook on the Help menu. If you have the Internet Mail Only option installed, you see "Internet Mail Only".

For information about the differences between Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express e-mail clients, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

257824 OL2000: Differences Between Outlook and Outlook Express

SYMPTOMS

After installing Microsoft Outlook 98, your Windows Address Book (WAB) entries are no longer available.

CAUSE

You are using a different profile or logon name than the one used when the WAB file was created, therefore the Outlook setup program cannot find a WAB file to convert to Outlook.

RESOLUTION

Find the old WAB file and manually export its entries and then import the WAB entries into Outlook.

MORE INFORMATION

When a WAB file is created it is given a name in the format:

<user name>.wab

The Active Setup program will attempt to find a WAB file with a name matching that of the current profile or logon name. If it finds a match it will give you the option of converting the WAB entries to Outlook contacts. If it does not find a match, no WAB entries are converted.

To recover your WAB entries you must find the old WAB file and export its entries to a comma-separated values (CSV) file. You can then import the CSV file into Outlook.

To Find and Export the WAB File

  1. Click the Start button, point to Find and click Files or Folders.
  2. In the Named field type, *.wab and click Find Now.
  3. Double-click the WAB file in the Search Results window to open the Address Book program. If more than one WAB file is listed use the file name, size, and date, to determine the correct file.
  4. On the File menu, point to Export and click Other Address Book.
  5. Click to select "Text File (Comma Separated Values)" and click Export.
  6. Type in a path and name for the file to be exported and then click Next.
  7. Click to select the fields you want to export and Click Finish, OK, and Close.

To Import the CSV File Into Outlook

  1. On the File menu, click Import and Export.
  2. Click to select "Import from another program of file", and click Next.
  3. Click to select "Comma Separated Values (Windows)" and click Next.
  4. Type or browse to the name of the new CSV file created above.
  5. Click to select the desired option for handling duplicate records and click Next.
  6. Click to select the folder into which you wish to import the database records, click Next and then click finish.

REFERENCES

For related information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

180197 OL98: How to Import Addresses from Outlook Express

188506 OL98: (IMO) Addresses Missing After Upgrade

189396 OL98: ErrMsg Windows Address Book is Missing

For information on mapping fields in Outlook, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

189181 OL98: How to Map Imported Files into Outlook Using Excel

182728 OL98: Field Mapping for Importing Not Available

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/21/2000
Keywords:kbprb KB192080
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