Board index » Outlook » what is the difference between a ".wab", the "contacts" folder, and a "personal address book"

Outlook686
I am migrating to Outlook from Outlook Express.



All my current contacts are in an OE6 "wab". I have successfully imported

them into Outlook. I just don't really understand the what and why of the

existence of a Contacts folder *and* a "personal address book" file for

Outlook. Why are these two features different? What is the consequence of

using either one or both?



TIA

albert


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The Windows Address Book is an operating system address book utility that

stores its information in a *.wab file. It is the Address Book used by

Outlook Express but is separate from Outlook unless specifically configured

to share with Outlook (see below).



The Outlook Address Book is a service within Outlook that displays the

contents of the Contacts Folder. There is no actual data in the Outlook

Address Book. Rather, the information it displays resides in Outlook's

information store (i.e., the *.pst file or on an Exchange mailbox). In

Outlook 98/2000 Corp/Workgroup mode and in Outlook 2002, the OAB is uses the

MAPI engine to show the Contacts Folder. In Outlook 98/2000 the "Internet

Mail Only" mode, the Outlook Address Book Service uses the Windows Address

Book engine to display the Contacts Folder--so it looks and behaves more

like the Windows Address Book than the Outlook Address Book and is missing

some of the features of the MAPI based OAB. When a using IMO mode of

Outlook, the Windows Address Book can be configured to show the Outlook

Contacts instead of the *.wab in Tools>Options. Also, in Corp/Workgroup

mode or in Outlook 2002, the WAB can be forced to show the Outlook Contacts

Folder by changing a registry setting

( http://www.slipstick.com/contacts/oeshare.htm). You could use that

technique to keep your Outlook Contacts Folder and Windows Address Book

synchronized.



The Personal Address Book is an older, largely outdated address book file in

which Outlook could also store information. It has been replaced by the

Outlook Address Book Service/Contacts Folder. Don't use it.



--

Russ Valentine

[MVP-Outlook]

"albert" <albert.h@nospam.net>wrote in message



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Russ,



Thank you for the clear explanation and tip about slipstick.com. Now I have

a much better idea as to what's what and why.



albert





"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" <russval@mvps.org>wrote in message

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