Transfer address books between different email packages

Helpline Q&A Directory

How do I transfer my address book between Outlook, Outlook Express and Hotmail?

Although Microsoft owns Outlook, Outlook Express and Hotmail, it doesn't make it easy to share addresses between the three programs. The following tips should be of some help. See also tip Transfer Outlook Express' address book to a new PC.

Between Outlook and Outlook Express Tell Outlook Express to use Outlook's address book instead of its own. Select Tools, Address Book then Tools, Options in the Address Book dialog box. Check Share contact information among Microsoft Outlook and other applications. Click ok twice, then exit the Address Book and Outlook Express. The next time you open Outlook or Express, you'll have access to the address books in both programs.
Between Outlook Express and Hotmail You can synchronise your Express and Hotmail address books on Microsoft's server. Set up Outlook Express to access your Hotmail account. Select Tools, Accounts and click Add, Mail to start the Internet Connection Wizard. Enter your Hotmail address in the text box on the second page.

Once the account is set up, go to Outlook Express' address book and select Tools, Synchronize Now. If that option isn't there, select Tools, Options, check 'Do not share information' and click ok twice. Exit both the address book and Outlook Express and then reopen them. Now you can select Tools, Synchronize Now.
Between Outlook and Hotmail. Microsoft has made this difficult by not offering a direct link between the two programs, and by not permitting them to use the sharing technique available for both Outlook and Outlook Express. You can't synchronise Outlook and Hotmail address books directly, but you can use Outlook Express as a go-between. However, you can't use the sharing technique described above between Outlook and Outlook Express.

In Outlook, select File, Import and Export. On the first page of the Import and Export Wizard, select Export to a file. On the second page, select Comma Separated Values (Windows). If the wizard asks you to install a feature, you'll need your Office CD-ROM. On the third, select Contacts. On the fourth, name the file and then click Finish.

Go into Outlook Express' Address Book and select File, Import, Other Address Book. Select Text File (Comma Separated Values). Click the Import button to launch the CSV Import Wizard. To import the file you just created into Outlook, enter its name in the text box. Then refer to the preceding Between Outlook Express and Hotmail section for instructions on how to bring your Outlook email addresses into Hotmail.