missing email addresses

Question

Where are my email addresses that used to be in Contacts?

Answer 1

Dear Ellen Kesler,  

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Community. I understand you're experiencing an issue where your email addresses that used to be in Contacts are missing. I am happy to assist you with that.  

Here is a clear approach to help you understand your options:  

Please kindly follow these steps to fix the issue:  

Step 1: Check the Deleted Items Folder  

• Open Outlook and go to the People view (Contacts).  
• In the navigation pane, select Deleted.  
• Look for the missing contacts.     
• If you find them, right-click the contact and select Restore.  
• For further guidance please refer to : Learn how to restore deleted contacts[1].  

Step 2: Recover Contacts Removed from Deleted Folder  

• If the contacts are not in the Deleted folder, check the Recoverable Items folder:  
• In Outlook, go to Deleted Items.  
• Select Recover items deleted from this folder (in the toolbar).  
• Choose the contacts you want to restore and click Restore Selected Items.

Step 3: Verify Contacts Folder and Address Book Settings  

Ensure your Contacts folder is set as an Outlook Address Book:  

Right-click the Contacts folder > Properties.  

• Go to the Outlook Address Book tab and check Show this folder as an email Address Book.  
• Guide here[2].  

Step 4: Check for Sync Issues  

If you use Outlook.com or Microsoft 365, ensure your account is syncing properly:  

Sign in to Outlook on the web and check if contacts appear there.  

If they do, the issue may be local; try restarting Outlook or clearing the cache.  

I hope these steps help you resolve the problem. If you require additional guidance, feel free to reply to this thread and I’ll be happy to assist you.  

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Warm Regards