Where are my Outlook contacts stored?

I ran into the same darn thing when I got the Upgraded Outlook. My contacts and calendar items did not auto import over. I use AOL for mail via IMAP and my calendar and contacts are in iCloud. It will not let me import or move over my iCloud data after my AOL Mail is up. Now, when I revert back to the old Windows mail interface on my PC, my contacts are ALL GONE. This is the worst migration to a new platform I've ever experienced.

Through a lot of work (mostly futile) and the intercession of the Great Spaghetti Monster, I recovered my contacts for Contacts and "Contacts (this computer only)".

Don't ask how.

Don't ask Microsoft (none of their "suggestions" accomplished anything.

Gook luck with the Great Spaghetti Monster.

Dear Karmen Wilharms,

Good day! Thank you for posting to Microsoft Community. We are happy to help you.

Based on your description, I understand that you have a query "Where are my Outlook contacts stored?"

Basically, the outlook contacts are typically found within the user's profile directory and are stored in a file called Outlook.pst on your computer; look for a file with a .oab extension which represents the Outlook Address Book and contains all the contacts. However, if you are using an Exchange account, your contacts may be stored on the server. To access your contacts from other devices, you can try syncing your Outlook account with your mobile device or accessing your account through the web using Outlook Web App. If you are unable to access your contacts or emails on your desktop, you may need to troubleshoot the issue or contact Microsoft support for further assistance.

Regarding the issue with Outlook not working on your desktop, there could be several reasons for this. It could be due to a corrupted Outlook profile, a problem with the Outlook data file, or an issue with the Outlook installation itself. To troubleshoot this issue, I would recommend trying to repair your Outlook installation using the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant tool. You can download it from the Microsoft website and follow the instructions to diagnose and fix any issues with Outlook.

I hope the above information will be helpful. Please feel free to let me know how it goes. I will keep assisting you based on the information you provide. We sincerely appreciate your patience and cooperation. Thanks for your precious time!

Sincerely,

De Paul | Microsoft Community Moderator

I had a bad hard drive crash. I have recovered Outlook 365 from a old backup. My contacts are in "Contacts" but Outlook wants to use "Contacts (This computer only)" which is empty.

I want Outlook to access my contacts (e.g. insert email addresses to emails).

I have searched online and have only found how to move/copy contacts from "Contacts (This computer only)" to "Contacts". The opposite of what I need to do.

Any suggestions? Can it be done?

Note: The same thing is true of "Notes" except I can manually access "Notes" while "Notes (This computer only)" is empty.

'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' !!!

If only microsoft could learn this simple lesson. There was nothing wrong with my contacts list until they decided to give us another dodgy update.

In all the years of using hotmail/outlook - no problem with locating / editing my contacts. Now, mysteriously hidden in the depths of settings, beyond the reach of my PC savvy.

NO helpfull solution offered by MS so what happens? We also abandon MS for a better operating system. I've now changed to Linux Mint and it's great. As easy to use as windows 7 or XP.

I currently cannot access my contacts from anywhere but my desktop computer at work. I'd like to be able to access them from the web so I can use other devices. When I put this question in the search bar, the conversation was from 2013, and I it said they are in a file called outlook.pst. I did a search for that on my computer and found nothing.

And as of yesterday, Outlook won't even work on my desktop, so I can't get any emails to go in or out. I'm so frustrated. I love Outlook, but I'm going to be forced to use something else here...

I have the same problem, Outlook keeps adding blank contact list and not recognizing my old files, I have had to creat duplicate files several time, only to find an update that removes all my information.