Emails don't find contacts in restored Outlook

My hard drive burned up, so I replaced it, reinstalled, and imported
everything into Outlook. The contacts are there if you click contacts.
However, when sending emails, there is no way to connect to my contacts.
It's like they are invisible.

You never import Outlook data to restore it. You just open the Outlook data
file.
When you do, you will be able to configure your address book view to display
your Contacts the same way as always:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...Product=ol2002
--
Russ Valentine
"Mike Row Soft" wrote in message
...
My hard drive burned up, so I replaced it, reinstalled, and imported
everything into Outlook. The contacts are there if you click contacts.
However, when sending emails, there is no way to connect to my contacts.
It's like they are invisible.

I followed these instructions:

Step 2: Mark your contact folder for use with your address book
On the File menu, point to Folder, and then click Properties for your folder
name.
On the Outlook Address Book tab, click to select the Show this folder as an
e-mail address book check box, type a descriptive name, and then click OK.

"Show this folder" was already checked. When I am in my Inbox or an email I
am writing and I click the Address Book icon, it STILL says I have no Address
Book. A window pops up and I can choose between a useless, empty Contacts
and the second one, which works. All this is extremely time-consuming and
annoying. I need Outlook to go IMMEDIATELY to my Contacts without all this
confusion.

"Russ Valentine" wrote:

You never import Outlook data to restore it. You just open the Outlook data
file.
When you do, you will be able to configure your address book view to display
your Contacts the same way as always:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...Product=ol2002
--
Russ Valentine
"Mike Row Soft" wrote in message
...
My hard drive burned up, so I replaced it, reinstalled, and imported
everything into Outlook. The contacts are there if you click contacts.
However, when sending emails, there is no way to connect to my contacts.
It's like they are invisible.

.

"Mike Row Soft" wrote in message
...

"Show this folder" was already checked. When I am in my Inbox or an email I
am writing and I click the Address Book icon, it STILL says I have no
Address
Book. A window pops up and I can choose between a useless, empty Contacts
and the second one, which works. All this is extremely time-consuming and
annoying. I need Outlook to go IMMEDIATELY to my Contacts without all this
confusion.

You don't state yor Outlook version. For Outlook 2003 and 2002, click
ToolsE-mail AccountsView or change existing directories or address
booksNext. Select Outlook Address Book and click Change. Select the bogus
folder and click Remove. Close the dialogues, stop and restart Outlook.

For Outlook 2007, click ToolsAccount Settings and select the Address Book
tab. The rest is similar.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

It's Outlook 2003.

OK, so I went into Email Accounts/View or Change Existing Directories or
Address Books/Change. I see two options, both Contacts: Personal Folders.
Regardless of whether I choose the first or the second, I STILL get the error
message when I launch the Address Book from the Inbox or an open email.

"Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

"Mike Row Soft" wrote in message
...

"Show this folder" was already checked. When I am in my Inbox or an email I
am writing and I click the Address Book icon, it STILL says I have no
Address
Book. A window pops up and I can choose between a useless, empty Contacts
and the second one, which works. All this is extremely time-consuming and
annoying. I need Outlook to go IMMEDIATELY to my Contacts without all this
confusion.

You don't state yor Outlook version. For Outlook 2003 and 2002, click
ToolsE-mail AccountsView or change existing directories or address
booksNext. Select Outlook Address Book and click Change. Select the bogus
folder and click Remove. Close the dialogues, stop and restart Outlook.

For Outlook 2007, click ToolsAccount Settings and select the Address Book
tab. The rest is similar.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

.

"Mike Row Soft" wrote in message
...

OK, so I went into Email Accounts/View or Change Existing Directories or
Address Books/Change. I see two options, both Contacts: Personal Folders.
Regardless of whether I choose the first or the second, I STILL get the
error
message when I launch the Address Book from the Inbox or an open email.

Did you restart Outlook afterward? Remove them both, then stop and restart
Outlook. Then go back to the Contacts properties and reenable it as an
address book. The Address Book interface should be OK after that.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]