Can't use Contacts in Contacts folder

After many hours reinstalling Vista Home Premium and my many applications,
I've run into a snag. Suddenly my Contacts don’t work. I can’t use them via
Outlook or even Windows Mail.

My Contacts folder disappeared. So I recreated it. When I try to add a new
Contact directly in the Contacts folder, the data window appears and
disappears quickly.

I can’t import those Contacts into Mail. I just get a blank dialog box.

I created a new account, logged out and in, and found a new Contacts folder
for that user. But I see the same problem there.

I also copied Contacts from my other Vista laptop into this one. I see the
contacts, but I can’t edit them.

Leads me to believe that the Vista application that manages Contacts is
kaput. I can’t find any reference to this problem in the KB or anywhere
else. Just references to creating Contact Groups.

Right now I’m DOA for sending out email from my Vista machine. I like email
and I want it back!

Thanks much for any help.

Outlook doesnt use the Mail Contacts

"BruceBr" <BruceBr@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0F8B7116-AAB9-4BAF-8110-88820F648DAC@microsoft.com...
> After many hours reinstalling Vista Home Premium and my many applications,
> I've run into a snag. Suddenly my Contacts don't work. I can't use them
> via
> Outlook or even Windows Mail.
>
> My Contacts folder disappeared. So I recreated it. When I try to add a
> new
> Contact directly in the Contacts folder, the data window appears and
> disappears quickly.
>
> I can't import those Contacts into Mail. I just get a blank dialog box.
>
> I created a new account, logged out and in, and found a new Contacts
> folder
> for that user. But I see the same problem there.
>
> I also copied Contacts from my other Vista laptop into this one. I see
> the
> contacts, but I can't edit them.
>
> Leads me to believe that the Vista application that manages Contacts is
> kaput. I can't find any reference to this problem in the KB or anywhere
> else. Just references to creating Contact Groups.
>
> Right now I'm DOA for sending out email from my Vista machine. I like
> email
> and I want it back!
>
> Thanks much for any help.
>

True enough. But apparently it looks for an Address Book and uses those
Contacts for email lookup. Before I reinstalled Vista, I exported my Outlook
contacts and imported them as Vista Contacts. Then I could look up those
email addresses in Outlook2000.

All I know is it was working this time too until today. Now Contacts
doesn't work even in the Contacts folder. And Outlook2000 won't send out an
email with a valid address since Contacts broke down.

BTW, I used a Restore point prior to the last email I sent out successfully.
Restore worked fine. But Contacts still doesn't work. Something broke in
Vista Contacts. Can't say what tho.

"DL" wrote:

> Outlook doesnt use the Mail Contacts
>

"BruceBr" <BruceBr@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0F8B7116-AAB9-4BAF-8110-88820F648DAC@microsoft.com...
> After many hours reinstalling Vista Home Premium and my many applications,
> I've run into a snag. Suddenly my Contacts don’t work. I can’t use them
> via
> Outlook or even Windows Mail.
>
> My Contacts folder disappeared. So I recreated it. When I try to add a
> new
> Contact directly in the Contacts folder, the data window appears and
> disappears quickly.
>
> I can’t import those Contacts into Mail. I just get a blank dialog box.
>
> I created a new account, logged out and in, and found a new Contacts
> folder
> for that user. But I see the same problem there.
>
> I also copied Contacts from my other Vista laptop into this one. I see
> the
> contacts, but I can’t edit them.
>
> Leads me to believe that the Vista application that manages Contacts is
> kaput. I can’t find any reference to this problem in the KB or anywhere
> else. Just references to creating Contact Groups.
>
> Right now I’m DOA for sending out email from my Vista machine. I like
> email
> and I want it back!
>
> Thanks much for any help.
>

Open the Contacts folder.
Right click a blank spot on the right.
Choose Properties.
Make sure the box at the top says Contacts.

--
Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM
Do not reply with email

"Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM" wrote:

> Open the Contacts folder.
> Right click a blank spot on the right.
> Choose Properties.
> Make sure the box at the top says Contacts.
>
> --
> Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM
> Do not reply with email
>
Thanks Frank. I should have said that I already tried this. Sometimes the
Contacts format appeared and other times it didn't. Even when it did, I
couldn't open or add a contact.

Solution tho!
After running Restore to a point before the problem with no results, I
downloaded the Vista SP1 updates - basically returning my system to the same
SP1 version. The problem disappeared! Working OK now. Go figure.

So now I plan to create an Image of the working C drive. Which I had
planned today when this porblem appeared.

Thanks Frank and DL for your help.

Bruce

You have Outlook 2000 installed on your Vista computer?
Outlook 2000 is not Vista compatible. It causes significant conflict with
Vista's contacts.

--
Gary VanderMolen, MS-MVP (Mail)


"BruceBr" <BruceBr@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:6B9DBBAE-90A9-4386-ACAE-7483034D0C6F@microsoft.com...
> True enough. But apparently it looks for an Address Book and uses those
> Contacts for email lookup. Before I reinstalled Vista, I exported my Outlook
> contacts and imported them as Vista Contacts. Then I could look up those
> email addresses in Outlook2000.
>
> All I know is it was working this time too until today. Now Contacts
> doesn't work even in the Contacts folder. And Outlook2000 won't send out an
> email with a valid address since Contacts broke down.
>
> BTW, I used a Restore point prior to the last email I sent out successfully.
> Restore worked fine. But Contacts still doesn't work. Something broke in
> Vista Contacts. Can't say what tho.
>
> "DL" wrote:
>
>> Outlook doesnt use the Mail Contacts
>>
>