Microsoft Outlook email - Win XP/Outlook 2007 contacts don't appear in address book

Could some other MVP please pitch in here? Mr. Valentine seems to have gotten
so stuck on proving that I can't follow directions that he is incapable of
investigating this problem and either coming up with a solution or passing it
on to someone who can. As a representative of Microsoft, he really should
shift his focus off me and back to this problem, given the number of posts
here and on other boards indicating that it has occured for others.

In the first place, regardless of what I have done to correct this problem,
what is causing it to occur at all? I could start from scratch, wipe my hard
drive, reinstall everything, create and configure a new Windows user, etc.,
etc., etc., but all that time and effort would not guarantee that this
problem would never recur.

I repeat, just to drive this point home: None of the solutions, not even
starting all over, would guarantee that this problem would never recur.
Microsoft needs to fix the bug that is causing it in the first place.

In the second place, as I have stated repeatedly, I followed all the steps
given by Microsoft and Mr. Valentine *exactly*! And more than once! And with
a brand new PST file and brand new Contacts! "My steps" are no different than
the steps in the Microsoft articles or anything Mr. Valentine has provided!
Why should I repeat information that already exists? I have also performed my
own experiments, which I described below.

In the third place, I am not presuming that the problem is in the Registry.
All I ever said about the Registry is that Microsoft's solution will probably
involve some Registry key. What is so illogical about that when so many
Knowledge Base articles solve problems that way? Mr. Valentine seems to be
obsessing about a single remark as well.

This morning I noticed that the Check Names function works just fine,
somehow locating the names in my Contacts that the Address Book cannot locate.

Again, how about getting some other MVP to pitch in here?

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

I'm not automatically dismissing anything. It does seem illogical, however,
to assume that there is a problem in your registry when you are the only
person for whom resetting the Outlook Address Book Service correctly hasn't
worked so far. Your post is still short on critical detail.
You need to post the steps YOU used (not a copy of the article) and more
importantly how you migrated your data to a new profile for anyone to help.
Did you make sure your new Contact has a valid, resolved electronic address?
Did you make sure you created it in the same Contacts Folder that you chose
to display in the address book view?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Nellie Nobody" wrote in message
...
Automatically dismissing a problem as "end user error" is illogical. How
about considering the possibility that the end user knows what he or she
is doing and that the problem lies with the software?

I followed the steps *you* gave as well as the steps given in the articles I
linked below with great precision more than once to no avail. I could copy
and paste them here, but what would be the point of that?

As I have already stated, I ran Office Diagnostics and scanpst.exe with no
problems detected. I removed the old profile and created a new one. More
than once! When that didn't work, I uninstalled and reinstalled Outlook and
created yet another brand, spanking, new profile, creating a brand, spanking,
new PST file in the process. Just to test this problem using uncorrupted
data, I did not migrate any data from my old PST file into the new PST
file. Instead I created a brand new contact.

Exactly the same problem occurred. The brand new contact in the brand new
PST file in the brand new profile did not appear in the Address Book dialog
box even though Contacts did appear on the Address Book drop-down list.
The "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book" checkbox on the "Outlook
Address
Book" tab of the "Contacts Properties" dialog box was selected but grayed
out. The Remove icon on the Address Book tab of the Account Settings
dialog box was grayed out.

This morning I went yet another step further. I created a new user on this
computer, logged in as that user, and set up Outlook for that user.
Interestingly, I never had to tell Outlook to assign the Contacts folder
as the Outlook Address Book. Outlook did that automatically before I even
created any contacts. Once again, the "Show this folder as an e-mail
Address Book" checkbox on the "Outlook Address Book" tab of the "Contacts
Properties" dialog box was selected but grayed out. This time, the contact I
created did appear in the Address Book.

Could some other MVPs or knowledgeable end users pitch in here, too,
please?

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

No. You've done something wrong. This is end user error and has nothing
to
do with the registry. Unless you post the precise steps you used to
create
the new profile, migrate your data to it, and configure your address book
service, no one can help.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Nellie Nobody" wrote in message
...
I stated what I did! I performed all the steps in the articles whose
links
I
provided. Those steps did not work. I tried removing the address book.
That
did not work. I tried removing the profile and creating a new profile
and
that did not work. I tried using a completely new PST file and that did
not
work. When I created a new contact in the new PST file, I had the same
problem. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook. Not even that
worked.
I have a feeling that, until Microsoft comes up with an answer,
probably
involving some registry key, the only thing that would work would be
wiping
my hard drive and reinstalling everything. But, since this problem
appeared
out of the blue, not even that would guarantee it would never happen
again.

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

No one can help you when you don't post any information. State exactly
what
you did to correct the problem so we can see what you've done wrong.
When
you create a new profile correctly and migrate your data to this
profile
correctly you will be able to configure the address book view.
Instructions
for doing so are posted here daily. Just read them and follow them.
That
way
you can put yourself through your own runaround and save us the
trouble.
http://support.microsoft.com/default...roduct=out2003
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Nellie Nobody" wrote in
message
...
When I said I tried removing the old profile and creating a new one,
I
meant
it. It didn't help! Nothing helped!

This sounds like the same problem Dale1948 is having. Please don't
put
me
through the same run-around. I don't have nearly as much patience.

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

Suggest trying the only thing that would work: create a new
profile.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Nellie Nobody" Nellie wrote in
message
...
I am using Windows XP and Office 2007. After configuring my e-mail
account
and data files, I selected "Show this folder as an e-mail Address
Book"
on
the "Outlook Address Book" tab of the "Contacts Properties"
dialog
box.
My
contacts appeared in the "Address Book" dialog box just fine for
awhile.
Suddenly, for no discernable reason, they disappeared from that
dialog
box,
even though the contacts still exist. The "Show this folder as an
e-mail
Address Book" is still selected but grayed out. The steps in the
following
don't work:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ou...CL100626971033
and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287563. I have tried
everything,
including running Office Diagnostics, running scanpst.exe,
removing
the
old
profile, PST and other files and creating new ones, and
uninstalling/reinstalling outlook. Nothing works. Obviously, the
problem
is
not a corrupt PST file but some setting somewhere. I'm familiar
with
regedit.
Somebody give me a clue, please! And not the obvious things that
I
have
already tried! This is driving me crazy!

Nellie, I had what I think was a similar problem. In my case, users were
unable to see the e-mail addresses of their contacts in the Search dialog
that appeared when they clicked the "To:" button on a new message window. In
our case, it was simply because the "Name only" radio button was not
selected. I don't know if this helps.

"Nellie Nobody" wrote:

Could some other MVP please pitch in here? Mr. Valentine seems to have gotten
so stuck on proving that I can't follow directions that he is incapable of
investigating this problem and either coming up with a solution or passing it
on to someone who can. As a representative of Microsoft, he really should
shift his focus off me and back to this problem, given the number of posts
here and on other boards indicating that it has occured for others.

In the first place, regardless of what I have done to correct this problem,
what is causing it to occur at all? I could start from scratch, wipe my hard
drive, reinstall everything, create and configure a new Windows user, etc.,
etc., etc., but all that time and effort would not guarantee that this
problem would never recur.

I repeat, just to drive this point home: None of the solutions, not even
starting all over, would guarantee that this problem would never recur.
Microsoft needs to fix the bug that is causing it in the first place.

In the second place, as I have stated repeatedly, I followed all the steps
given by Microsoft and Mr. Valentine *exactly*! And more than once! And with
a brand new PST file and brand new Contacts! "My steps" are no different than
the steps in the Microsoft articles or anything Mr. Valentine has provided!
Why should I repeat information that already exists? I have also performed my
own experiments, which I described below.

In the third place, I am not presuming that the problem is in the Registry.
All I ever said about the Registry is that Microsoft's solution will probably
involve some Registry key. What is so illogical about that when so many
Knowledge Base articles solve problems that way? Mr. Valentine seems to be
obsessing about a single remark as well.

This morning I noticed that the Check Names function works just fine,
somehow locating the names in my Contacts that the Address Book cannot locate.

Again, how about getting some other MVP to pitch in here?

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

I'm not automatically dismissing anything. It does seem illogical, however,
to assume that there is a problem in your registry when you are the only
person for whom resetting the Outlook Address Book Service correctly hasn't
worked so far. Your post is still short on critical detail.
You need to post the steps YOU used (not a copy of the article) and more
importantly how you migrated your data to a new profile for anyone to help.
Did you make sure your new Contact has a valid, resolved electronic address?
Did you make sure you created it in the same Contacts Folder that you chose
to display in the address book view?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Nellie Nobody" wrote in message
...
Automatically dismissing a problem as "end user error" is illogical. How
about considering the possibility that the end user knows what he or she
is doing and that the problem lies with the software?

I followed the steps *you* gave as well as the steps given in the articles I
linked below with great precision more than once to no avail. I could copy
and paste them here, but what would be the point of that?

As I have already stated, I ran Office Diagnostics and scanpst.exe with no
problems detected. I removed the old profile and created a new one. More
than once! When that didn't work, I uninstalled and reinstalled Outlook and
created yet another brand, spanking, new profile, creating a brand, spanking,
new PST file in the process. Just to test this problem using uncorrupted
data, I did not migrate any data from my old PST file into the new PST
file. Instead I created a brand new contact.

Exactly the same problem occurred. The brand new contact in the brand new
PST file in the brand new profile did not appear in the Address Book dialog
box even though Contacts did appear on the Address Book drop-down list.
The "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book" checkbox on the "Outlook
Address
Book" tab of the "Contacts Properties" dialog box was selected but grayed
out. The Remove icon on the Address Book tab of the Account Settings
dialog box was grayed out.

This morning I went yet another step further. I created a new user on this
computer, logged in as that user, and set up Outlook for that user.
Interestingly, I never had to tell Outlook to assign the Contacts folder
as the Outlook Address Book. Outlook did that automatically before I even
created any contacts. Once again, the "Show this folder as an e-mail
Address Book" checkbox on the "Outlook Address Book" tab of the "Contacts
Properties" dialog box was selected but grayed out. This time, the contact I
created did appear in the Address Book.

Could some other MVPs or knowledgeable end users pitch in here, too,
please?

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

No. You've done something wrong. This is end user error and has nothing
to
do with the registry. Unless you post the precise steps you used to
create
the new profile, migrate your data to it, and configure your address book
service, no one can help.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Nellie Nobody" wrote in message
...
I stated what I did! I performed all the steps in the articles whose
links
I
provided. Those steps did not work. I tried removing the address book.
That
did not work. I tried removing the profile and creating a new profile
and
that did not work. I tried using a completely new PST file and that did
not
work. When I created a new contact in the new PST file, I had the same
problem. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook. Not even that
worked.
I have a feeling that, until Microsoft comes up with an answer,
probably
involving some registry key, the only thing that would work would be
wiping
my hard drive and reinstalling everything. But, since this problem
appeared
out of the blue, not even that would guarantee it would never happen
again.

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

No one can help you when you don't post any information. State exactly
what
you did to correct the problem so we can see what you've done wrong.
When
you create a new profile correctly and migrate your data to this
profile
correctly you will be able to configure the address book view.
Instructions
for doing so are posted here daily. Just read them and follow them.
That
way
you can put yourself through your own runaround and save us the
trouble.
http://support.microsoft.com/default...roduct=out2003
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Nellie Nobody" wrote in
message
...
When I said I tried removing the old profile and creating a new one,
I
meant
it. It didn't help! Nothing helped!

This sounds like the same problem Dale1948 is having. Please don't
put
me
through the same run-around. I don't have nearly as much patience.

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

Suggest trying the only thing that would work: create a new
profile.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Nellie Nobody" Nellie wrote in
message
...
I am using Windows XP and Office 2007. After configuring my e-mail
account
and data files, I selected "Show this folder as an e-mail Address
Book"
on
the "Outlook Address Book" tab of the "Contacts Properties"
dialog
box.
My
contacts appeared in the "Address Book" dialog box just fine for
awhile.
Suddenly, for no discernable reason, they disappeared from that
dialog
box,
even though the contacts still exist. The "Show this folder as an
e-mail
Address Book" is still selected but grayed out. The steps in the
following
don't work:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ou...CL100626971033
and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287563. I have tried
everything,
including running Office Diagnostics, running scanpst.exe,
removing
the
old
profile, PST and other files and creating new ones, and
uninstalling/reinstalling outlook. Nothing works. Obviously, the
problem
is
not a corrupt PST file but some setting somewhere. I'm familiar
with
regedit.
Somebody give me a clue, please! And not the obvious things that
I
have
already tried! This is driving me crazy!