Delete address book entry

I can delete an email address and it doesn't show in the address book. But when I do an edit on the .wab file, it still shows. How do I get an address deleted from the .wab file?

 

I deleted an individual address. It no longer shows up when I click on addresses in outlook express. I use notepad just to view the .wab file. I don't make changes and save back.

 

Let me clarify a little more. I click on addresses in outlook express. I then click on contacts to get a listing of all addresses for that contact. I then select the individual address, right click and delete.

 

Yes, it is gone from the listing as shown in the address book. But it is still showing when I view the .wab file using notepad. I guess it really doesn't matter, I was just trying to clean up my addesss book.

Thanks

 

coboller--If I am, say on the Inbox window, and click Addresses on the toolbar, highlight a name in the list, and click Delete from the Address Book's toolbar, I am asked if I want to delete the name. If I click Yes, it is gone, both from the Address Book and from the UserName.wab folder.
Are you sure you are not looking at someoneelse's .wab folder or perhaps your .wab~ folder?

 

I only have one address book, and only had one .wab file.

 

coboller--I have assumed you are using OE 6 and WinXP. If that is not true, then maybe some of what I have said and will say is not correct.
If you followed the procedure I gave above and it does not work, the only other suggestion I can make is to open the actual Address Book (username.wab) and delete the entry (again) from there.
However, I am surprised at one statement you made. You are using Notepad to view the Address Book? If I do that, I see mainly a mess of code. Although the individual addresses are there, I would hate to edit that.
The Address Book properly opens with wab.exe. In Windows, click Tools|Folder Options|File Types|scroll to Address Book|Advanced|highlight "open "|Edit. In the "Application used to perform action" line, you should have "C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\wab.exe" %1 , exactly as written, including the quotes.
I am also surprised to hear that you have no username.wab~ file. That is a backup for your Address Book. It also opens with wab.exe and will still show the old Address Book listings (not reflecting any deletions) until you reboot after making a change to Address Book.
In WinXP, both the username.wab and username.wab~ files should be in C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book

 

Welshjim,

I am using winxp and oe6. When I open my .wab file using notepad, I do get a lot of garbage. However, some of it is readable if you scroll through it. I can read the addresses, even though there is a blank space between each character. As I said, all I do with notepad is to check to see if the address is still on the file. I don't try to change anything, and try to save. The ~ file you mentioned is always found in another folder, but it is present until I delete it. I can open the .wab file with wab.exe, but the addresses don't show up using wab.exe. The location of the ~ file may be the problem. I guess I need to find a way for it to be generated under the address book folder instead someplace else. It now is found under a folder that I had made for other purposes.

 

Welshjim,

I have just had a look at the ~ file, and it does not contain the deleted addresses. Thank you for getting me started in the right direction.

 

Steve R Jones--Actually the xxx.wab~ in the same folder as the xxx.wab file is fine. Right now, I cannot figure out why coboller sees it in a different folder.
The glitch to which you refer, since fixed, was when OE would deposit a ~ file (not xxx.wab~) on the Desktop when a change to the Address Book was made.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;830921
The appearance of the file was a nuisance, but more importantly it meant that the backup .wab file (in those days .wa~) was not where it should be (and did not function as a backup).

 

coboller--Have you changed the setting in "Application used to perform action" in File Types as suggested above?
(It would have been easier if I had said "in Windows (not IE), click Tools|Folder Options|File Types|scroll to either WAB and WAB~ (in the left column-- "Extensions)|right click on them (separately, of course)|Advanced| highlight "open "|Edit." Now adjust "Application used to perform action" if necessary. OK|OK out.)
When you do that and you click on either username.wab or username.wab~ they should open as a normal Address Book, including addresses.
In what two folders are you finding username.wab and username.wab~?

 

The userid.wab file is in the correct folder. The other file, ~, is in a local folder that I have set up. It does not have the userid.wab prefix, just ~. No, I haven't changed any file asociations. The ~ file does appear to be correct. I renamed it with a .wab suffix, and opened it with wab.exe. It looks okay and up to date. The problem seems to be that the two files are not in the same folder.

Thanks for all your help.

 

coboller--The ~ problem was supposedly fixed in WinXP SP2. Are you running SP1?
If so, you may want to update. SP1 will soon no longer be supported by MS. (Things like Windows Update.) But MS has been known to change the dates in the past.