Multiple Contact Lists in Outlook Express

I recently installed IE 5 (upgraded from 4) which, of course, installed Outlook Express 5. When I create a New Message and click on any of To:, Cc:, or Bcc: my contact list is empty. However there is a dropdown that contains:

Shared Contacts
Main Identity's Contacts
Main Identity's Contacts

I.E. there are two Main Identity's Contacts and the default (the bottom one) is empty. If I click on the middle one all of my contacts reappear. However, I don't seem to be able to either get rid of the blank one or make the good one stay as the default.

Has anyone ever seen this and figured out how to fix it.

Thanks!

 

What OS?

 

Sorry, Windows 98

 

I don't think you have a "problem." You may just have a blank Address Book. If the "default" Main Identity is otherwise functional, you just have to move the contacts from the secondary Main Identity to the default Main Identity.

First, test the default Main Idenity to see if it's fully functional. First use any piece of received e-mail and ADD SENDER TO ADDRESS BOOK. It should be saved to the default Main Identity. If so, good.

Now, open a New Message. Can you put that contact in the To: and does that contact show up on the Select Recipients? If so, you're default Main Identity is good. It's just needs the contacts moved (like in COPIED) to the default main.

Export the Secondary Main Identity to a folder somewhere: Export > Address Book (wab). This file may be HIDDEN after the export and may require you to go into folder options "Show Hidden Folders. "

Now Import that Address Book (wab) into the default Main Identity.

Now just leave that secondary Main Identity alone. It's not hurting anything. Leave it dormant.

 

I actually did try that. When I added a new address it went into the original list rather than the blank new one. I also tried the export / import idea and basically it wanted to do the same thing, i.e. it told me that address(es) already existed and wanted to know if I wanted to re-add them anyway.

Another thought I had was to try and figure out where that new list might be getting stored but I haven't been able to find it. I tried looking in the C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities ...... stream but all I found there were my mail folders. I also took a look through the Outlook Express section in the registry but didn't find anything there either. I figure that extra entry has to be out there somewhere but finding it hasn't been easy.

Any ideas on that?

 

Backup your Favorites and good address book. There is a REPAIR option for OE 5 in the Add/Remove Programs. When you hit remove, the repair option will come up. If you've got IE 5, why not just go all the way? Maybe in installing 6 it'll repair itself.