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Can I import my Outlook Express Address Book into MSN Hotmail?

I've just signed up for MSN Hotmail and I like it. In fact, the ability to access my email from anywhere on the Internet is way cool, and 250MB of disk space for storing my old messages seems like a ton of space. The only problem is that I have a ton of contacts in my Outlook Express program on my office PC and I'd really like to have access to them in Hotmail. Is that doable?

Dave's Answer:

Glad you like Hotmail. Lots of people are still quite devoted fans of this, possibly the oldest of the Web-based email services, and with 250MB of disk space, what's to complain about, right? :-)

It turns out you can accomplish what you're asking about, exporting your Address Book from Microsoft Outlook Express and importing it iinto MSN Hotmail. It's easy, but there are a number of steps you'll need to take.

First off, on your office PC start up Microsoft Outlook Express and choose File --> Export --> Address Book. Now choose "Text File" from the choices:

Export Microsoft Outlook Express Address Book

The system will ask for a file name: click on "Browse" and make sure you know what folder your export is going to be put, then name it something simple like contacts and let Outlook Express add the appropriate filename suffix.

Now you can choose which fields you want to export: I suggest you select them all:

Export Microsoft Outlook Express Address Book: Field Selector

Click "Finish" and a second or two later, you'll be notified that the export is finished and you can quit Outlook Express.

Launch your favorite Web browser and log in to your Hotmail account, then click on the "Contacts" tab. On the left side you'll see a bunch of choices:

From this set of choices, select "Import Contacts", then select "Outlook Express" from the two options shown. Now you'll need to select the CSV file you just created in Outlook Express:

Here's where it's smart to have taken a few seconds earlier to see what folder Outlook Express was going to save the export. I not infrequently find that I've saved a file from a program in Windows just to have no idea where it's located on my file system!

Select the file, click "Finish", and, if all goes well, you'll see:

And that's all you need to do!

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Comments

thank-you very much for helping me look smart with your instructions. you website is very helpful and informative!

Posted by: ken at February 20, 2007 7:47 PM

the instruction to import my addy to my hotmail was so easy even I could do it, thanks a mil
Ken~A~

Posted by: Ken~A~ at March 12, 2007 6:24 AM

You should be paid by Microsoft, whenever I can't find an answer or their instructions don't work, yours do! I read and re-read their instructions in several areas about how to export address book contacts from outlook express to hotmail and they have one important missing step yet you had the complete steps and it worked first time following your instructions., they take you up to saving the address book from outlook express in .csv format then export it to hotmail - okay, how? your instrucitons went further to tell us how! go to hotmail and click on contacts and click on import and voila! thank you thank you thank you!

Posted by: Canadian at March 17, 2007 3:10 AM

I know this is a stupid question, however here goes. I assume that exporting my OE Address Book is exporting a copy. Am I right?

Posted by: Ed Watkins at April 15, 2007 7:28 PM

Ed, if your concern is that you'll somehow wipe or erase your address book by exporting it, no worries, that's not how it works! :-)

Posted by: Dave Taylor at April 16, 2007 12:16 AM

I can import from Outlook 2003 to both Hotmail and Windows Live Hotmail, but lately am not getting the email address in the imported contacts. I haved done this several times in the past with no problems. I have exported Outlook contacts to dos .csv windows .csv and .pst folders. I get the names and phone nos imported but not the email addresses. Sure would like to get this resolved.
Thanks,
Davy.

Posted by: Davy at May 18, 2007 3:02 AM

I understand the process for Outlook Express. However, I use Microsoft Outlook Web Access to get to my companies email and I would like to export a copy of my contact/address book to my new personal gmail account. Following Outlook Express instructions do not work the same. Can you send me instructions on how to export the address boox to either Excel or the Gmail address book? thanks, Bruce

Posted by: bruce at May 18, 2007 11:25 AM

is it possible to do it the other way round: transfer hotmail to outlook express.
Thanks
Hayds

Posted by: hayds at August 8, 2007 2:27 PM

This is great, but the address book won't save in that format and Yahoo won't accept any other.
How can I get round this?
Thanks

Posted by: Adrienne at September 23, 2007 5:39 PM

Oh,,,,I haaaate computers. Your directions were perfect, but it led me to repeatedly getting the message that the server was unable to process some of your contacts...the server might be busy.

LaNell Barrett

Posted by: LaNell at November 19, 2007 4:36 PM

The way to synchronize the email addresses in MSN and in OUTLOOK is way, waaaay easier. Go to Outlook, click on Address book, cliCk tools and then click synchronize now. Tah dah - done!

Posted by: Patrick Murphy at January 1, 2008 3:19 PM

I exported my contacts from outlook (not express) into a .pst and as a backup as an excel file, but I am now trying to import into hotmail and it does not give me either of those options. So i thought I converted my excel file into a .csv, but it is still not allowing me to import the file into hotmail. Any thoughts? Thank you.

Posted by: Jara at February 6, 2008 9:08 AM

Thank you for all your help. Tried so many times, for 100/hr others would love to help! So thank you so very much! Sorry but re-assuring I am not the only one with a problem! Great job, thanks so much! Peace and great things!

Posted by: MARY ANN at March 2, 2008 12:24 PM

what is address express that is popping up on my hotmail?

Posted by: angie at March 2, 2008 2:24 PM

Hi Dave,

thanks for the clear cut advise on importing OE address books to MSN. Is there a way to import the "groups" that I created in OE?

thanks
Tom

Posted by: Tom Loomis at March 20, 2008 9:31 PM

I have my hotmail address book tapped into and 'used' by spam to distribute 'flyers' advertising various goods (ususlly electronics).

Really annoying now, as it has happened 4 times, and all my contacts are beginning to get hugely iritated by it. It is not discriminatory and sends to family friends and business contacts alike.

Can I do anything.

Posted by: mike watson at May 5, 2008 1:06 PM

Hotmail is ceasing support for Outlook Express, forcing me to switch clients to Windows Live. I have yet to find out how to import my Outlook Express Address Book into Windows Live. Now that really would be useful information.

Ditto OE Local Folders. Does Windows Live HAVE local folders?

Posted by: John Allman at May 7, 2008 4:10 PM

I used to be able to have my msn email sent (copied) directly to my PC's Outlook Express Inbox. Did I do something that caused it to no longer do that? Thanks for your help in advance?

Posted by: Rob Neal at May 15, 2008 8:15 PM

Thanks for your help. It all worked perfectly.

Posted by: Peter Richmond at September 16, 2008 3:16 AM

i tossed my old computer and forgot to get addresses from outlook express mail. can they still be retrieved

thanks

Posted by: jan at September 29, 2008 8:18 PM

I have a lot to say, but ...

I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!