Baloney.
Outlook's import process most certainly can import Contacts directly from OE
as long as OE is installed on the same partition. And it will leave the WAB
file perfectly intact.
Just use File Import and Export Internet Mail and Addresses.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Emily" wrote in message
...
P.S.
I just spent an hour on the phone with MS and they
basically told me that the file is gone forever. The
reason, they tell me, is that Express and Outlook use
different file types for their respective address books -
Outlook uses .pst files and Express uses .wab files. So
when I tried to import from Express, Outlook did not
recognize the .wab file, so it was literally discarded
and unrecoverable.

So word to the wise - ALWAYS export your address books
into a separate file, and then import using that file.
Never try to synch the two programs directly!

Has anyone ever run into this before?? I would think that
this process should be idiot-proof....but apparently
not...

-----Original Message-----
.....from Express 6, and now the contacts are nowhere to
be found in either program or anywhere on my hard drive.
I had been using Outlook until about a year ago, and
when
it crashed, moved over to Express. I now need the the
expanded features in Outlook, so I need to go back to
using it again. I simply opened both programs:

1. Created 2 new personal folders in Outlook 2000 -
archive mail and archive contacts - and moved all old
mails out of Inbox and all old contacts from default
folder (so both default folders emptied)
2. Used the 'import' function in Outlook to import both
the inbox and the address book stored in Express
3. Importing inbox worked fine, but menu indicated that
zero contact files had been transferred
4. Pulled up Express and inbox and address book were
still showing intact
5. Closed both programs and then re-opened to try again
6. Address book in Express now missing!!!
7. Searched all over my hard drive for comma-
delineated, .pst or any other type of file that I
thought
could be the missing address book

I am pretty sure that the two address books are linked
because I added a contact to Express later in the day
and
the contact showed up in the Outlook address book as
well.

Is it possible that all contacts from both programs were
moved to the archive file I created in Outlook? Any help
would be appreciated, thanks.
.