Local Contacts Lost in Windows Live Mail

The local contacts on both my and my wife's computers have disappeared.

By 'disappeared' I mean that there were contacts on each computer and now
each contact list is empty. We can still access 'Contacts' but the list shows
0 entries.
There have been no error messages displayed from WLM. Whether one is signed
in or not makes no difference.
Build is 14.0.8064.0206.

Neither computer has the ...\Default\Contacts folder, so I assume that we
started using Windows Live Mail after the update from v.12.x to v. 14.x.

That also unfortunately means that reinstalling v.12.x won't solve the
problem, as the folder that contains the v.12 contacts isn't present on
either computer. (Yes, I've done extensive searching, and the option to view
hidden and system files/folders is turned on.)

So: 1. Where does v.14 store the local contacts? 2. More generally, how can
I go about getting them back?

Were you using a Live ID to sign on to Windows Live in WLM v12 ?

Are you doing so in WLM v14 ?
If not, login with the same Live ID in WLM15(Tools/Options/Connections/Sign In).
If you are using a Live ID, are you contacts present at http://contacts.live.com ?


--
...winston
ms-mvp mail

"SantaFeBill" <> wrote in message news:13E7856A-229F-43B8-B020-...
> The local contacts on both my and my wife's computers have disappeared.
>
> By 'disappeared' I mean that there were contacts on each computer and now
> each contact list is empty. We can still access 'Contacts' but the list shows
> 0 entries.
> There have been no error messages displayed from WLM. Whether one is signed
> in or not makes no difference.
> Build is 14.0.8064.0206.
>
> Neither computer has the ...\Default\Contacts folder, so I assume that we
> started using Windows Live Mail after the update from v.12.x to v. 14.x.
>
> That also unfortunately means that reinstalling v.12.x won't solve the
> problem, as the folder that contains the v.12 contacts isn't present on
> either computer. (Yes, I've done extensive searching, and the option to view
> hidden and system files/folders is turned on.)
>
> So: 1. Where does v.14 store the local contacts? 2. More generally, how can
> I go about getting them back?
>

Winston,
I am assuming that WLM15 is WLM 14.

....Bill
From a post by Ildhund:
If you were using WLMail v. 14.0.8064.0206, you'll find your
contacts in a file called contacts.edb in a hidden folder called
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live
Contacts\{GUID}\DBStore or something like that.********

The local contacts will only have one folder. Each Live ID will have a
folder plus a shadow folder. The dates on the folder and shadow folder will
be the same.

Are you and your wife accessing the same email account? Hotmail? Http
access?
--
Ron Sommer
MS MVP-Mail

"...winston" <> wrote in message
news:OMBPKO$...
> Were you using a Live ID to sign on to Windows Live in WLM v12 ?
>
> Are you doing so in WLM v14 ?
> If not, login with the same Live ID in
> WLM15(Tools/Options/Connections/Sign In).
> If you are using a Live ID, are you contacts present at
> http://contacts.live.com ?
>
>
> --
> ...winston
> ms-mvp mail
>
> "SantaFeBill" <> wrote in message
> news:13E7856A-229F-43B8-B020-...
>> The local contacts on both my and my wife's computers have disappeared.
>>
>> By 'disappeared' I mean that there were contacts on each computer and now
>> each contact list is empty. We can still access 'Contacts' but the list
>> shows 0 entries.
>> There have been no error messages displayed from WLM. Whether one is
>> signed in or not makes no difference.
>> Build is 14.0.8064.0206.
>>
>> Neither computer has the ...\Default\Contacts folder, so I assume that we
>> started using Windows Live Mail after the update from v.12.x to v. 14.x.
>>
>> That also unfortunately means that reinstalling v.12.x won't solve the
>> problem, as the folder that contains the v.12 contacts isn't present on
>> either computer. (Yes, I've done extensive searching, and the option to
>> view hidden and system files/folders is turned on.)
>>
>> So: 1. Where does v.14 store the local contacts? 2. More generally, how
>> can I go about getting them back?
>>

I have a number of 'contacts.edb' files there. Whe I double-click on one with
an earlier date (one when I still had contacts), it gives me the option to
open it with Windows Live Mail.

But, when I do, there are still no contacts listed.

I'm beginning to suspect a Registry problem. Unless someone has another
suggestion, I think doing a System Restore is the only thing left to try.

"Ron Sommer" wrote:

> From a post by Ildhund:
> If you were using WLMail v. 14.0.8064.0206, you'll find your
> contacts in a file called contacts.edb in a hidden folder called
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live
> Contacts\{GUID}\DBStore or something like that.********

I don't know if double clicking on an edb file shows the contacts.

I believe that there is a repair option if you go to Add/Remove programs.
--
Ron Sommer
MS MVP-Mail

"SantaFeBill" <> wrote in message
news:5AA3D013-9DA4-4CAC-B655-...
> I have a number of 'contacts.edb' files there. Whe I double-click on one
> with
> an earlier date (one when I still had contacts), it gives me the option to
> open it with Windows Live Mail.
>
> But, when I do, there are still no contacts listed.
>
> I'm beginning to suspect a Registry problem. Unless someone has another
> suggestion, I think doing a System Restore is the only thing left to try.
>
> "Ron Sommer" wrote:
>
>> From a post by Ildhund:
>> If you were using WLMail v. 14.0.8064.0206, you'll find your
>> contacts in a file called contacts.edb in a hidden folder called
>> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live
>> Contacts\{GUID}\DBStore or something like that.********
>

Yes..fat fingered typo.

--
...winston
ms-mvp mail

"Ron Sommer" <> wrote in message news:#...
> Winston,
> I am assuming that WLM15 is WLM 14.
>
> ...Bill
> From a post by Ildhund:
> If you were using WLMail v. 14.0.8064.0206, you'll find your
> contacts in a file called contacts.edb in a hidden folder called
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live
> Contacts\{GUID}\DBStore or something like that.********
>
> The local contacts will only have one folder. Each Live ID will have a
> folder plus a shadow folder. The dates on the folder and shadow folder will
> be the same.
>
> Are you and your wife accessing the same email account? Hotmail? Http
> access?
> --
> Ron Sommer
> MS MVP-Mail
>
> "...winston" <> wrote in message
> news:OMBPKO$...
>> Were you using a Live ID to sign on to Windows Live in WLM v12 ?
>>
>> Are you doing so in WLM v14 ?
>> If not, login with the same Live ID in
>> WLM15(Tools/Options/Connections/Sign In).
>> If you are using a Live ID, are you contacts present at
>> http://contacts.live.com ?
>>
>>
>> --
>> ...winston
>> ms-mvp mail
>>
>> "SantaFeBill" <> wrote in message
>> news:13E7856A-229F-43B8-B020-...
>>> The local contacts on both my and my wife's computers have disappeared.
>>>
>>> By 'disappeared' I mean that there were contacts on each computer and now
>>> each contact list is empty. We can still access 'Contacts' but the list
>>> shows 0 entries.
>>> There have been no error messages displayed from WLM. Whether one is
>>> signed in or not makes no difference.
>>> Build is 14.0.8064.0206.
>>>
>>> Neither computer has the ...\Default\Contacts folder, so I assume that we
>>> started using Windows Live Mail after the update from v.12.x to v. 14.x.
>>>
>>> That also unfortunately means that reinstalling v.12.x won't solve the
>>> problem, as the folder that contains the v.12 contacts isn't present on
>>> either computer. (Yes, I've done extensive searching, and the option to
>>> view hidden and system files/folders is turned on.)
>>>
>>> So: 1. Where does v.14 store the local contacts? 2. More generally, how
>>> can I go about getting them back?
>>>

Ron's correct...
Only WLM from within WLM can open the contacts.edb file and only for the signed on Live ID or the Default(no Live ID signed on to
Windows Live).

--
...winston
ms-mvp mail

"SantaFeBill" <> wrote in message news:5AA3D013-9DA4-4CAC-B655-...
> I have a number of 'contacts.edb' files there. Whe I double-click on one with
> an earlier date (one when I still had contacts), it gives me the option to
> open it with Windows Live Mail.
>
> But, when I do, there are still no contacts listed.
>
> I'm beginning to suspect a Registry problem. Unless someone has another
> suggestion, I think doing a System Restore is the only thing left to try.
>
> "Ron Sommer" wrote:
>
>> From a post by Ildhund:
>> If you were using WLMail v. 14.0.8064.0206, you'll find your
>> contacts in a file called contacts.edb in a hidden folder called
>> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live
>> Contacts\{GUID}\DBStore or something like that.********
>

I don't know if the answer has already been given, but the contacts of windows live mail in windows 7 is :

c:\Users\user name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live\contacts\Default\15.4\DBStore

It is apparently the only place where the real contacts are stored. If you copy this folder at the same place to another computer, after temporaly renaming the original folder of this other computer to preserve its own contacts, you'll have the contacts of the first computer in the second one, in place of those of this second computer. This is the proof that this folder is the one and only one, among many others, containing the contacts. All copy and renaming must be done with WLM closed.

Therefore, to backup your contacts, you only have to backup this folder with all what is within it.