Contacts Missing From "New" Outlook After Upgrade From Windows Mail

EVERYTHING MSFT is a work in progress and NONE are ever finished correctly.

All the BS this has caused people notwithstanding, I'm sure MSFT feels "we take our customers and our products very seriously. You are very important to us". Insert eye-rolling image here.

Personally, I'm trying to find alternatives to MSFT but have further issues since I use certain software for Windows. I thought I was doing a good thing a decade or two ago but....................................

Hope you get your contacts straightened out.

I cannot believe someone is so STUPID to create a "NEW OUTLOOK" then force people to use it but it DOES NOT import the contacts from the old outlook. This is why I ended my 40 year career in IT, no one knows **** they're doing anymore, they are sloppy and careless... (Think Crowdstrike update). All that aside, the options thus far seem to SUCK!!

I'd give you a ten out five stars if I could!!

My sentiments exactly which is why I'm working on getting away from MSFT products.

Now I'm even more confused. If I start typing a contact name the email address completes automatically, thus it must be in my contacts. But if I click on the people symbol for my contacts, it is empty. Any ideas? I'd like to see them so I can see who is there and edit if necessary.

And another pain. If I click on an external email link it properly opens up a new pre-addressed email, just as it should, in my name. But if I want it to come from my wife's account, there is no way of changing the sender, at least as far as I can discover.

Hi, DavidRichardson4,

I'm going to try to answer each of your issues separately.

Now I'm even more confused. If I start typing a contact name the email address completes automatically, thus it must be in my contacts. But if I click on the people symbol for my contacts, it is empty. Any ideas? I'd like to see them so I can see who is there and edit if necessary.

For this one, yes, you are correct the email addresses are stored in your contacts database. But that database is (now) stored on the Microsoft (MS) server. However, as the Outlook doesn't yet (if ever😞) work as a standalone desktop app, i.e. Internet connection now required whenever using it, it doesn't keep an updated desktop copy of your Contacts anymore. Goodbye proprietary .pst files. Everything's moving to or already in their Cloud. But you can make export files to keep on your desktop as backup--in case you stop paying Microsoft after they inevitably start charging us subscription fees🤨--or to support you switching to other mail apps.😉

To make your contacts visible, you will have to:

(1) Ensure permission is provided to People and all Mail apps to access your MS-server-based Contacts (Windows settings); and

(2) Ensure your server-based Contacts are accessible at all, by contacting MS Customer Support ("Contact Microsoft" link in footer section of these Web pages or clicking here😉) and asking them to "sync your contacts." Tip: You can arrange for them to call you back. You can also use chat if you prefer having a written record. By now, hopefully, they have better-trained support staff familiar with the problem.🤞

I've posted (08 May 2024) a step-by-step guide that worked for me here:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/all/contacts-missing-from-new-outlook-after-upgrade/0d94da7f-dd54-4d59-9d48-3df4c8a7de56?page=4

*Sorry, you'll need to scroll down a bit, as MS doesn't provide any means to link to the specific posting.*🙄

And another pain. If I click on an external email link it properly opens up a new pre-addressed email, just as it should, in my name. But if I want it to come from my wife's account, there is no way of changing the sender, at least as far as I can discover.

❌ That was *never* the case. And thank goodness!🙏 Can you imagine the spurned partners, employees, frenemies or whatever who could send phony emails in someone else's name, just by knowing their email address!!😨 As email addresses are routinely made public, even guessable, total strangers/scammers could (and some) do this as a (malicious) lark.😱 No, no, no! No email system should ever allow this! It's called spoofing btw, and is illegal in most jurisdictions.

If your wife wishes to send an email, ideally she should login and draft it herself. Alternately, you could draft it from your account, email/send it to her, and leave her the option of forwarding or editing the email before sending it on herself. If she's really trusting🤨 and has given you her username, password and *explicit permission* to do so, you could login to her account and do it. Without permission, you're probably committing a crime.😲

Good luck!

LostInSpace88🤞