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

In *most* cases, your contacts are *not* missing. Microsoft has just taken control of the sole copy, stored on their servers.

We used to have *Desktop* Mail, Calendar, and Contacts--which could run even if you weren't connected to the Internet (i.e. offline). All of that functionality is gone, replaced by this *UNREALISTIC* 24/7 Internet access demand. Note: If your online mail is not running, you cannot even get appointment reminders from Calendar. Hello, mobile phone?

I've broken it down into 3 main aspects to check or change:

1. Sign on to Outlook--yes, that horrible online app.😞 Even if you try to launch a desktop Mail app, it will just do this anyway.🙄 You may need to devote some time to learning the widgets, icons, and clumsy inefficient mechanisms they've built in, as well as customising your look and feel. Too much clutter. But, focusing on Contacts, now called People, create a New mail message. Move your cursor to the To: field and start typing a name you know is in your contacts. If it starts suggesting names, congratulations, your contacts *ARE* on the Microsoft server. If not, skip to step 3 and contact Microsoft Customer Support. Check if your view into People (formerly Contacts) is working. Click the two heads icon. If names and details are listed, it's working. But, then, you probably wouldn't be here. If you have to contact Microsoft Support, they'll ask if you did this.
2. If you get no names, etc., do not panic. You may need to contact Microsoft Customer Support, but first check that your Contacts Privacy Settings aren't at fault. Press the Windows key to jump to the Windows search bar. Start typing "Contacts Privacy Settings" until it suggests that app. Click Open. You should see something similar to the following--I'm still on Windows 10, Windows 11 may look slightly different: Notice all the areas I've marked out in green boxes. Make sure all of these options are set to "On". If you had to change any, exit Outlook and relaunch it. Check again whether you can see your contacts under People.
3. If you still cannot see your contacts, do not panic. Contact Microsoft Customer Support: https://support.microsoft.com/contactus You may be put through a number of aggravating *FAQ hurdles*. Sorry, they keep changing the pathways so much and so often, I cannot reliably lead you through. Persist, refusing to read the FAQs. Eventually, you should get to an prompt asking whether you would prefer "Chat" or "Have Microsoft call you back?" If asked whether you would be willing to let Microsoft have remote access of your device, say, "NO". This is unnecessary and an indication you're dealing with someone who doesn't know what they're doing. Insist on escalation to their manager. Eventually, you should get someone experienced in this *LONG-RUNNING PROBLEM*. They need to change access settings at their end to enable you to see your contacts. You will probably need to exit and restart Outlook, but everything should be there--if oddly formatted, owing incompatibilities between old Contacts fields and new People fields. Fiddle with the options to get the list displayed and ordered the way you like.

Good luck! Hope this helps! 😊🤞

The Outlook (new) is terrible. There seems to be no way to obtain or synch my contacts to use in the People portion of the new Outlook. Why put it out for use when there are clear problems?

You realize you're referring to Microsoft products right? Par for the course.

Sorry you're having issues with it.

Sorry, you're having problems. We've all been there.

But, did you read and attempt any of the steps I outlined in my 23 December 2024 post--an update btw of my 08 May 2024 (p.4 of thread) and 11 July 2024 (p.6)? It was just above yours on p.9.

Yes, we can all justifiably rant at Microsoft. Go ahead. BUT, if you really do want your contacts back, I'd suggest trying some of the solutions people have taken the time to post.

If those do not work, then contact Customer Support--if you can get through. They do like to hide themselves away. But note, they will either want to take remote control of your PC--intimating it's your fault somehow--or insist you try some of the steps outlined.

This is a known problem, over a year in the making. Microsoft clearly does not care that they are harming customers or their businesses. They do not care that the new (24/7 online) Outlook is a HUGE INEFFICIENT step backward. All they care is that they're in a better position to charge you monthly fees to access your own mail, under the guise of improved security.

Btw, have you tried the new Calendar/Appointments? Even if you are logged in 24/7 to Outlook (required), you get no notifications, as we did with the Desktop Calendar.

They want our personal data both to feed their ever-hungry AI bots and to charge us for storage. They want total control of our PCs, as if it's all theirs. They are the behemoth that is Microsoft and they know they have us HOSTAGE to their whims.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I tried everything Microsoft told me to do. None of the suggestions worked. Here's what I eventually wound up doing: I copied all the entries in one of the directories that Outlook would not recognize. Then I pasted it into the default directory that Outlook always went to. Now when it goes to that previously empty directory, voila, there are all my people.

Problem solved. Happy New Year everyone.