How to export contacts from Outlook 2010

Outlook, the messaging software from Microsoft is a very powerful tool allowing you to manage at the same time your calendars or your contacts, to receive your electronic messages and still many other functionalities to discover by yourself. However, you might want or need to use this data in another program and then you will first need to export it from Outlook before saving it to a spreadsheet for example. You can then use this data as you see fit with another program.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Access your contacts

Step 1. Start your Outlook 2010 and wait for all your data to load

Step 2. Click the File tab on the Outlook toolbar

Then select Options from the drop-down menu.

Step 3. Click Advanced Options

This is on the left, in the dialogue window that has just opened.

Step 4. Now look for the Export section

In this section, click the button Export. The "Import and Export" wizard should then appear on the screen.

Part 2 of 4: choose your file format

Step 1. In your "Import and Export" wizard

Click on Export to file. Then click the button Following.

Step 2. Select the format

In the "Create a file of type" section, select the file format of your choice among the many options offered.

• Use the file type called "Comma Separated Values" (.csv) if you are using Outlook 2010 with a Windows operating system (Vista, 7, or 8 for example) and want to import your data to third party software. A.csv file is similar to an Excel file except that it does not have a header.
• Use the "Excel Spreadsheet" (.xls) file type if you want to be able to access the file and use it as a backup, or if you want to use that data in Excel.
• Choose the "Mac Data" (.olm) file type if you want to use this data with another program running on Mac.
• Use the "Outlook Data" (.pst) file type if you want to import your data into another Outlook (on another computer for example).

Part 3 of 4: Export contacts from Outlook

Step 1. Select the type of data you want to export

In our case, you would select the folder Contacts and deselect the folders Mail, Tasks, Calendar and Notes.

Step 2. Then select the contact folder to export

If you have more than one contact folder, then you will first need to choose a specific folder before you can export your data.

If your data is saved in different folders, then you will need to export each folder one after the other

Step 3. Click the Next button

A dialog box relating to saving your file will then appear.

Step 4. Select a destination folder to save your file

In the dialog box named "Save exported file as", use the option Browse to choose a folder on your computer as destination folder.

Step 5. Give your file a name before saving it

Then click on OK.

Step 6. Click Next in the dialog box named Export to File

Finally click on To end. Your file will be saved to your computer.

Part 4 of 4: Steps for Shared Contacts

Step 1. Right click on the name of the shared contact

Then choose Copy folder.

Step 2. Select the Contacts folder

Place what you copied there.

Step 3. Choose the subfolder

Do as explained above, but by selecting the sub-folder you have just created: choose Contacts, then the sub-folder which is also called Contacts or Contacts1…

Advice

• If you are not sure of the most suitable type of file to export your data, we advise you to try several such as.csv and.pst formats for example. You can always delete unnecessary files later.
• Save the file you just created to a USB flash drive or external hard drive. Indeed, it is useful to shelter your contacts and important information from time to time. You are never safe from a computer that bugs, or even no longer starts.