The file you need is your Personal Folders file (*.pst) It's where all the
mail, calendar, contacts etc are stored.
Take a look at these pages for info on Outlook data backup or transfer:
http://www.slipstick.com/config/backup.htm
http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx

Signature
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
>i had to reinstall windows xp pro wthout formating and then re installed
> outlook and i can't find my contacts.
> I looked up *.mab files i believe and found a contact list but how do i
> get
> it into outlook again?
Hi,
For personal users who do not have an Exchange Server, Outlook data is stored in Personal Folder files (*.pst). Outlook uses Personal Folder files to store Information such as
messages, contacts, calendar, etc.
Please refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) articles to learn more about backing up the Outlook data and Office program settings.
Q287070 OL2002: How to Back Up, Restore, or Move Outlook Data
<http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q287/0/70.asp>
Note: this article is also adapted to Outlook 2003.
Regards,
Scott Atkins MCSE, MCSA
Partner Technical Lead - Outlook
Microsoft Technical Support
for Platforms and Business Applications
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>Thread-Topic: how can i get my contacts back after re installing outlook
>thread-index: AcVsc+Ssy5YtG/f/QcOmOHYoIDXBOQ==
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>I looked up *.mab files i believe and found a contact list but how do i get
>it into outlook again?