Construct distribution list from large number of email recipients

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Don26812 - 28 Apr 2006 04:34 GMT

Hello,

My C drive crashed. I routinely backed up and have recovered my outlook.pst
file. I mistakenly thought this was everything that I needed. Apparently, it
does not include the address book/distribution lists.

So it appears that it is gone forever. I had multiple distribution lists,
each with about 100 names & email addresses of my students. My question is
this. I have emails showing the names of each person on the list for that
note and can see their email address, but only one at a time. Is there a way
that I can collect the group from a given email and then collectively add
them all to a distribution list and/or separate entries in the new, now empty
address book.

TIA

Don S.

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Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] - 28 Apr 2006 09:54 GMT

Backing up the PST file will preserve DL's unless you did so incorrectly. If
you export or import the file, then you will lose DL's.
Do you still have your backup?

Signature

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> Don S.

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Don26812 - 28 Apr 2006 15:14 GMT

Russ,

THanks for the prompt reply.

Yes I do have the backup files. First, I better explain what I mean by
backup. I routinely copied the following files:

outlook.pst
archive.pst
extend.dat

Then after installing OL, I renamed the new extend.dat and outlook.pst and
copied the original versions into the folder. Everything came up great except
the enmail address book.

That's ehere I am at.

Don

> Backing up the PST file will preserve DL's unless you did so incorrectly. If
> you export or import the file, then you will lose DL's.
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> >
> > Don S.

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Brian Tillman - 28 Apr 2006 16:45 GMT

> Yes I do have the backup files. First, I better explain what I mean by
> backup. I routinely copied the following files:
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> Then after installing OL, I renamed the new extend.dat and
> outlook.pst and copied the original versions into the folder.

For a PST, at least, this is a bad idea as you can corrupt the mail profile.
It should be OK for the extend.dat file.

> Everything came up great except the enmail address book.

Then you have to configure the address book again. Exactly how is Outlook
version-specific and you haven't stated what it is.

Signature

Brian Tillman

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Don26812 - 28 Apr 2006 19:35 GMT

Outlook 2003. I am sorry I left that out. Also I am running Win XP Home ed.

Thanks again.

Don

> > Yes I do have the backup files. First, I better explain what I mean by
> > backup. I routinely copied the following files:
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Then you have to configure the address book again. Exactly how is Outlook
> version-specific and you haven't stated what it is.

Reply to this Message

Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] - 28 Apr 2006 21:31 GMT

DL's and the address book are two completely separate issues.
Are you saying that one or both are missing?
Are the DL's missing from your Contacts Folder?
The Address Book is easy to configure:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;287563&Product=ol2002

Signature

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

> Russ,
>
[quoted text clipped - 47 lines]
>> >
>> > Don S.

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Don26812 - 28 Apr 2006 23:17 GMT

Russ & Brian,

I think I am better off than I did when I started thread. Below is the
message I get when I click on the address book symbol in Mail:
"The Address List could not be displayed. The Contacts Folder associated
with the Address List could not be opened. It may have been moved or
deleted...."

That is when the panic set in. As I said, my Contacts Folder is visible and
appears to be complete/current. What I did not realize is that the
Distribution Lists are in there also. If I go to one of them and double
click, I see the list of names and email addresses on that list. So, based on
my reading/understanding of your last post, Russ, I just need to reconfigure
the Address List being guided by the reference in the last note. However,
being somewhat punchy at this point. I want to make sure that is all that is
required. I do not want to screw things up. Am I correct in my understanding?

Again, thanks to both of you for your help.

Don S.

> DL's and the address book are two completely separate issues.
> Are you saying that one or both are missing?
[quoted text clipped - 52 lines]
> >> >
> >> > Don S.

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Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] - 28 Apr 2006 23:50 GMT

Sounds right to me.
Go for it.
And don't worry. If you mess up resetting the Outlook Address Book, it won't
touch your data. Just post back with any problems and we'll steer you
through it.

Signature

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

> Russ & Brian,
>
[quoted text clipped - 85 lines]
>> >> >
>> >> > Don S.

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Don26812 - 29 Apr 2006 01:29 GMT

Ok, I'm almost there. Actually, I guess I am there or at least where I want
to be for the moment. Now when I am in the Mail pane and click on the Address
Book, the list pops up, including the distribution lists. The problem is I
have several Contacts files in the Contacts folder when I am in the Contacts
pane. Some of these are empty and some of them are my Contacts.

Not wanting to run the risk of deleting everything, I renamed the empty ones
to "Bad" and I see that even though the "contacts" name is the same, only the
specific one highligted is actually renamed.

When I go to mail, I see two "Contacts" . The top one gives me the error
message in my last note and the second "contacts" yields my contact list full
of names and distribution lists. I repositioned the second "contacts" list to
be on top and things seem to work fine. I would like to clean up all of the
redundent entries, but will stop for now.

I really appreciate you and Brian for all of the quick replies today. Thank
you both very much.

Don S.

> Sounds right to me.
> Go for it.
[quoted text clipped - 90 lines]
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Don S.

Reply to this Message

Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] - 29 Apr 2006 02:08 GMT

Normally one would just delete the invalid references to Contact Folders and
retain the valid ones here:
Tools > E-mail accounts > View or change existing directories or address
books > Outlook Address Book > Change.

Signature

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

> Ok, I'm almost there. Actually, I guess I am there or at least where I
> want
[quoted text clipped - 130 lines]
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > Don S.

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