How to Fix “Outlook Contacts Not Available In Address Book” Error

Outlook PST Repair /February 27, 2025

Microsoft Outlook is a desktop-based email client. Like the other email clients, it might require many components such as email messages, address books, calendars, etc. It also offers other characteristics of data security and a user-friendly interface. Let us discuss a suitable method to fix theOutlook contracts unavailable in the address book error.

Some reasons why the ‘Outlook contacts are not available in the address book’ error occurs:

  • The contacts may not be accessible due to the improper configuration of the Outlook Address Book.
  • Outlook may not display the contacts in the address book if configured to operate offline alone.
  • Contacts may not appear in the address book if there are synchronization issues between Outlook and the email server.
  • If the Outlook data files containing the contacts become corrupted, they might not appear in the address book.
  • Users might also remove the contacts from Outlook and later discover their contact list is gone.

Solutions to Outlook contacts not available in address book error:

The best solution for Outlook contacts not available in address book error is to upgrade to the most recent version of Windows, in case the PC runs on an older software version.

Method 1:Retrieving Outlook contacts from the Windows.old Folder:

If the users are unsatisfied with the latest version of Windows, they can use the same Folder to restore the system to the required version.
Generally, the Windows .old folder will hold everything inside it.
To replace the lost data, unhide the Outlook folder and the data to access it.

  • First, open the Windows—old Folder in the system and then the Outlook data folder.
  • Select the View option in the Windows Menu bar.
  • Select the Hidden items to view the hidden file
  • Transfer the data to the newly created Windows Folder
  • Restart outlook.

After completing the tasks, check the address book to verify whether the issue with the Outlook contact has been resolved.

Method 2:Examine the address book services to solve Outlook contacts not available in address book errors:

  • Open the Outlook application.
  • Select the File option and then go to the Account Settings.
  • Click on the Address Book tab in Windows in the right corner.
  • Make a new Outlook address book to view the existing one.
  • From the Address Book tab menu, Select New.
  • Click the Next button and select Additional Address Book from the window’s list.
  • Choose Outlook Address Book and click Next.
  • Follow the instructions to create an updated Address Book.
  • Restart Outlook and see if the mission contacts have been recovered.

Method 3:Import the .csv File in MS Outlook to fix the Outlook contacts not available in address book errors:

To import the .csv file in MS Outlook versions 2010, 201,3, and 2016, follow the given steps.

  • Start the import process and open MS Outlook on the local machine.
  • Click the File option.
  • Select the Open and Export option and go to the option.

    • Open and Export

  • One can view the import and Export Wizard box on the current screen.
  • Choose ‘Import from another program or file, and press the Next button.
  • Choose the CSV or Comma Separated Values option and click Next.
  • Select the CSV files by clicking on the Browse option.
  • Choose the radio button – Do not import the Duplicate items.
  • Click on the Next button to continue with the entire process.

    • Next

  • Select the CSV file by tapping the Browse option already exported in Step 1.
  • Choose the radio button, ‘Do Not Import Duplicate Items’.
  • Click the Next button to proceed further and complete the entire procedure.
  • Select the specific Folder where it is required to import the .csv contacts in MS Outlook.
  • Go to Contacts and press the Next button.
  • Choose the map Custom Fields to import each Column from the .csv file into Outlook contacts to avoid Outlook contacts being unavailable in the address book error.

    • map Custom Fields

  • It is also a good option to drag and drop the item. To do this, one needs to move from the left panel to the right panel, from the CSV contacts columns to the Outlook contacts columns.
  • Select the Finish button from the ‘Import a File window’ option. However, you must wait until all the contacts have been successfully imported into the Outlook account.
  • In the end, all the .csv contacts will be successfully transferred to MS Outlook version 2007 and other versions.

Challenges associated with this approach:

Many solutions are available online to resolve the Outlook contacts not available in the address book error. The approach we discussed here helps import a single file to the MS Outlook application. It cannot export multiple CSV files at a single time, and the procedure could also be lengthy and time-consuming.

Bottom Line:

Outlook plays an essential role in the software industry. However, users may get stuck and face errors such as Outlook contacts not being available in the address book. We have discussed the most feasible solution to fix this error efficiently.

outlook-pst-repair