I am not able to import contacts from Windows Live Mail 2012 into Thunderbird address book.
I am not able to import contacts from Windows Live Mail 2012 into Thunderbird address book. Thunderbird does not accept a .cvs file.
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Thunderbird has accepted .csv files since the dark ages. WLM select Contacts Click Export on the ribbon. Select a file format in the drop-down menu : select .csv.
Methods on importing: If you export the WLM address book as .csv file, you can then import it into thunderbird. Before importing the .csv file, I would recommend you open the .csv file in something like Excel and check/modify the column headers so that they match the names used in Thunderbird. It is not essential to do this, but it does make mapping of WLM column headers to Thunderbird column headers much easier. This link tells you the column headers names used in Thunderbird.
To import: Address Book Tools > Import select 'Address books' and click on next select 'Text file' and click on next map the outlook fields/column headers to the Thunderbird column header fields.
Modified
Actually, I have done these steps several times and still, when I click on address book. they aren't listed there. I am going to assume that they should be listed so I'm trying to figure out where they are. Thoughts?
In 'Address Book', is the left 'Directory Pane' visible? If no: 'View' > 'Layout' > select 'Directory Pane'.
If you can only see 'All Address Books': click on the small outlined arrow to the left of 'All Address Books' to see all your actual address books. 'All Address Books' is not a real address book; it is a virtual address book, like a type of search result.
Can you post an image of your 'Address Book'. At this point I'm only interested in the left pane where the address books should be listed.
Those items in Directory pane are checked but the individual addresses do not show up as a list. Most email programs show the lists of addresses and I assumed yours did as well. Apparently not. The name 'address book' is there, however, the individual addresses are not listed.
It would be helpful if you posted an image showing the address Book Directory Pane.
You should see: 'All Address Books' > 'Personal Address Book' > name of the added address book from csv file > 'Collected Addresses'
If you can see the name of the imported address book, but when you select it, you cannot see any Contacts listed, then this sounds like you have not mapped the fields correctly or they were not prepared in the .csv file prior to importing.
Did you open the .csv file in Excel and manually edit the header columns so that they match exactly the ones used by Thunderbird and removed all unused other header columns? And they were in the same order as listed in the link I provided in previous comment? For example: When adding a contact to WLM, it asks for first name and Last name, but I think (sorry if I'm wrong) it actually stores it in one field called 'Name'. So, does your .csv file only have one column header called 'Name' ? Thunderbird will not recognise this as it has those fields separately. 'First Name' and 'Last Name'.
Please post image of .csv file showing all the Column Headers.
I am unable to post an image as the computer with this problem belongs to one of my friends and I can not reply to you on that computer. I will continue to investigate this issue. Thanks for all your suggestions.