Summary: Sometimes there is a situation when you migrate to Office 365 successfully but contacts are left. Here you will find a complete solution for fixing Outlook contacts missing after migration to Office 365.
When you decide to opt for Office 365 from any other source, you must be well prepared. There is crucial data that should not be missed in any case while performing migration. To avoid missing crucial data you should follow the Office 365 migration checklist. If the migration is not done as per the checklist then there are several problems occur. But the major one is the contact missing. Let’s elaborate on the numerous reasons for the missing contacts in Office 365.
Table Of Content
Why are Outlook Contacts Not Showing in Address Book in Office 365?
There are several reasons for Outlook contacts missing and some of the key reasons are.
1. Configuration of address book – If the Outlook address book is not properly configured after the migration or the address book is disabled.
2. Offline Access – If Outlook is configured to work in the offline mode, then contacts are not available in the address book.
3. Sync Issues – Because of synchronization issues between the email servers the Outlook contacts can be missed. This can happen because of network or syncing issues.
4. Corrupted Outlook Data File – If for some reason the data file is corrupted then the contacts are not visible.
5. Improper migration settings – Due to the improper migration settings the Outlook contacts are not migrated successfully.
How to Deal with Outlook Contacts Missing After Migration to Office 365 Using Manual Method?
You can resolve the error of Outlook contacts missing manually by some steps.
Step 1. Verify Outlook Address Book
Before trying any solution to solve missing contacts after migration to Office 365. You need to check whether the Outlook address book is enabled or not after export address book from Office 365. If it is not enabled then make it enabled by clicking on the checkbox with the below steps.
1. Open Outlook and press right-click on the contacts folder.
2. On the Outlook address book tab, enable the show this folder as an email address book.
3. Assign a name and hit OK.
Step 2. Enable Auto-Complete Feature in Outlook
You have to enable the option of auto-complete while writing any message through these steps.
1. Open Outlook and go to File.
2. Select the Options and open the Mail tab.
3. Click the Use Auto-Complete List checkbox to allow names to pop up when you type in the To, Cc, and Bcc lines.
Step 3. Import CSV of Contacts Again
Now, it’s time to go further to resolve Outlook contacts missing after migration to Office 365 issue by importing the contacts again but the file should be in the CSV format.
Go with the below steps.
1. Run the Outlook and then File.
2. Choose Open&Export > Import/Export.
3. Select the Import from another program or file and Next.
4. Add the contacts CSV file by choosing the Comma Separated Values.
5. After selecting the file click on Next and Finish.
Limitations of the Manual Method
If you are solving the Outlook contacts not showing in address book error manually then you have to face the below limitations.
1. You need to import CSV files one by one. You cannot import multiple CSV files at once.
2. Requires to be attentive throughout the process. If any of the steps is missed, then the error of contacts remains the same.
3. It is a time-consuming process.
4. In this method the chances of data loss are also high.
Resolve Outlook Contacts Missing After Migration to Office 365 Professionally
Due to some of the shortcomings of the manual method, the expert recommends the professional VCF Import tool. This tool directly imports all the contacts to Office 365 without converting to the CSV file format. You do not need to be proficient in the technicalities of Office 365 to use this tool.
There is also a smart Date filter to import only the selected data to Office 365. If you want to set the priority to some accounts to import their contacts first, then it is also possible with the inbuilt option of Account Priority in the tool.
Note:- If you already have a PST file of all emails, contacts, and other data. Then you can choose the Outlook as the Source for the complete import process of the PST file to Office 365. Through this, all the data is imported successfully without causing any errors.
Step-By-Step Procedure to Solve Outlook Contacts Not Showing in Address Book
Step 1. Download and Select File System as Source and Office 365 as the destination.
Step 2. Select the option of the contact and enter the path of the VCF file and Next.
Step 3. Complete the destination credentials and Next.
Step 4. Load the users into the tool by using the Fetch users, Import users, and Download template options.
Step 5. After the successful loading of the users into the tool click on Start Import.
Note: – As per the current issue, there can be multiple issues that can be created over time. It is good to always have a backup of Office 365 that can be used further in case of requirement. You can take a backup of Office 365 by using the Office 365 Backup tool to eliminate upcoming challenges and errors.
Conclusion
In this write-up, we have explained the distinct solutions for Outlook contacts missing after migration to Office 365. The manual and professional methods both are elaborated in a detailed manner. You can choose any method at your convenience. However, due to some shortcomings of the manual method, experts recommend a professional solution for the seamless process.