Vista - Making WLM use Vista contacts

Hi folks
What I would like to do is to have WLM use my Vista contacts folder rather
than it's own (or sync it's own to the Vista folder so they are the same).
Windows Mail seems to use Vista contacts directly but WLM doesn't
(presumably as part of the security of syncing with Windows Live). Does
anyone know of a way of asking WLM to use Vista contacts directly.

I did see a post from around a year ago that used a technique of deleting
the contacts folder in WLM and then using a 'Default' link to point to the
windows contacts folder but that had an issue with contact groups and i
would like to be able to use groups.

Other than that I'm loving WLM and would be very reluctant to have to drop
back to Windows Mail.

thanks

Rich

FWIW I've being playing a bit more with this using the redirect trick which
involves replacing the 'Default' folder of the WLM Contacts folder with a
link to the Contacts folder for the User in Vista. Then, as expected, the
contacts in WLM are the same as the Vista contacts and you can edit them
successfully.

If you then create a group in Vista you can see the group in WLM but it
appears empty.
If you create a group in WLM you can see it in Vista but it is empty.
However, you CAN use this group for mailing in WLM and if you edit one of
the group contacts in either WLM or Vista the changes are correctly seen in
the group.

So, you can use groups as long as you create them from within WLM and use
them in WLM. that's good enough for me

Rich

<richard@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:#IaLJDuYJHA.5828@xxxxxx

HI Richard.. could you tell me exactly how to sync my vista contacts and
calender ( if possible) with WLM please? i asked about this a day ago and was
told the two don't work tigether. please advise....sean

"richard" wrote:

Hi Sean

I don't know about calendar but contacts works just fine. However I am not
using it with Windows Live, Just with gmail so it may not work for you but
give it a try. The trick is to point WLM at the folder where the vista
contacts for the user are stored. I have actually moved it from the normal
location because I want to share it with someone else but the instructions
below should still work:

1. Use windows explorer to go to the folder where WLM stores its contacts.
You can find this from Options/Advanced/Maintenance and normally it is at
C:\Users\<your name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail
You can either use window explorer to get there or just press the windows
key and type it in. If using explorer you may need to change your folder
settings to view hidden folders if you can't see it

2. Now go to the subfolder called Contacts

3. Because I am not logged in to Windows Live my contacts are in a subfolder
called 'Default'. If you are logged into Windows Live you will probably
have a folder with your login name that contains your contacts. I'm not
sure if this will work for you (. What I did is to delete the Default
folder containing my WLM contacts

4. Now I right click in the the Contacts folder (where I deleted Default)
and select 'New/Shortcut'

5. Now you have to Browse to the location for the shortcut which is the
location of your Vista contacts folder. Normally this is C:\Users\<your
name>\Contacts

6. Click Next. You will then be asked to name the shortcut and you should
name it 'Default'. Click 'Finish'

That you do it. We have replaced the 'Default' folder where WLM placed it's
contacts with a link to the folder where Vista puts the contacts for the
same user. This seems to work (except for Groups as I said in my earlier
post).

FWIW I didn't do step 5 exactly as written, I dropped into a cmd prompt in
admin mode and used the 'mklink /d Default C:\Users\<your
name\Appdata...etc' command but the shortcut looks exactly the same. Tell
me if it doesn't work for you

Good luck

Richard

<richard@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:#IaLJDuYJHA.5828@xxxxxx

Whichever approach you decide...fyi...the next version of WLM has a different location for Contacts and also uses a database file
approach rather than individual files, and unlike the current method used in 12.0.1606(your version), the Contacts folder is common
to Windows Live Messenger.

--
...winston
ms-mvp mail


<richard@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:#IaLJDuYJHA.5828@xxxxxx

Is Version 2009 (Build 14.0.8050.1202) using a database file?
If the current beta is not using a database file, then which version will
have the database?
--
Ronald Sommer

"...winston" <winstonmvp@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:#QxtD36YJHA.5108@xxxxxx

Thanks for that Winston. It sounds like doing this may be a waste of time
then (. Pity really as I was enjoying the WLM. I guess I'll need to wait
and see if the new contacts can be indexed by Vista search but the point of
this was to have contacts both searchable and also to be able to sync them
to my phone with Mobile Master. Maybe it's back to Windows Mail for me (

Rich

"...winston" <winstonmvp@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:#QxtD36YJHA.5108@xxxxxx

I've not tried synchronizing anything WLM with a mobile phone(I restrict that to my Outlook contacts, which also sync with my iPod
Touch)... but if I come across some information that is available and helpful I'll try to remember to post it.

I mentioned the change since I'm not exactly sure whether or not the current or the next full release version will accomplish your
sync request alone, tweak, magic, or brute force...and didn't you to go down a path of short term success(if at all possible) and
find long term failure is inevitable.

I do know that Vista's Contacts can be exported to a csv file and imported into WLM for use in a given signed on Live
ID(sychronized with Hotmail or Messenger) or the Default account. Additionally, Outlook which can access Live ID accounts(hotmail,
live, msn) when the Outlook Connector is installed has access to all Live ID account Contacts in any account setup in the
OLC(unlike WLM which can only access the signed on Live ID' contacts).



--
...winston
ms-mvp mail


<richardatpepp.com> wrote in message news:OYLbWs7YJHA.556@xxxxxx

Ron...I should have made that clearer..

Yes, 1202 is using a database(it's a hidden folder) and consistent with the last beta(0908)version, and unlike WLM rtw(12.0.1606,
Nov '07). The database approach has some other differences and in this beta some unfortunate results when compared to the Nov '07
RTW version:
- see attached pic for what it looks like
- a bit large in size compared to the rtw 1606. Each Live ID has its own unique folder and database(to put this in
perspective--the Live ID I used for WLM1606 has 33 contacts all contact folders total about 3.5MB, a csv export is about 20KB). In
Version 14(1202) that same Live ID's 33 contacts require almost 10MB.
- integration(Contacts folder is common to WLMsgr and WLM); no longer a 'Contacts' subfolder in the \..\Microsoft\Windows Live
Mail folder
- afaik since it's a db file it appears that individual contacts are not viewable in Windows Explorer
- And a personal pet peeve complaint(importing a csv file into the Default(when not signed on with a Live ID)yields the same lack
of information that the last beta had(I.e. Contact and IM fields are blank and void of information, manual entry required). It does
not matter of the source that created the csv file(WLM, WM, Hotmail, or Outlook- if imported into the Default yields an empty email
and IM data field)
* Fyi....if that same imported csv file is viewed in Excel the fields are present; the fields are also present if exported from
the default and viewed in Excel as csv file. Hopefully it will be resolved in the final version(it should have been in this beta)
especially since a lot of folks would like to import Contacts into the default account, avoid manual reentry and operate without
having to sign-on with a Live ID.

--
...winston
ms-mvp mail


"Ron Sommer" <rsommer@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:#$EjXi7YJHA.1964@xxxxxx

Ron...I should have made that clearer..

Yes, 1202 is using a database(which you probably know a hidden folder) and consistent with the last beta(0908)version, and unlike
WLM rtw(12.0.1606, Nov '07). The database approach few other differences when compared to the Nov '07 RTW version:
- see attached pic
- a bit larger in size compared to the rtw 1606. Each Live ID has its own unique folder and database
* to put in perspective--the Live ID I used for WLM1606 has 33 contacts all contact folders total about 3.5MB, a csv export is
about 12 KB). In Version 14(0908 and 1202) that same Live ID's 33 contacts require almost 10MB.
- Integration(Contacts folder is common to WLMsgr and WLM); no longer a 'Contacts' subfolder in the
\....profile...\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail folder with additional subfolders(Live ID\real and \new)
- afaik since it's a db file it appears that individual contacts are not viewable in Windows Explorer


--
...winston
ms-mvp mail


"Ron Sommer" <rsommer@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:#$EjXi7YJHA.1964@xxxxxx