Vista - Impossible to import email addresses

Hi, here's a bug... It's impossible to import your contact's email addresses
from a *.csv file. The Live Mail mapping step doesn't have the "personal"
email, "work" email or "other" email fields that the program uses to
categorize email. There's only an "email address" field to map to, but it's a
black hole. WLM doesn't put it anywhere. Go ahead, give it a try - thanks.
I'm using 14.0.8050.1202

Are you using a Live ID to sign-on or attempting to import contacts from a csv file into the default contacts(no Live ID used for
signon)?

Fyi....a different approach is required for each of the above(Live ID signon or no sign-on) and the source that creates the csv
file also may impact the ability to do import properly.

I've just tested importing 3 separate csv files created by Outlook, Hotmail and WLM. In each case the personal email field is
present.
As an example...
- Hotmail and WLM have some differences(e.g. WLM exports the contact's Job Title, Hotmail does not)
- IM Addresses when importing to the default account do not import(really no significance since they would only function during a
Live ID signon. A Live ID is not in use when using the default contacts.)

--
...winston
ms-mvp mail


"thnewton" <thnewton@xxxxxx> wrote in message news5F492D7-61DE-40DE-ADE5-1FEDBA58586F@xxxxxx

thanks winston, I exported the csv from a large external contact database.
the File is error free and contains 1600 contacts. My point is - despite wlm
having Excellent fields for "personal" email, "work" email and "other"
email, you cannot import data to those fields. Of my 1600 contacts, 75% have
2 email addresses [personal email, and work email] and 10% have a third
address. wlm supports those fields, but doesn't give me a way to import to
them.

"...winston" <winstonmvp@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:#0N7gnzaJHA.1528@xxxxxx

Correct.

--
...winston
ms-mvp mail


"thnewton" <thnewton@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:33C4277F-B781-4D74-ADB5-AD038A47EC18@xxxxxx

I was hoping you wouldn't say that!



"...winston" <winstonmvp@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Omt#XqdbJHA.2320@xxxxxx

If I may ask...repeating an earlier question(unanswered)..
- are you attempting to import this large 1600 contact into a Live ID in WLM or into WLM default contact list which is only
available without signing on with a Live ID ?

Have you attempted to import the contacts(test with a smaller csv file...ie..edit in Excel and delete rows, then save under a
different name) into a new Hotmail Live account to see if those fields import ?

If so, export using Hotmail's interface, then attempt to import into the different WLM account or just use that Live ID to signon
to WLM(the contacts will be sync'ed with Hotmail and Contacts.live.com for that Live ID)

--
...winston
ms-mvp mail


"thnewton" <thnewton@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:C7C81896-5EAE-482D-B178-4452FE29E523@xxxxxx

"thnewton" <thnewton@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:33C4277F-B781-4D74-ADB5-AD038A47EC18@xxxxxx
I wasn't sure whether Winston was saying that exporting to .csv
was a good idea or not... ; )

Or whether the discussion is being limited to what is possible
using the UI.

It looks to me that exporting to XML or just using the API
might produce more options but there isn't much overview
of the potential available from a programmatic solution
for the end user.

Just to take a stab at an answer from that perspective,
for example, we find:

Retrieving an Entire Windows Live Contacts Address Book
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb463964.aspx

Then what would be most interesting to see an example of
and the amount of generality available with it, would be that
API's PUT request.

Updating a Windows Live Contacts Owner Collection
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb463972.aspx
<quote>
This HTTP/1.1 PUT method request can update any field in the Owner collection.
</quote>

E.g. if you could actually update your Address book this way
you could perhaps do it with a script which would iterate through
all of your other contact representations and do whatever conversions
are required. Ideally I would imagine it being possible using an
XML transform or a tool such as Microsoft's Log Parser
but so far with this documentation I am in the classic position
of not being able to "see the forest for the trees". ; )


FWIW I have the impression that these UI are created without first
doing *any* systematic use-case scenario analysis (e.g. using
an OO with UML design approach.) But since it is still a "beta"
product we would probably get the excuse that the necessary
features just haven't been implemented yet.


; )


Robert Aldwinckle
---

Exporting to csv may be a good or bad idea.
A lot of it has to do with a few factors(the op is using the latest beta version of WLM)
- Live ID logon vs No Live ID Logon (still not sure)
- The field headers available in the database exported file vs those in WLM (or Hotmail, or another available program)
- WLM has a limited number of fields for importing(the data is in the csv file being imported, and also in the same contact list
exported, just not visible in WLM).

Since WLM can use any email account as the default, importing into Hotmail(multiple email fields) and using that Live ID for signon
in WLM can be a bridge for the inability to import fields from a csv file into WLM using the default Contacts account(no Live ID
signon).

--
...winston
ms-mvp mail


"Robert Aldwinckle" <robald@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:928402E7-952D-4BB8-B102-8D71B9882CEA@xxxxxx

interesting, thanks winston...
actually I believe my wlm client has been indeed signed on to my live
[hotmail] id every time I've attempted the import using the wlm client,
so...

- I'll retry the import offline and report back
- also attached is a scrubbed mini version of my csv


"...winston" <winstonmvp@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:u33wwslbJHA.6036@xxxxxx

"...winston" <winstonmvp@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:u33wwslbJHA.6036@xxxxxx


I always have difficulty with this abbreviation, especially in this context.
Is WLM Windows Live Messenger or Windows Live Mail? <eg>

FWIW Task Manager right-click, Go to Process finds they
could be referred to less ambiguously as msnmsgr and wmlmail.


Depending on the version of WLM (whatever that is)? <eg>


Robert
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