# Can't find recently added contacts in Outlook



## hbograd (Dec 3, 2014)

After I add new contacts to Microsoft Office and save them, I can't find them again when I search for them.

I know that I've saved them, because when I fail to find them, I re-create the new contact, and then Outlook tells me this is a duplicate. It then shows me the information I'd previously entered and offers to merge the old and new contacts.

I use Microsoft Outlook 2007 for contacts and calendar, but not for email. My PST file is about 350,000 MB. I've been using it for many years, with extensive notes for many contacts. Today I compacted the file.

I don't know if it is relevant, but from time to time I sync my contacts and calendar with Deja Office on my Android phone.

Any advice on what is happening and how to fix this so I can find recent contacts that I've entered into Outlook Contacts?

Thanks.

Harriet


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Make sure you've expanded the folder list as the folder containing the list you're adding your contacts to might be found there.


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## hbograd (Dec 3, 2014)

I'm not completely sure what you mean by expanding the folder list, but I think I've done that.

I have also found that I have different versions of my calendar with some events on one but not the other.

Then I used "search everything" and found I have two hbograd.pst files that have both been updated in the last day. One is in the location specified for "personal folders" when I go to data file management either by clicking on the file menu or by going to tools, account settings. data files.

The other copy of the pst file is in a folder labeled "new files after crash" where I kept my outlook files after my hard drive crashed and before Carbonite had finished restoring the rest of my hard drive. This .pst file is not listed in the data file management area. It has 438 MB, and was last updated at 10:23 am this morning. The other file has 371 MB, and was last updated at 6:06 pm today.

Again, I only use Outlook for calendar and contacts not for email.

Could it be relevant that I occasionally sync my contacts and calendar with deja contacts and deja calendar on my Android phone?

Thanks.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Combine the two .pst files. Might have to create a third to do it since they have the same name. I'm not sure.


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## hbograd (Dec 3, 2014)

Can someone explain how to combine two .pst files? Do I do this from within Outlook or somewhere else? Does this work even though one of the files is not listed in the data management area nor in the lists of folders in Outlook?

Also, if I combine two .pst files, will I then have thousands of duplicates? Do you recommend a tool to remove duplicates?

I'm mystified that outlook is currently saving to two different directories on the same day. Are you saying that combining the files will solve this problem? Once I combine the files, should I remove the second .pst file from one of the directories?


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Before taking the next step, I might have missed something. I assumed different Email was in each .pst file. If there's duplication, it still might be necessary to combine, however there might be a different solution.


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## hbograd (Dec 3, 2014)

Corday,

May I ask you to re-read my messages?

There are no emails at all in my .pst files, only contacts with long notes and calendar entries. I only had one .pst folder until my hard drive crashed last May. It already had more than 3,000 contacts. Then, while restoring to a new hard drive from an online backup, I temporarily kept my .pst file in a directory off the root directory so that there was no risk that it would be overwritten by the restore process.

Now for a mysterious reason Outlook seems to be updating both .pst files but not consistently. But if I combine them, I might be duplicating more than 3,000 contacts.

Something seems corrupted or confused. Any ideas?


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## hbograd (Dec 3, 2014)

To be clear, after the restore was completed, I told Outlook to start using the pst file that was back in my usual location, and I told it that location in the data management dialogue.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Latest Backup>File>Open>Outlook Data File. Folder list will allow browsing. If it's correct, set it as the default delivery location.
All we've been doing could be negated if your restoring from Carbonite wasn't imported properly. Also, I would remake your Outlook Profile.


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