Solved Problem: Contacts cannot be opend. „Error during opening the windows-adressbook-file

albert39 · Nov 14, 2010

I use Vista Ultimate (German Language). The messages are perhaps not translated exactly.

Problem: When I open the program „windows-contacts“ (in "All Programs")
and click the folder „contacts“ (in German: „Kontakte“), the folder will be opened, but when I click any contact, or „New Contact“ or „New Contact Group“,
the message appears: "Error during opening the windows-adressbook-file"
(in German: Fehler beim Öffnen der Adressbuchdatei).

This is obviously the reason that Windows-Mail cannot be started.

The error in windows-contacts appears also whe in Windows-Mail is totally removed from the computer (registry and AppData).
This error started after trying to remove the folder „Contacts“ from desktop to D:.

It ist the computer of a friend, but he will thrash me, when his mail-program does not work.

How can I repair (or reload) the „Windows-Contacts“ ?

Thank you for your help.

Albert

mitchell · Nov 14, 2010

Re: Problem: Contacts cannot be opend. „Error during opening the windows-adressbook-

Hello Albert, First thing to look at if this has just happened is trying to do a system restore to a date before the problem occured. Here is a tutorial that can assist you with that;

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76905-system-restore-how.html

IF this is unsuccessful i have had a look at both of your posts. Have a look at the tutorial for SFC this will be a good start. As sfc sometimes can not repair all problems at once you may have to run it three times;

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66978-system-files-sfc-command.html

If i am reading your posts correctly your username/contacts folder is missing? This next tutorial may help with that;

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/148461-personal-user-folder-restore-missing-folder.html

Hope this is of some help

Lorien · Nov 15, 2010

Re: Folder type "contacts" not existing in properties

Hi Albert,

Welcome back to Vista Forums!

It sounds like the Contacts shell folder has been changed to a standard folder or incorrectly moved or was deleted and incorrectly recreated (it cannot be done like normal folders even if put in the proper location). Here are several tutorials that should help fix the problem depending on which is the case (though reviewing all will help you to understand better):

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/90705-personal-user-shell-folders.html

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/107990-personal-user-shell-folders-move-location.html

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/148461-personal-user-folder-restore-missing-folder.html

I hope this helps. If not, please post back and we'll try to dig deeper into the problem.

Good luck!

P.S. I don't think System Restore will help because it does not affect data folders - but as this is a problem with changing a shell folder location incorrectly, it's possible. Also, I really don't think you have a problem with your system files but rather with what you did when you tried to move the folder the wrong way - but if all else fails, it can't hurt to give it a try (but i would try the tutorials in this post to repair the Contacts folder before the other two alternatives as I feel certain this is the cause and those links provide the solution).

mitchell · Nov 15, 2010

Re: Folder type "contacts" not existing in properties

Lorien said:
(but i would try the tutorials in this post to repair the Contacts folder before the other two alternatives as I feel certain this is the cause and those links provide the solution).

As in the third tutorial i posted ??

Lorien · Nov 15, 2010

Re: Folder type "contacts" not existing in properties

mitchell said:
Lorien said:

(but i would try the tutorials in this post to repair the Contacts folder before the other two alternatives as I feel certain this is the cause and those links provide the solution).

Click to expand...

As in the third tutorial i posted ??

Precisely! These threads got merged so our posts overlapped a bit (there were originally two on the exact same issue from the same person and I requested they merge them). The issue here appears to be with how the Contacts folder was moved, so in addition to the link you provided (which is/was right on target, so I said nothing about not trying that option before the other two since it should most definitely be tried), I originally included the two others that are closely related and may apply depending on what was actually done and how the situation currently exists.

It was not my intent to overlook that suggested link or recommend it be deferred until the shell folder corrections had been tried (though it seems it may have unintentionally come out that way even though it is quite appropriate as a shell folder correction link which I believe is the key here - I had included it myself in my original post to the other thread - the P.S. was added after the threads were merged) and I apologize if that was misunderstood. I think the three Shell folder-related tutorials (the one you provided and the two others I included along with yours since it was added in the other thread) will do the trick.

mitchell · Nov 15, 2010

Re: Problem: Contacts cannot be opend. „Error during opening the windows-adressbook-

No problem, my apologies Lorien i did read the OP's other post earlier today before you had responded to it.

Seems i got a bit confused with the merge

sorry

albert39 · Nov 15, 2010

Re: Problem: Contacts cannot be opend. „Error during opening the windows-adressbook-

Thank you michell, thank you lorien!

Your comments seems solve all my troubles.
System restore ist not possible, because the user didn't activate the save-procedure (excuse my english). SFC shows no problems. Therfore to restore the contact folder at the right place should be the best resolution.

I copied the selfmade folder "contacts" from D: to C:/user/username and tried step 1 in
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/148461-personal-user-folder-restore-missing-folder.html .
This folder has of course no location-tab in properties. In step1.2 I found

2. Click on the Location tab. (See screenshot below step 3)
NOTE: If you do not have a Location tab, then this is not the correct user folder and is only a normal folder that has the same name as the user folder. You will most likely need to use OPTION THREE in this case instead.

But there is no OPTION.THREE ! There are only 2 options.

Am I right to delete all (selfmade) "Contact" Folders an follow Option Two ?

Greetings from Austria

Albert

Lorien · Nov 15, 2010

Re: Problem: Contacts cannot be opend. „Error during opening the windows-adressbook-

No, that's an error in the tutorial. I just spoke to the author of that tutorial and he told me the correct answer is to go to OPTION TWO (which he combined with option three but missed that one note).

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Lorien · Nov 15, 2010

Re: Problem: Contacts cannot be opend. „Error during opening the windows-adressbook-

Please note I changed my prior response after speaking to the author of the Tutorial (Brink). What he meant was go to OPTION TWO - so that's what I recommend. You can always go to the other articles if this one doesn't work as they provide different approaches and chances are good at least one will clear up this problem (likely the one you're using).

Sorry my initial reply wasn't correct, but it wouldn't have hurt and now you have the right answer directly from the best source possible. I wouldn't be surprised if you checked and found he'd already changed the tutorial to show the proper information.

Good luck!

albert39 · Nov 15, 2010

Re: Problem: Contacts cannot be opend. „Error during opening the windows-adressbook-

Thank you Lorien!

With your help and some inspiration the laptop ist now running correctly. The advises in the given source are very clear and definite. Thanks to the autor.

Cordially greetings

Albert

Lorien · Nov 15, 2010

Re: Problem: Contacts cannot be opend. „Error during opening the windows-adressbook-

I'm glad we could be of assistance - it was our pleasure. And keep in mind that the tutorial you used was originally recommended by Mitchell in the very first post here (as it was in my first post in your other thread) - so he deserves credit for that and I hope you take the time to thank him with rep in his post as well.

I'm happy to hear that you're problem is resolved. Take some time to at least glance at the other two tutorials on shell folders so if you ever decide to "play" with them again, you do so the right way and don't cause the same or a different problem.

Thank you for the feedback (and the rep) - it is much appreciated. I'm sure Brink will be happy to know his tutorials helped yet another person.

I will request that this thread be marked solved.

And welcome to Vista Forums! Now that you know where we are, bookmark the site and post anytime you have further questions or problems or if you just want to browse and learn (especially the Tutorial section offers some excellent advice on a wide variety of topics) or even if you want to try to help answer a question if you happen to see one where you know the answer and it hasn't already been posted. While it most likely won't be us the next time (though it might), there are many very skilled, experienced, knowledgeable, and friendly people here who, like us, volunteer their time to help others and one or maybe even several will respond to your post to assist you. While there are other forums on the web that do this sort of thing, you've now found what I think is the best (and I've posted in and/or checked out quite a few) so don't lose this link - you never know when it might come in handy again.

Good luck and best wishes.

Solved Problem: Contacts cannot be opend. „Error during opening the windows-adressbook-file

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