Help, I cannot restore my contacts to Address Book from Time Machine!

kimicollins · kimicollins #1 (**permalink**)

03-25-2011, 06:09 AM

Hello,

I have accidentally managed to delete my address book by somehow hitting the 'sync' button on MS Outlook and then deleting them in Outlook.

Luckily I have Time Machine set up and can go back to retrieve my contacts - here's my problem: I have followed all available instructions, i.e. going to

Library > Application Support > AddressBook > MetaData,

clicking restore, entering my password etc, and my contacts are still not showing up.

Am I just missing a step here or should that have worked? It's getting late, my brain stopped working hours ago so hopefully some one can point me in the right direction!

chscag · chscag #2 (**permalink**)

03-25-2011, 12:32 PM

I'm not entirely sure about this since I don't use Outlook (on my Mac) but I believe rather than restoring the Address Book Meta Data, you should restore the contents back to Outlook.

/Users/your user name/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/

From the above, navigate to where Outlook stores its data and then just restore the entire folder. That should get your contacts back to Outlook prior to when you synced.

schweb · schweb #3 (**permalink**)

03-25-2011, 01:36 PM

You're doing it the hard way.

Open Address Book. Then run Time Machine. Scroll back on the time until you're where you can see all your contacts and click Restore.

bobtomay · bobtomay #4 (**permalink**)

03-25-2011, 07:40 PM

That is pretty slick - didn't know it worked like that.

I still have yet had the need to restore anything from TM.

chscag · chscag #5 (**permalink**)

03-25-2011, 08:56 PM

That is slick. And I didn't know it worked that way either.

Time Machine saved me from an angry wife last month when I accidentally deleted an entire year's worth of our recordings from iTunes. Each recording was over an hour long. If it wasn't for Time Machine I would be looking at a four year hitch with the French Foreign Legion.

bobtomay · bobtomay #6 (**permalink**)

03-25-2011, 09:08 PM

Mail does the same thing. Looks like you can pick anything from a whole account to individual emails to restore. Haven't found another app that does this though. iTunes and Aperture don't open TM that way.

wildbirdsbeyond · wildbirdsbeyond #7 (**permalink**)

08-18-2011, 08:49 PM

I am also needing to restore my Contacts to MS Outlook for Mac 2011. I've never had to restore anything from TM before, either. I clicked on the Contacts tab in Outlook, but not sure how to link to the Outlook Contacts backed up in TM in order to restore them? After clicking the Contact tab, I opened TM, but it just opens to the Finder Window I have open that has nothing to do with Outlook.

Your reply sounds great if I can get it to work!! Thanks for your help!

chscag #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 23, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 31,978 Mac Specs: 21.5" iMac 2.5 GHz i5, iPad 3rd Gen., 3 iPods	03-25-2011, 12:32 PM I'm not entirely sure about this since I don't use Outlook (on my Mac) but I believe rather than restoring the Address Book Meta Data, you should restore the contents back to Outlook. /Users/your user name/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/ From the above, navigate to where Outlook stores its data and then just restore the entire folder. That should get your contacts back to Outlook prior to when you synced. Community Guidelines
	QUOTE Thanks

bobtomay #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 22, 2006 Location: Texas, where else? Posts: 21,796 Mac Specs: 15" MBP 2.33 C2D 256 4GB, MBA 13" i7 1.8, MB 2.0 2GB, Nano 4th, 3GS, iPad 1	03-25-2011, 07:40 PM That is pretty slick - didn't know it worked like that. I still have yet had the need to restore anything from TM. I cannot be held responsible for the things that come out of my mouth. In the Windows world, most everything folks don't understand is called a virus. Place your vote for our Member of the Month
	QUOTE Thanks

chscag #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 23, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 31,978 Mac Specs: 21.5" iMac 2.5 GHz i5, iPad 3rd Gen., 3 iPods	03-25-2011, 08:56 PM That is slick. And I didn't know it worked that way either. Time Machine saved me from an angry wife last month when I accidentally deleted an entire year's worth of our recordings from iTunes. Each recording was over an hour long. If it wasn't for Time Machine I would be looking at a four year hitch with the French Foreign Legion. Community Guidelines
	QUOTE Thanks

bobtomay #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 22, 2006 Location: Texas, where else? Posts: 21,796 Mac Specs: 15" MBP 2.33 C2D 256 4GB, MBA 13" i7 1.8, MB 2.0 2GB, Nano 4th, 3GS, iPad 1	03-25-2011, 09:08 PM Mail does the same thing. Looks like you can pick anything from a whole account to individual emails to restore. Haven't found another app that does this though. iTunes and Aperture don't open TM that way. I cannot be held responsible for the things that come out of my mouth. In the Windows world, most everything folks don't understand is called a virus. Place your vote for our Member of the Month
	QUOTE Thanks

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Help, I cannot restore my contacts to Address Book from Time Machine!

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kimicollins #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 25, 2011 Posts: 2	03-25-2011, 06:09 AM Hello, I have accidentally managed to delete my address book by somehow hitting the 'sync' button on MS Outlook and then deleting them in Outlook. Luckily I have Time Machine set up and can go back to retrieve my contacts - here's my problem: I have followed all available instructions, i.e. going to Library > Application Support > AddressBook > MetaData, clicking restore, entering my password etc, and my contacts are still not showing up. Am I just missing a step here or should that have worked? It's getting late, my brain stopped working hours ago so hopefully some one can point me in the right direction!
	QUOTE Thanks

wildbirdsbeyond #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 18, 2011 Posts: 2	08-18-2011, 08:49 PM I am also needing to restore my Contacts to MS Outlook for Mac 2011. I've never had to restore anything from TM before, either. I clicked on the Contacts tab in Outlook, but not sure how to link to the Outlook Contacts backed up in TM in order to restore them? After clicking the Contact tab, I opened TM, but it just opens to the Finder Window I have open that has nothing to do with Outlook. Your reply sounds great if I can get it to work!! Thanks for your help!
	QUOTE Thanks

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