Windows® 7 Bible

Chapter 21. Managing Names and Addresses

IN THIS CHAPTER

Using your Contacts folder

Creating and managing contacts

Creating contact groups

Importing and exporting contacts

In Windows 7, the Contacts folder is your electronic address book. Each file in that folder is a contact, someone with whom you communicate. It doesn't have to be only people you contact online. You can store anybody's contact information in your Contacts folder. As with pictures, songs, videos, and other documents, each user account has its own Contacts folder. So each person who has a user account can have his or her own collection of names and addresses.

Note

Keep in mind that the Windows Contacts folder and the contacts in it are separate from the contacts in your e-mail program. For example, if you opt to download and use Windows Live Mail as your e-mail program, it has its own set of contacts. Although you can import your Windows Contacts into Windows Live Mail, the contacts are not synchronized. So, if you import your Windows Contacts into Windows Live Mail and then make a change to one of your Windows Contacts, that change will not show up in Windows Live Mail because there are actually two separate contacts.

Why use Windows Contacts? If you are one of the few people who use a computer but don't use e-mail, the Windows Contacts folder provides a place for you to keep your own address book for letters, phone list, and other uses. Or you might use Windows Contacts to store your personal contacts and your e-mail ...