Manage your Outlook contacts

Using the Outlook Express address book

You don’t have to spend time typing in the email addresses of friends or family members every time you want to send a message. Instead, simply use the Outlook Express address book.

Outlook Express is the email program that’s built in to the Windows operating system. It comes with its own address book that can store the contact details of everyone you know. Not only is this useful as a reference tool, but it also means you can easily enter any stored email address into an email message without having to type it manually.

Our step-by-step guide shows you how to enter the details of all of your contacts into the Outlook Express address book, as well as group together particular email addresses. This comes in handy if, say, you want to send a single email to a group of friends or members of a club.

And just so that all of your hard work isn’t wasted if you buy another computer,we also show you how to export your Outlook Express address book and load it on to another PC.

1Add contacts

In Outlook Express, click the 'Addresses' icon on the toolbar. In the Address Book - Main Identity box that appears, click the New icon > New Contact.

2Provide details

In the 'Properties' box, add a name and email address. To edit the 'Display Name', type over it. (To add a postal address, click Home.) Click 'OK'.

To add more, click New > New Contact and repeat this step.

3Create a group

In the Address Book - Main Identity box, click New > New Group to create a group.

In Properties, type a name for the group > Select Members. Double-click each contact's name to add them > OK > OK > Close window.

4Address an email

Back in your Outlook Express inbox, click the 'Create Mail' icon at the top left and click 'To'.

The Select Recipients box will appear. In this box, double-click the contact(s) you want to send an email to. Click 'OK'. Type out the email as you usually would and click 'Send'.

5Edit contacts

To edit contacts, click 'Addresses'. To remove a contact, select their name > Delete.

To change their details, double-click the name. In Properties, click Name > Edit to alter the email address. Click 'OK'.

6Export contacts

Click Addresses > File > Export > Address Book. In the box, browse to the place where you want to save the file (such as a USB Flash drive), give your file a name and type it into File Name > Save > OK > Close window.

7Import contacts

Open Outlook Express on your other PC; you'll need to be able to access the file you saved in step 6. Click Addresses > File > Import > Address Book. Browse to your file, click it > Open > OK. Your address book has now been imported.

8Find a contact

To track down a lost contact (if you've mistyped a surname, say), click Addresses > Find People. In the box, type in either part of a name, address, email or telephone number > Find Now. Double-click the appropriate contact if you want to change their details.

For step-by-step help with using email, including setting up an account, managing your contacts and different email clients, buy Computing Made Easy for the Over 50s.