Outlook 2019 : how to completely replace address book

fergusd said:

I have put a lot of work into refining a .VCF (not .CSV) file - removing duplicates / irrelevant entries and including all required.
(Actually, for my phone.)
Conversely, my Outlook 2019 address book is full of duplicates / irrelevancies and has many missing.
Is there a way I can upload the new .VCF file and replace (definitely NOT augment!) my Outlook address book?

Edition Windows 10 Pro
Version 21H2
OS build 19044.1566
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.4170.0

Office 2019 MSO (Version 2201 Build 16.0.14827.20198) 64-bit

I have a feeling that you need to convert your data to CSV first as this Microsoft article explains.

To avoid a messy duplication occurring, that seems to suggest, to my mind anyway, that you first need to empty the current Outlook address database so that the import will only store the new data.

Best wishes. Hope this helps!

Christophe

Fergus,

1 Does your phone give you an export to csv option? {You'd need to delete all phone contacts then import the vcf you've been working on so the phone's contacts were what you wanted.}
2 Do you use an MSAccount on both phone & computer? I believe that would give you the option of syncing the devices - I thought that was one of the points of using MSAccounts [I don't use them myself].
3 Doesn't the Windows 10 Your phone app give you a syncing capability from the phone? Again, I don't use it myself.
4 Is the phone an Android? The app MPE definitely does allow you to sync between the phone & the PC. It's what I use. It seems a shame to learn a new app just for what might be a one-off job though. MPE is very capable, it can also sync MSOffice Outlook Calendar [and Tasks & Notes] and you can set it up to sync whatever files you want as well. Do you have any need to sync between them that would make it worth learning a new app?

All the best,
Denis