Careful Importing Duplicate Contacts in Outlook (2003 & 2007)

Originally I would have thought this was an issue with Outlook 2003, but the “feature” still exists in 2007.

Here’s the short of it. If you want to add contacts (import contacts) to Outlook from another file, you know these will go into your address book contacts, say, for marketing to them via their first name and email. But here is something important you should know:

Always select Allow Duplicates to be Created. Why duplicate contacts? Here’s why.

Your idea of a duplicate and my idea of a duplicate and Outlook’s idea of a duplicate are all different. You might think that a duplicate is everything the same except a modification date. I might think that a duplicate is everything except the notes.

If you were importing a file where there was 2 Mary’s and each had their own unique email you and I would agree that these 2 are NOT duplicates.

Surprise! Outlook will find duplicates based on the same first name and will lose the second (and third) duplicate entries.

That’s why you should always select to allow duplicates.

Interestingly enough when you attempt to import a duplicate, Outlook will recognize you are attempting to import a duplicate and will give you a menu asking which fields you want (Outlook 2007) or if you would like to update or overwrite.

If you have many, you’ll want some easy mechanism to delete duplicate contacts. But you first have to find duplicates. Teamscope.com has a very cool duplicate remover add-in called “Outlook Scrubber”. It will find duplicates, then help you remove duplicates. I use it and recommend it and it has helped many of my clients. I’m not an affiliate, but would like still tell ‘em I sent you.

http://www.teamscope.com/otherpro/utilities.asp#scrubber

Paul

Tags: add contacts, address book contacts, delete duplicate, delete duplicates, duplicate contacts, duplicate entries, duplicate remover, find duplicate, import contacts, remove duplicates

Contacts & Categories, Outlook Maintenance | admin | February 25, 2009 6:14 am

1 Comment

By Stevenwang, March 10, 2010 @ 9:34 am

You can try Accurate Outlook Duplicate Remover(http://accuratesolution.net/AccurateOutlookDuplicateRemover.htm). It is a free software which can remove Outlook duplicates from Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Notes and Email folders in one click.

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