How to restore Outlook contacts gone after Windows 10 upgrade?

The popularity of Windows 10 among computer users continues to grow every month, especially among users of the Windows Operating System. Its rise has seen it hog a staggering percentage of users to itself, and it’s making strides to cement its place as the world’s most-used operating system. Microsoft continues to add new features to the OS to entice users of other Windows versions to upgrade – and it’s been working.

Upgrading to Windows 10 is very easy. The process virtually works on its own. However, things can unexpectedly go wrong and users can find themselves dealing with bizarre problems as a result. One of such problems is the loss of Outlook contacts after upgrading to Windows 10.

This can be a frustrating outcome for something you may have been excited about from the onset. If you’re one of the users facing this issue, you don’t have to worry anymore as there is a solution to this problem. In this article, we’ll show you how to fix Outlook contacts file missing after Windows 10 update.

Why Are All Contacts Gone in Outlook after Upgrade from Windows 8.1 to 10?

Your contacts might disappear due to certain problems encountered during the upgrade process. These problems could include the upgrade mechanism not copying the contacts file correctly. Your Outlook contacts file could also be hidden from the application, which could result in your contacts list not displaying.

It’s important to note that malicious software can tamper with files on your computer, including your contacts file. This is why you need protection software like Auslogics Anti-Malware to keep your files and computer safe.

How Do I Recover My Outlook Contacts after Windows Upgrade?

We’ll show different solutions that will help you recover your contacts. If a solution doesn’t work, simply head over to the next fix.

When you open Outlook, you’ll find an arrow on the home screen. Once you click the arrow, a dropdown list will appear, displaying Microsoft apps and features such as OneDrive, Calendar, People, and Mail. What you have to do once you get here is click People, and you’ll be able to see all your Outlook contacts.

If you don’t get your contacts through the simple method explained above, not to worry, simply follow the steps below to recover your contacts on your Windows 10 PC:

1. Open your Windows 10 Outlook.
2. Click Preferences.
3. Select General.
4. Click the box beside “Hide on my computer folders” to uncheck it. This will make sure your contacts are no longer hidden.
5. Restart your Microsoft Outlook application to complete the process.

How to Fix Outlook Contacts File Missing after Windows 10 Update through the Windows.Old Folder

When you upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 8 or even Windows 7, a new folder called “Windows.old” is created. The new folder contains files from the previous Windows version, including user accounts settings and installed programs. In case you decide to return to your former Windows version, the folder will help you roll back. Also, if there are specific files that weren’t properly copied to your new Windows, you can easily get them back by digging into the Windows.old folder.

You should note, though, that Windows will automatically delete the Windows.old folder after a number of days (usually about a month) in order to free up space on your computer. So, you have to be quick before your files are permanently gone.

To recover your lost Microsoft Outlook contacts, follow these steps:

1. Open your File Explorer by pressing the Windows and E keys on your keyboard together. You can also do this by simply clicking the Start button and clicking File Explorer.
2. Next, click This PC on the left-hand side of the File Explorer window.
3. Open your Local Disk (C:).
4. Locate the Windows.old folder and open it.
5. Open Users.
6. You’ll find a folder with your name. Open it.
7. After this, open AppData.
8. Open the Local folder.
9. Now, open the Microsoft folder, and then open the Outlook folder.
10. This is where you’ll find all your old Outlook data.

Note that the contents of the Windows.old folder, such as data in the Outlook folder, may be hidden. In this case, you won’t be able to see the file you’re looking for. You can, however, access the file by displaying the hidden contents in the folder. To do this, simply right-click the folder, click Properties, uncheck Hidden, and then click Ok.

That’s it. You now have access to your Microsoft Outlook contacts again.

Have you experienced loss of contacts in Outlook after upgrading to Windows 10?

Please share your experience with us in the comments section below!