Having trouble opening a multi contact vcf file

[Jon_Connelly]

I've been emailed a vcf containing 208 contacts but my Entourage won't open it.

I've tried a number of things already with no avail. These are listed below:

-Double clicking from the desktop = opens a 'new contact' box with only the name of the first contact.

-Used a script (the link to it is <http://scriptbuilders.net/files/makecontactfromvcfforentouragex1.0.html)> . This successfully opened the first contact complete but no others opened.

- Dragging the vcf file from both email and desktop into the Address Book result page.

The vcf file is 324kb if this effects anything.

I've been trawling the internet for a good 2 hours and have come up with nothing.

If anyone knows what I can do with this file please let me know asap.

Thanks in advance

Jon

 

[Ed Kimball]

I've been emailed a vcf containing 208 contacts but my Entourage won't open
it.

I've tried a number of things already with no avail. These are listed below:

-Double clicking from the desktop = opens a 'new contact' box with only the
name of the first contact.

-Used a script (the link to it is
<http://scriptbuilders.net/files/makecontactfromvcfforentouragex1.0.html)> .
This successfully opened the first contact complete but no others opened.

- Dragging the vcf file from both email and desktop into the Address Book
result page.

The vcf file is 324kb if this effects anything.

I've been trawling the internet for a good 2 hours and have come up with
nothing.

If anyone knows what I can do with this file please let me know asap.

Thanks in advance

Jon

Last time I tried dragging a VCF file into the address book, I discovered
that, even though Entourage only displayed the first address, it actually
opened all of them. They appeared with a category that matched the name of
the VCF file. Go into the address book and see if you can find such a
category and the names of the contacts that were in it.

 

[Jon_Connelly]

Have checked my address book and there is no contact(s) with the same name as the vcf file.

 

[Ed Kimball]

Have checked my address book and there is no contact(s) with the same name as
the vcf file.

Not the name. Do a search by CATEGORY. Choose Category is and check the
list.

 

[Jon_Connelly]

I've also searched by category.

Only the first contact from the file is listed under a particular category (My name). (All my other files are category NONE)

This was opened and saved by using the script at the link I mentioned in my first post.

To further annoy myself, I also managed to delete a load of contacts today when syncing my blackberry!! Not a great technology week for me so far!

Any other thoughts on the vcf issue?

 

[Ed Kimball]

I've also searched by category.

Only the first contact from the file is listed under a particular category (My
name). (All my other files are category NONE)

This was opened and saved by using the script at the link I mentioned in my
first post.

To further annoy myself, I also managed to delete a load of contacts today
when syncing my blackberry!! Not a great technology week for me so far!

Any other thoughts on the vcf issue?

Here are the steps that worked for me (in Entourage 2004; if you're using
2008, it might differ):
I received the VCF via e-mail and saved it to the desktop.
I dragged the VCF into the Address Book pane. (Double-clicking on it opened
the first name in Entourage but did not put any of the names in the address
book.)
I used Category Is on the search drop-down menu and found a category that
matched the name of the VCF. It included all the names and e-mail addresses
from the VCF.
If that process didn't work for you, I'm out of ideas.

Sorry about the problem syncing. :-(

Hope your luck improves.

 

[Diane Ross]

Any other thoughts on the vcf issue?

First, I think of a .vcf card as an individual person and not a collection.
You might ask the sender to create them as individual files instead.

What software was used to create the file?

Have you tried using Apple's Address Book to see if it can open the file? If
this works, you can use Sync Services to get the addresses into Entourage.

--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://tinyurl.com/bzcrjy> <-- Entourage mailing list
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/entouragehelp>

 

[Jon_Connelly]

The vcf was created on mac using Entourage. I don't think the person would be using an older mac or version then mine...

Have tried to import/drag and drop to the Apple address book too but to no avail. I go to import vCARDS and it gives me the error message No importable cards were found.

Thanks for your endeavours Diane and Ed.

 

[Ed Kimball]

The vcf was created on mac using Entourage. I don't think the person would be
using an older mac or version then mine...

Have tried to import/drag and drop to the Apple address book too but to no
avail. I go to import vCARDS and it gives me the error message No importable
cards were found.

Thanks for your endeavours Diane and Ed.

I'm not sure I understand. I have not found a way to CREATE a multi-address
VCF in Entourage. I've done it in Mac Mail and successfully loaded those
into Entourage, but Entourage itself (at least the 2004 version) appears to
be limited to creating single-address VCFs.

Have you opened the file in TextEdit or TextWrangler and confirmed that it's
a multi-address VCF?

 

[Jon_Connelly]

The icon arrives as a Entourage icon on the desktop and I believe my sender was using her Entourage?

I have opened it up in Text Edit and it is definitely a mutli contact VCF file. I can see it broken down individually in text edit fine, and you're correct to say earlier that they've all got my name as the 'category'.

 

[Ed Kimball]

The icon arrives as a Entourage icon on the desktop and I believe my sender
was using her Entourage?

I have opened it up in Text Edit and it is definitely a mutli contact VCF
file. I can see it broken down individually in text edit fine, and you're
correct to say earlier that they've all got my name as the 'category'.

Hmmmm. That's exactly the kind of file which I dragged into the address pane
and got all the contacts. I have no idea why it doesn't work for you.

As for which icon is associated with VCF, that's determined by your Mac, not
the sender's. It could have been created in any application that manages an
address book, such as Apple's Address Book. I can not find a way in
Entourage 2004 to create a multi-contact VCF.

 

[Diane Ross]

The vcf was created on mac using Entourage. I don't think the person would be
using an older mac or version then mine...

Have them export as Entourage archive (.rge) under File --> Export.

 

[Jon_Connelly]

I managed to open the file on a friends mac using his Apple address book straight away?!

Have successfully retrieved them now.

FYI: they were all marked with a category of my name if it helps with understanding the case any more.

Thanks for your help Diane and Ed. Very much appreciated. My Mac may just be in need of a tuning or a stroke.....

Thanks again.

Best

Jon