Missing contact after import from .csv Windows file

[Jason]

I'm testing the import procedures and capabilities of Outlook 2007. I have a
small csv file which has 3 contacts in it. For this particular import I have
allowed duplicates to be created. In the custom mapping area all fields have
been mapped. When I click "next" it moves from the 1st contact to the
second. When I click "next" again it moves to the 3rd contact. However,
when I click "next" a third time it doesn't take me back to the 1st contact.
It takes me back to the 2nd contact, and if I click "next" again it takes
forward to the 3rd contact....moving back and forth between 2 and 3. Only
when I click "previous" it will take me back to the 1st contact. This may be
relevant when I get to my problem, but for now I'm confirming that 3 contacts
are in the .csv file (they are listed in Excel when I open in Excel).

In Outlook I select "import from another program or file" then "comma
separated values (Windows)" then I select the .csv file created (with 3
contacts) then "allow duplicates to be ceated" then I select the contact
folder I want these contacts in. I have three different contact folders to
sort contacts by type.

Afte all of this Outlook only imports contact 2 and 3.....NOT contact 1. I
have tried rebooting, deleting the csv file and reexporting/reimporting...all
with no luck. It won't import the 1st contact in that file.

Any ideas?


Thanks

 

[Karl Timmermans]

By the sounds of things, you have a CSV file with no header row (first
record containing field names for all the columns in the subsequent rows).

Suggest you add a header row, map your fields and then just import the file
without cycling thru the records from the left hand side of the field map
screen. Think you'll find that all of your contacts will be imported
(barring any other issues in your CSV file).

Karl
___________________________________________________
Karl Timmermans - The Claxton Group
ContactGenie - Importer 1.3 / DataPorter 2.0 / Exporter
"Power contact importers/exporters for MS Outlook '2000/2007"
http://www.contactgenie.com

 

[Jason]

Karl, Thanks for the reply. You have me going in the right direction now. I
went back to my "exporting" program and selected "export heading" in the
export process. Now when I go to import into OL 2007 and am in the mapping
window I have some "fields" before the 1st contact. I still have to "next"
to the first contact so I can map first/last name busines addy and phone and
home addy and phone etc etc. When I do the import I get the 1st contact now,
but I also get a contact "first name" "last name". So now instead of
importing 2 contacts I'm importing 4 (3 accurate conatcts and 1 FirstName,
LastName)

I'm definitely on the right track though.

 

[Karl Timmermans]

Not sure I fully understand your description of the problem but taking
Outlook out of the equation for a moment, your exported output file should
have 4 rows (one header row and 3 contact data rows) - just have to open the
file in a text editor or Excel to see what you're getting. Anything other
then that - the issue is with the program creating the file. Other then
that, if the file is correctly constructed, only other thing that I can
think of that may "remotely" even have an impact is your previous mapping
considering that you originally started with a non-header based CSV file
etc. If that's the case, completely clear the Outlook field map and
explicitly re-map all your fields.

Bottomline - if the CSV file is correctly constructed and the fields are
properly mapped - the Outlook import wizard works as advertised for the
functionality included (but it can get "cranky" real quick if there are
errors/exceptions in the file to be imported).

Karl
___________________________________________________
Karl Timmermans - The Claxton Group
ContactGenie - Importer 1.3 / DataPorter 2.0 / Exporter
"Power contact importers/exporters for MS Outlook '2000/2007"
http://www.contactgenie.com

 

[Jason]

So the origin of my contacts could be causing the problem. When I open the
..csv file in Excel I have 5 rows.

In the origin software you have to identify "import/export definitions".
You can have a number of different definitions based on what you want to
export. For now I have one called "CDS Contacts".

Row 1 in Excel contains the definition name.

Row 2 in Excel contains the field names

Row 3-5 in Excel contain the contact details.

So if I unuderstand you correctly OL 2007 is treating row 1 as the header
and picking up row 2 as a contact. Thus the person with the first name
"firstname" and last name "lastname".

I will have to consult with our tech deparment to see is it's possible to
avoid exporting that definition title.

Thanks for your help.

jason

 

[Karl Timmermans]

Seems like the program creating your export file is doing it in some
structure that is required for itself. No program could correctly deal with
your CSV file if it contains 5 discrete records to import 3 contacts with a
header row (total of 4 records).

Simple solution if the export program can't eliminate the extraneous
row- - - - - - - - - - -just open up the file (either in Excel or a text
editor) and delete the needless row then re-save the CSV file.

Karl

___________________________________________________
Karl Timmermans - The Claxton Group
ContactGenie - Importer 1.3 / DataPorter 2.0 / Exporter
"Power contact importers/exporters for MS Outlook '2000/2007"
http://www.contactgenie.com