How-To Geek Forums / Windows 7
How to permantly delete contacts in Windows Live Mail
(25 posts)
hi there Ted16,
i dont know if you came across this already in youre quest to find an answer but i saw quite a bit of info shared in this thread
BUT .......: )
now another possible solution would be to completely uninstall the client (windows live mail), and then reinstall it.
remove it with something like Revo or Ccleaner or IObit.
Please do your due diligence and find out how to properly secure a back up of the emails / contacts (just in case, cause i dont know how windows live mail works) maybe SarahJames can chime in with s'more info on that and weather or not its necessary.
then make sure to download the latest version of Windows Live Mail ***AND*** pay close attention during the re-installation and make sure to set the proper / desired permissions for synching contacts from accounts.
Ok, what I've got so far:
- I have no trouble creating or deleting contacts in WLM.
In WML go to contacts > you can add or delete contacts there and for me (but I'm on Vista ánd I only use hotmail in WLM) that works ok.
However if you have added a contact to you profile, which means they are on your network I haven't found out how you can change that. (Have two contacts like that who appear on my profile page apparently - which I don't want and I don't have a clue how to undo it!)
You can see that by going to hotmail.com and logging in.
Because WLM is primarily meant for hotmail and your contacts are stored there, it might also be that you can only delete contacts when using a hotmail or 'live' emailadress. In that case I think it is simplest to just login to hotmail and delete the contacts from there.
If all this won't help, I'll also post how to backup WLM emailmessages.
To Backup WLM data you'll have to find the folder where WLM stores it's data.
By default it is something like C:\Users\*username*\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail
But in WLM you can set your own default folder, so if you can't find it, open WLM > tools (little icon with a window and an arrow)> options>advanced>maintenance>store folder
Inside the folder you find all kinds of subfolders.
If you want to be able to restore everything, just copy the entire folder to another location and your safe ;)
If you're looking for just the emails of a particular account:
there are folders with the name (or part of the name) of you email accounts.
I have one called "Hotmail" (very original, I know LOL LOL LOL), so I have a subfolder "Hotmail (se 742"
Inside are the subfolders for this account, like send, inbox, drafts etc.
In there you can find all the emails sent to and from this particular account.
So far I haven't found a way to 'export' contacts like you can in Outlook Express or Windows Mail,
but this is because contacts are also stored in the cloud, so whenever you login on another computer your contacts will appear there too.
Which makes me think yet again you'll have to get in the cloud (= go to hotmail.com of live.com or whatever it is these days LOL) to delete contacts ...
Let us know how you fare - still a subject we need to learn more about ;)
good that you heard the call SJ : )
i figured if anyone can help make sense of this mess it'd b u LOL
hey yo u know i think that there-in lies the answer .....
logging in at hotmail.com / live.com and deleting from there.
i kinda got that feel'n too when i read that thread that i put in that link a couple posts back.
you just reaffirmed it.
Ted16, post back with the results cause i saw a few instances where other people had the same question.
LOL - mfletch.
You had me looking and looking. Finally found I didn't have the menubar visible. <Sigh> This WLM is a never ending learning thing ...
Just spend the the best part of an hour trying to find out how to remove a contact from my profile without deleing the contact.
Seems to be a mission impossible. I ended up here and if you follow the instructions you end up at .... exactly the same page! It's a loop!
But in the process I tried to delete the contact and was unable to do so.
I had to go to hotmail.com ánd close Messenger completely. But as soon as I tried to add the contact again without being marked 'friend' or showing up in my network disappointment was strife, because the contact would show up again like it was before.
So I deleted it again and only put the info in Messenger.
Still no luck.
The moment that person came online the old data reappeared.
But as an answer to Ted: delete the contact from hotmail.com ánd make sure you exit WLM ánd Messenger before you get to hotmail.com otherwise they just come back like before.
It's really quite exasperating and once again confirms my notion of 'Live' being incredibly intrusive.
Thanks Sarah et al
Have passed on the info. Should note he is NOT using Hotmail but talktalk. At least he now knows it is not just him finding it hard.
Have not read it all my self but can understand if the info is in the cloud then it is no good just deleting the contacts in the PC.
I will be taking Windows Live Mail off of my daughters and Granddaughters and revert to Windows Mail,at least until things become a bit clearer.
Sarah you are the lady.
Many thanks,
Ted
PS I wish I could spell permanently LOL
@Ted: Add this to FF... https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/58947/
LOL!!!
Kate
Thanks Kate,
Interesting programme, I am using I.E 8 but my brother uses FF and keeps trying to get me to use it. I have got Chrome as a back up to IE which I use now and then.
Might treat myself to one of those Electronic Dictionaries, in the meantime pass me my Collins Shorter English Dictionary. LOL
Ted
Sarah, Kate I bow before your wisdom and will give it a go, plus I could never refuse the entreaty of a lady.LOL
Ted
Edit. Have downloaded it, very quick compared to IE so will see how I get on. It asked if I wanted everything transferred from IE and I said yes but it missed the HTG password so might have to reset all the others.
Ted
Ooh!!! we nagging wooomen!!!!!Lol!!!. It will start asking if you want passwords saved every time you enter a new one or change one,this is great cos you can just look, so before you start changing any do this.
Tools >option>saved password>show password >are you sure>YES....and you get your list, so you can always check any password you have set and amend if neccessary.
Lots of lovely new ADD ons for you to find and use.
ENJOY.
Kate
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