How To Export Email Addresses: AOL to Outlook

How To Export Email Addresses: AOL to Outlook
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Time to Quit AOL Email?

Moving from one email provider to another or one email client (software application) to another can be difficult. There is the job of exporting messages from one service or application, importing them into another and then there is the matter of managing contacts.

If you have moved your emails from AOL to another provider, or you’re planning on viewing AOL email messages in Outlook, you will probably want to move your contacts as well. This should be simple as there are various ways to import contacts into Outlook.

This isn’t necessarily as simple as it might sound. While the current AOL mail allows you to export messages, AOL messenger (AIM) uses its own method of storing contacts data, so you can’t just drag your contacts from this. However you can send contacts from AIM into AOL mail and then export messages from AOL mail into Outlook.

Exporting Email Addresses from AOL to Outlook

Luckily it isn’t too difficult to perform this task. Begin by visiting www.aol.com and signing into the AOL email. Once signed in, go to the Contacts screen (the menu is on the left hand side) and you will be asked if you want to import contacts from AIM.

Agree to this and wait while the process completes. It shouldn’t take too long unless you have a lot of contacts!

Once done, go to Contacts > Tools > Export and choose an export file type. CSV is recommended. Click Export and then save the file to your PC.

You will then be ready to use the export file with Microsoft Outlook , allowing you to import and organize your contacts!

Screenshot by author

Importing Email Address from AOL into Outlook

As with importing email addresses from any other location into Outlook, you will need to be careful where you import your contacts to. By default, Outlook will suggest you import into the Outlook Data File, but if you don’t use this (for instance if you use IMAP email accounts which have their own data file) you won’t be able to find the contacts when added.

To avoid this from happening, keep an eye on this option and don’t just rush through the import process.

Begin the import via the menu path File > Options > Advanced > Export. Here select Import from another program or file, click Next and select Comma Separated Vales (Windows). Click Next again and then Browse for the export file you created earlier. Decide how you wish to treat duplicates and then click Next – you then select your destination folder. As described above, don’t necessarily choose the default option here.

Once this has been chosen, the import is ready to be performed and when completed you will have all contacts from your AOL email account (and perhaps your AIM account as well) imported into Microsoft Outlook!

References

Author’s own experience.