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How to recover a contact list that vanished from Microsoft Outlook

November 19, 2015 at 7:12AM

Q: I've lost my contact list from Microsoft's Outlook.com online e-mail service, and I can't re-enter it manually. But I still have a copy of the contact list on my phone. What can I do?

Marilyn Caron, Grand Rapids, Minn.

A: Your Outlook.com contacts are automatically backed up to Microsoft's OneDrive cloud storage service, and you can restore them to your e-mail if you act within 30 days of the loss (see tinyurl.com/pmvyf2p). If that doesn't work, you can transfer the contacts from your phone to your computer, and from there to your online Outlook.com account. Unfortunately, it's not free.

To export Android phone contacts to a PC that has Microsoft's Outlook program, you can use the $40 Android Transfer program (see tinyurl.com/q3zwvhq and tinyurl.com/qbzsuzm). The result will be a CSV, or "comma separated values" file, on the PC.

To transfer iPhone contacts to a PC, download the $20 CopyTrans Contacts program (tinyurl.com/nqpxgbk) or the $40 MobileTrans program (tinyurl.com/pnnehd6). In CopyTrans, choose all your contacts, click "export selected," select "Outlook (single.csv file)," then choose to export to "this PC." In MobileTrans, choose "Import/Export," then "Export all contacts," then "to CSV file."

You can then use Outlook.com to "import" your contacts from the Outlook PC program. In Outlook.com, click the rectangle at top left, and choose the People icon. Under "add people to your contact list," click "start import," choose "other," then "choose file."

Q: I lost Internet access after upgrading my PC to Windows 10. I reversed the upgrade to Windows 7 but never regained Internet access. I get the error message "DNS server not responding," but the same Internet connection still works for my tablet computer. Any ideas?

Jeff Koschmeder, Champlin

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A: I suspect that Windows 10 has changed your PC's DNS (domain name server) settings, creating problems for Windows 7. To change your DNS settings back to what Windows 7 requires, use your tablet to go to tinyurl.com/psz4ehf. If that doesn't work, you'll find a more elaborate list of possible fixes at tinyurl.com/pfat6un.

Q: My Canon printer worked fine before I upgraded to Windows 10. Now, when I try to print a series of pages, only one page is printed. What should I do?

Paul Ehrhard, Hastings, Minn.

A: The most common solution is to download a Windows 10 software driver for your printer. Either let Windows 10 find the driver (see tinyurl.com/ncyeo87) or go to Canon's software driver website, tinyurl.com/pex2naf, and type in your printer's model number.

E-mail tech questions to steve.j.alexander@gmail.com or write to Tech Q&A, 650 3rd Av. S., Suite 1300, ­Minneapolis, MN 55488. Include name, city and telephone number.

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