Address book import from csv file gets empty address book
I have a .csv file created from a Windows "Contacts" window. It contains some four hundred entries, each consisting only of a Name and Email address. The first line of the .csv file says "Name,Email"; the entries are separated by returns and the fields within them by commas.
When I import from it intoThunderbird, I say to import an address book from the file, and to import only Display Name and Primary Email fields. When the import runs, it's very fast and no errors are shown. The new address book appears among the Thunderbird address books, but it's empty.
Thanks, Joe Nelan
Chosen solution
To import an address book, try these steps:
From TB, click on 'Address Book' (or 3-bar menu -> Tools -> Address Book).
In the list of address books in the left pane, click on the one you want to import (or use 'Personal Address Book').
From the menu bar, select Tools -> Import. An new window 'Import' will open.
Click on 'Address Books' and 'Next'.
Highlight 'Text file', select 'Next'.
Near the lower right corner change LDIF to 'Comma separated'.
Navigate to the folder where your CSV file is located. Left click on it once. Click on 'Open'.
For CSV, there is no standard for the number or order of the fields. The screen you see allows you to "match up" your input with the fields in TB. As far as matching up the fields, you have two columns: one from your CSV names, and one from TB. What you are trying to do there is make First name go to First name, Last name go to Last name, etc. If you are lucky, they will already be matched up. But if not, you can click on one and move it up or down in the list until it is across from the corresponding field name. This will get names, email, phones, etc into the right places. Make sure the fields you want are checked and the ones you don't want are unchecked. Once you have everything set, click OK.
Note 1: the file name of your CSV file will become the name of the address book (e.g. AddrBook.csv will produce an address book named 'AddrBook'). Note 2: when you first look at the imported address book, it may be empty. Click on another one (such as 'Personal Address Book') and then go back to the imported one.
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Chosen Solution
To import an address book, try these steps:
From TB, click on 'Address Book' (or 3-bar menu -> Tools -> Address Book).
In the list of address books in the left pane, click on the one you want to import (or use 'Personal Address Book').
From the menu bar, select Tools -> Import. An new window 'Import' will open.
Click on 'Address Books' and 'Next'.
Highlight 'Text file', select 'Next'.
Near the lower right corner change LDIF to 'Comma separated'.
Navigate to the folder where your CSV file is located. Left click on it once. Click on 'Open'.
For CSV, there is no standard for the number or order of the fields. The screen you see allows you to "match up" your input with the fields in TB. As far as matching up the fields, you have two columns: one from your CSV names, and one from TB. What you are trying to do there is make First name go to First name, Last name go to Last name, etc. If you are lucky, they will already be matched up. But if not, you can click on one and move it up or down in the list until it is across from the corresponding field name. This will get names, email, phones, etc into the right places. Make sure the fields you want are checked and the ones you don't want are unchecked. Once you have everything set, click OK.
Note 1: the file name of your CSV file will become the name of the address book (e.g. AddrBook.csv will produce an address book named 'AddrBook'). Note 2: when you first look at the imported address book, it may be empty. Click on another one (such as 'Personal Address Book') and then go back to the imported one.
Did you mark import just address-book? Did you find the .csv-file (search lists LDIF as default) Did you x "first record contains field names" Did you pair name and email with the right fields? That should give you a new address-book (within all address-books)