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how to export address book in .vcf (vcard) format

  • 12 replies
  • 12 have this problem
  • 375 views
  • Last reply by Dog_is_all.

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I'm trying to export my address book to my Internet Provider's Webmail, but this prog will only accept the Vcard or .vcf format, not ldif or csv. Do I need to search for a conversion program?

I'm trying to export my address book to my Internet Provider's Webmail, but this prog will only accept the Vcard or .vcf format, not ldif or csv. Do I need to search for a conversion program?

Chosen solution

Try this addon: MoreFunctionsforAddressBook the download link is at the bottom.

download the .xpi file to your desktop or downloads folder.

How to Install In Thunderbird Tools > Addons OR Menu Icon > Addons

  • click on gear wheel icon and select 'Install addon from file'
  • locate the .xpi file you downloaded and click on Open
  • restart Thunderbird.
  • click on 'Address Book'
  • right click on an address book
  • select: MorefunctionsforAddressBook > Export > as vcard
Read this answer in context 👍 4

All Replies (12)

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Chosen Solution

Try this addon: MoreFunctionsforAddressBook the download link is at the bottom.

download the .xpi file to your desktop or downloads folder.

How to Install In Thunderbird Tools > Addons OR Menu Icon > Addons

  • click on gear wheel icon and select 'Install addon from file'
  • locate the .xpi file you downloaded and click on Open
  • restart Thunderbird.
  • click on 'Address Book'
  • right click on an address book
  • select: MorefunctionsforAddressBook > Export > as vcard
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VMT for your response. The problem is resolved.

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Where is my address book stored so I can add it to my backup programs? I've been searching for hours. Thanks!

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suefordyce said

Where is my address book stored so I can add it to my backup programs? I've been searching for hours. Thanks!

There is a file 'abook.mab' in a folder inside .thunderbird , but it's probably easier to export the address book to a file and save each time you back up or change the book. ie go to Address Book/Tools/Export

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Thanks for your reply, roodog46. I searched everywhere and couldn't find the file "abook.mab." I've been exporting my address book and saving that file when I back up. It is an .LDIF file, and although I searched everywhere on the web, I couldn't find anything to open it with to check it except "AdExplorer" - however, I couldn't get it to download. I'm just afraid that if I lose my address book, I wouldn't be able to import the .LDIF file into my email program. I will try the solutions suggested above on how to export the address book into a .vcf file and see if I can read it that way. Thanks very much!

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I forgot to ask what OS you are using. I'm using Linux, so if you are on Win x my reply wouldn't help. I started this thread to see if I could get help to convert my sis's add book, as she is now using Win 10 & a webmail prog. In the end I used the Tbird addon MoreFunctions mentioned above to export the address book to vcard format and then imported into her webmail.

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Hello roo-dog46 and Toad-hall, Well I am, like so many others it seems, having trouble exporting my address book, a usually simple, quick process as I have done it many times before, from T-Bird into my web mail, that I have now converted to IMAP. Like so many others, the Comcast web mail only accepts, well everything but what T-bird allows, except csv, which now T-Bird doesn't export properly (no names, email addresses, etc. at ALL). So I d/l'd the More Functions for Address Book add-on and guess what? the "Export" function is unavailable, grayed out. Only the two import functions are available! I have been working on a simple two minute process now for TWO hours, and still can't freakin' complete this. The Comcast email web site claims to make it "fast and easy" to import address books from many formats, including .csv and .vcf files, as well as from most of the common web mail sites such as Gmail, (which also doesn't work because of some gobbledy-gook about 0Auth 1.0 and 0Auth 2.0, then doesn't TELL you how to CHANGE from one to the other!)

But, what I really want to do, is simply export from T-Bird to the Comcast web mail site! This should NOT be this difficult! Using Win 7 Home Premium 64. Comcast support couldn't help (Tier 2!), and there is basically no such thing as Google help (except for Google Play Store where you MIGHT be spending some money, so of COURSE there's support there!)

So, why wouldn't that add-on enable the "export as v-card' function??

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Are you selecting an address book or All Address Books. If the later that is your problem.

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Hello Airmail,

Actually, I tried from all three entries, All Address Books, Personal Address Book, and Collected Addresses, and it happens as I explained on all three.

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First off, forget All Address Books. It is not a real address book but just a marker to show all address books. You cannot do an export of that.

So you are saying that selecting Personal Address Book, Tools-Export does not work?

I am not sure what is wrong with your More Functions menu. The menu on my system has all 4 choice active.

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Airmail,

I, uh, kinda figured out that All address books wouldn't work all by myself. But as the screen print I provided shows you, the option is unavailable. And now I see we have a "me too" poster. So, it seems, I am not the only one. So, once again, technology wins; what should have taken me less than 2 minutes, and has in the past, has now taken up hours of my time, and I still can't simply import/export an address book.

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Quick update, I just installed the add on on my desktop, rather than the laptop I had already installed it on, both running the same Win 7 Home Premium 64. On the desktop all options are available, so I was able to export the two actual address books as .vcf files. Unfortunately, Comcasts webmail site still thinks they are "invalid files". as it thinks ALL files both .vcf and .csv are, and it won't allow an import from Gmail due to that 0Auth 1.0 to 2.0 thing I mentioned in an earlier post.

At least I got the add on to work on one of my pc's!