To transfer Outlook contacts to a new computer, you normally export them from the old Outlook and import them on the new one. If the old setup is gone and only the .ost file is left, Export will not work. Instead you pull the contacts straight from the old OST file, then import them into your new Outlook.
You set up your new laptop and opened Outlook. Your address book is empty. Every contact you built up over the years is missing. They are not lost. They are sitting in a file on your old machine, waiting to be moved.
This guide gets your contacts onto the new PC, even in the hard case where the old Outlook will not open and all you have left is the OST file.
Key Takeaways
- Your contacts lived in the old PC’s data file, not in the new Outlook, so a fresh install starts empty.
- If the old PC still works, export the contacts there, then import them on the new one.
- If the old Outlook is gone, you cannot use Export. You pull the contacts from the old .ost file instead.
- Export as PST to keep everything. CSV is simpler but drops some fields.
- The new Outlook app imports contacts on the People page, not from the File menu.
Why are your contacts missing on the new PC?
Your contacts were never stored inside the Outlook app. They lived in a data file on your old computer, tied to that machine’s Outlook profile. A fresh Outlook on the new PC starts with an empty profile, so there is nothing to show yet.
What happens next depends on your account. If you use a server account like Exchange or Microsoft 365, signing in on the new PC usually syncs your contacts back down on its own. If that worked, you are done. The problem shows up when the contacts were stored only on the old machine. It also shows up when the old account no longer connects. Then the contacts sit in the old OST file and nowhere else, so you have to move them by hand.
Do you still have the old computer working?
Answer this first, because it splits the job into an easy path and a harder one.
If the old PC still turns on and Outlook still opens, take the easy path. Export your contacts there with FileOpen & ExportImport/Export, choose Export to a file, pick the Contacts folder, then copy that file to the new PC and import it. Our guide on extracting contacts from an OST file covers that export in detail.
If the old PC is dead, wiped or the old Outlook will not open, Export is off the table. All you have is the .ost file. The rest of this guide is for you.
How do you move contacts from the old OST file?
When the old Outlook is gone, you go straight to the file. The OST still holds every contact. You just need to open it without the old profile, lift out the contacts, then drop them into the new Outlook. Three steps.
Step 1: Copy the old OST file to your new PC
Get the .ost file off the old machine or its drive. On Windows it sits here. Copy it, do not cut it, so you always keep the original.
Step 2: Pull the contacts out of the OST file
The old Outlook is gone, so its Export menu is not an option. A tool that reads the orphaned OST opens it on its own and lets you export just the Contacts folder to a PST or a CSV file.
Step 3: Import the contacts into Outlook on the new PC
In classic Outlook, use FileOpen & ExportImport/Export, choose Import from another program or file, then pick your PST or CSV. Your contacts land in the new address book.
C:\Users\<OldUsername>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\
The BitResQ OST Converter handles Step 2 even when the file is orphaned, because it reads the OST with no profile and no server. If you only want to read the contacts before you move them, you can also open the OST without Outlook first. For more on handling a file with no account behind it, see opening an orphaned OST file.
The first thing most people try on the new PC is File then Import, pointed at the old .ost file. It never works, because Outlook will not open an OST that belongs to a different profile. That dead end is what sends people in circles. The fix is always the same: turn the contacts into a PST or CSV first, then import that, not the OST.
Is the import different in the new Outlook?
Yes. This trips up a lot of people. Classic Outlook imports through the File menu. The new Outlook for Windows has no File then Import option at all. You bring contacts in on the People page instead, usually from a CSV file.
So the app you set up on the new PC decides the format you need. Going into classic Outlook, a PST is the cleanest. Going into the new Outlook, export to CSV and import it from the People page. Microsoft changed how the new app stores and handles this data, which you can read about in its note on the new Outlook data files.
We see this mix-up weekly. Someone exports a clean PST, sits in the new Outlook app and cannot find an Import button anywhere. There is none. Check which Outlook you are on before you pick the export format. New app means CSV and the People page, every time.
Should you export as PST or CSV?
Both move your contacts, but they are not equal. Pick based on the Outlook you are importing into and how complete you need the result.
| Format | Keeps | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| PST | Everything, including photos, all fields and contact groups | A full move into classic Outlook |
| CSV | The main fields only, no photos | The new Outlook app or other apps and phones |
The short rule is simple. Use PST for a complete move into classic Outlook. Use CSV when you are on the new Outlook app or moving the contacts somewhere other than Outlook.
Final word
So an empty address book on a new PC is not lost contacts. It is contacts left behind on the old machine. Get the old .ost file, lift the Contacts folder out of it, then import it into the new Outlook. The data was safe the whole time, it was just sitting in a file with no app to show it.
One question decides your format before you start. Are you setting up classic Outlook or the new Outlook app on the new PC?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my Outlook contacts missing after moving to a new computer?
Can I move my contacts if the old Outlook will not open?
Where is the old OST file on my old computer?
Should I export my contacts as PST or CSV?
How do I import contacts into the new Outlook app?
Will I lose contact photos or fields when I move them?