Problem: When you use Windows 64-bit Fax and Scan application, Outlook's contacts are not available.
Cause: This is because Outlook is a 32-bit application and runs on a WOW layer on the 64-bit operating system.
Outlook 2010 or 2013 64-bit does not include Fax transport as its only supported in 32-bit Outlook. We do not expect Microsoft to release a 64-bit Fax transport for Outlook.
Outlook uses 32-bit MAPI while Fax and Scan is 64-bit. The 32-bit outlook.exe sets the registry key in 32-bit WOW registry (HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Clients\Mail) and it cannot be used by the 64-bit Fax and Scan. Because of this, you cannot view the Outlook Contact list in Windows Fax in Windows 64 bit operating systems.
To use Outlook Contacts with Fax and Scan, you need to export the contact list from Outlook and into Windows Address Book.
Export contacts from Outlook
- File menu, Import and Export menu
- Export to a file
- Select CSV - Comma Separated Values (Windows) format, click Next
- Select Contacts folder, click Next
- Enter a name for your file and finish the export wizard.
Import Contacts into WAB
- Open the Windows Address Book by typing wab in the Start menu's Search field
- Click on the Import button
- Select the CSV file you just exported and complete the wizard.
Outlook 2010 / 2013 64-bit
While this will not be an issue if you use Outlook 2010 64-bit, other add-ins may not work with Outlook 2010 64-bit. 64-bit Fax & Scan will be able to use 64-bit Outlook's Contacts as an Address book.
AOF says
Am I correct in believing that this is only a copy and not actively linked for changes and new entries in Office Outlook?
I have the 32bit Office 2010 and installed 32bit on the advise given by Microsoft when initially releasing Win 10 to Insiders
Diane Poremsky says
Correct, its just a copy and is not linked to new contacts created in outlook.
AOF says
Thanks for that, I have just reinstalled Win 10 and Office in 64 bit. I prefer to keep my files out of the C:\ OS and move them to a separate Data partition and the Contacts are no longer listed, nor can I find a way to reconnect them.
I relinked all the standard Win 10 Docs, Pics etc entries to the new location and then removed the dross before I realise there was no reconnection and my memory fails me as to where the default location was. Any new email entries go to save the .pst at the new location!. A browser search gives conflicting information about the original address and trial and error has failed.
MY THOUGHT WAS THAT RATHER THAN MUCK ABOUT EXPORTING AND THEN IMPORTING IT WOULD BE SIMPLER TO JUST LOCATE A COPY THE .pst TO THE DEFAULT LOCATION and occasionally overwrite the file for updates.
Needless to say I am disgusted at the lack of care shown by Microsoft as a lot of us have been moaning about this since Win 10 started! No Update cure, not even the information regarding 64 bit Office as you give here. I may be among the paranoid few currently, but after the massive number of complaints about lost address book by many user when updating to Win 10, I know it cannot be expressed often enough about backing up and taking care of your own data. 20 years ago I learned that when Windows had a fatal crash it could mean the loss of all my data mixed up in the same partition and had 2 HDD failures (HDD less than 2 years old and not run 24/7 during the 20 year period. Advice I gave recently on Win Community was ignored regarding a simple registry backup and the person concerned had all sorts of problems getting things back to normal.
Doug Mortensen says
I just tried the "public folder as an Address Book" approach, but it seems that it is specifically "public folder as an *email* address book". The net result is that although it appears in Windows Fax & Scan, it does not expose any of the fields besides the contact name and the email address. Even though we have fax numbers in the public folder, these fax numbers do not appear as being usable in Windows Fax & Scan. Bummer...
Diane Poremsky says
That's odd - as long as the fax # is in the fax number field and is recognized as a number, it should be visible.
Which version of Exchange do you use? I'll see if i can repro.
Doug Mortensen says
Exchange 2007 on SBS 2008 Std. Outlook 2013 32-bit on Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit.
Martin Sheridan says
They have a Office 365 Midsize Business plan. We were going to use a shared mailbox but we run into the same issue with Outlook address books in 64 bit Windows 7 and the client would need to pay for another mailbox. The problem with using Windows Contacts (aka WAB) in Windows 7 is with 32 bit Windows 7. It always wants to use the address books from Outlook. I did however workout a somewhat ugly workaround by blanking out the registry entry
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\(Default)
This obviously has some negative impacts with other programs that need to use mail.
The bug (windows fax and scan and outlook address books) seems to be fixed in Windows 8 64 bit and Outlook 2013.
Diane Poremsky says
Thanks for the update.
You'd only need a license for the shared mailbox if you need to log into it with it's own account but an unlicensed mailbox (Managed mailbox) would not work because you can't set it's contacts folder as an address book. (I forgot about that - I don't use Fax and Scan and I don't have a modem so I can only test it to a point and Windows 8 seems to whine about 'no modem' a lot more. )
If public folder mailboxes are available in your plan, a public folder contacts folder can be used as an Outlook address book.
Brandon Chapman says
Actually, Diane, you can't if you're using Windows Vista x64 or Windows 7 x64 with 64-bit Outlook. Windows Fax & Scan still pulls up Windows Contacts. I just tried both of these scenarios in Hyper-V yesterday.
Martin Sheridan says
We are facing this problem with a client that has been happily faxing for years with windows fax and scan and its predecessors. We understand that we can use WAB for 64 bit fax and scan and we can even share a contact list or group to other computers on the network and use the following key to point the address book to a shared address book
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB\Wab File Name\
However there is a further complication that we have not solved. Windows 7 32 bit fax and scan uses Outlook address books and there does not seem to be a way to make it use WAB.
Anyone have any ideas on workaround/solution please let us know or is there a GOOD third party solution that is cost effective
BTW we had used windows 7 xp mode to get around the above and use Outlook address books but this is very ugly and cumbersome for the client. We have also migrated them to Office 365 which does not support public folders
Diane Poremsky says
On Office 365: Which Office 365 plan? The E plans don't have traditional public folders, but they do have shared mailboxes, the new public folder mailboxes, and contacts in the GAL. The P plans do not - I'm to the point where I only sell E plans for this reason. The less expensive plans are better suited for home users who want exchange.
The wab is not supported on Windows 7. Can't you use Windows Contacts with fax and scan? Double click on the *.wab to import into Contacts.
Brandon Chapman says
This is fixed with Outlook 2013 x64, at least with Windows 8 x64. I haven't tried with Windows 7 x64/Outlook 2013 x64 yet.
Diane Poremsky says
You can use Outlook contacts in Fax and Scan when both Outlook and Windows are 64-bit.