Export Windows Live Mail email, contacts, and calendar data to Outlook

Although Microsoft Outlook 2003 through Outlook 2013, and Windows Live Mail can send and receive email messages over the Internet, you cannot automatically synchronize the information that is stored in these programs. Specifically, an email message that is stored in Windows Live Mail is not automatically available in Outlook. This article describes how to export messages from Windows Live Mail into Outlook.

To complete the steps, make sure that you have Microsoft Outlook installed with an email profile created.
If you need help installing Microsoft Outlook or to create an email profile please read the following article:
How to create and configure a profile in Outlook 2010, Outlook 2007, and Outlook 2003:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/829918

Move email messages from Windows Live Mail into Microsoft Outlook:

This process moves your Windows Live Mail directly into your Outlook mail files.

1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
2. Open Windows Live Mail.
3. In the Windows Live Mail window, click the File button and select Exportand then select Email messages.
4. Select Microsoft Exchange as the format and then click Next.
5. You will see a message that all email will be exported to Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Exchange, click Ok to continue.
6. You can export all email folders or select the appropriate folders that you want to export by using the Select folders option.
7. After you select the appropriate option, click OK and wait for the export process to be completed.
8. When the Export Completedialog box appears, click Finish.
   
   Note: This process can take some time , depending on the number of messages that you are exporting.

Important: Exporting Windows Live Mail or Outlook Express mail to Outlook 2013 requires that Outlook 2013 be 32bit. For more information, please refer to: Issues moving Internet Mail and Addresses to Outlook 2013 (64 bit)

Exporting Contacts from Windows Live Mail to Microsoft Outlook 2003 through 2010:

1. Open Windows Live Mail.
2. Click Contacts folder, click Export button and select comma separated values (.CSV).
3. In the CSV Export window click browse and select the Desktop folder.
4. Type WLMContacts in the file name and then click the Save button.
5. Click Next and select all the fields that you want to export, click Finish button and wait for the export process to be completed.
   
   Note: The most common fields are First Name, Last Name, Email address and Telephone. If you are not sure about the information just select all the fields.
   
   Note: This process can take some time, depending on the number of messages that you are exporting.
   
6. Close Windows Live Mail.
7. Open Microsoft Outlook.
8. Select the Contacts folder, click File, select Open and then click Import.
9. Select the option Import from another program or file and then click Next button.
10. Select Comma Separated Values (Windows) and then click the Next button.
11. Click Browse  and select the exported file WLMContacts in your Desktop folder and then click Open.
    
    Note: You can select some additional options to replace, duplicate, or do not import duplicated contacts.
    
12. Click the Next button and then make sure that the Contacts folder is highlighted. If the Contacts folder is not highlighted, then select the Contacts folder and then click the Next button.
13. Click Finish button and wait for the import process to be completed.
    
    Note: This process can take some time , depending on the number of messages that you are exporting.

Exporting Calendar from Windows Live Mail to Microsoft Outlook 2003 through 2010:

1. Open Windows Live Mail.
2. Select the Calendar folder and make sure that you are logged in by using your Windows Live ID.
3. Click Send/Receive to sync your calendar.
4. Close Windows Live Mail.
5. Visit the Windows Live Calendar webpage http://calendar.live.com and logon by using your Windows Live ID.
6. Click the Share button and select the calendar that you want to export.
7. Select the option Share this calendar.
8. Put a check mark in the item topic Send people a view-only link to your calendar.
9. You will see some links to share your calendar. If the links are not displayed, click “Get your calendar links (this will also save your settings)” and then click OK to confirm.
10. Under the category Links that show event details, click ICS: Import into another calendar application.
11. Select and copy the URL displayed without the webcal:// prefix.
12. Open a new Internet Explorer window, paste the URL without the webcal:// prefix in the address bar and press Enter.
13. Save the calendar .ICS file on your Desktop.
14. Repeat the steps 5 to 13 for each calendar that you want to export.
    
    Note: After complete these steps your Windows Live Calendar settings from the webpage are saved as Shared. You can make the calendar private again following the steps 5 to 7 above. Select the option “Don't share this calendar (keep it private)” and then click Save.
    
15. Close the Internet Explorer window after you save all the .ICS files that you want.
16. Open Microsoft Outlook.
17. Click File, select Open and then the Import option.
18. Select the option Import an iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar file (.vcs) and then click the Next button.
19. Select the .ICS calendar file in your Desktop folder and then click Ok button.
20. Click the Import button in the dialog box and wait for the import process to be completed.
21. Repeat steps 17 to 20 for each calendar that you want to import.

Exporting Contacts from Windows Live Mail to Microsoft Outlook 2013:

1. Open Windows Live Mail.
2. Click Contacts folder, and then click Export.
3. Select Comma separated values (.CSV).
4. In the CSV Export window click Browse and select the Desktop folder.
5. Type WLMContacts in the file name and then click the Save button.
6. Click Next and select all the fields that you want to export, click Finish button and wait for the export process to be completed.
   
   Note: The most common fields are First Name, Last Name, Email address and Telephone. If you are not sure about the information just select all the fields.
   
   Note: This process can take some time, depending on the number of messages that you are exporting.
7. Close Windows Live Mail.
8. Open Excel, select File, and then click Open.
9. Select the Desktop folder, and choose to show All Files.
10. Select and open the WLMContacts.csv file that you created in step 5.
11. Select File, and then click Save As.
12. In the Save As dialog, change Save as type: to CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv), and then click Save.
13. Click Yes if asked to replace or overwrite the existing file.
14. Click Yes if asked to keep the CSV format.
15. Close Excel.
16. Open Outlook, select Contacts and click File.
17. Select Open & Export and click Import/Export.
18. In the window that opens, select Import from another program or file and click Next.
19. Highlight Comma Separated Values and click Next.
20. Click the Browse button and select the Desktop folder.
21. elect the file WLMContacts.csv, and then click OK.
    
    Note: You can select some additional options to replace, duplicate, or do not import duplicated contacts. 
22. In the next window highlight your Contacts folder and click Next.
23. Click Finish in the window that opens.

Important: Exporting Windows Live Mail or Outlook Express mail to Outlook 2013 requires that Outlook 2013 be 32bit. For more information, please refer to: Issues moving Internet Mail and Addresses to Outlook 2013 (64 bit)

Exporting Calendar from Windows Live Mail to Microsoft Outlook 2013:

1. Open Windows Live Mail.
2. Select the Calendar folder and make sure that you are logged in by using your Windows Live ID.
3. Click the Share and select your Windows Live account, if you have an Outlook account, it will also be displayed.
4. You will be given the option to share or not to share the calendar, select Share this calendar and click Save.
5. Place a check mark in Send people a view-only link to your calendar and click Save.
6. Click Get your calendar links (This will also save your settings) and click OK in the warning window that opens.
7. The grayed out links will now be usable, click on the link that best describes how much or how little calendar information you want to share.
8. A window will open with a link that you can email to those people who you want to be able to view your calendar or import your calendar data.

Important: Exporting Windows Live Mail or Outlook Express mail to Outlook 2013 requires that Outlook 2013 be 32bit. For more information, please refer to: Issues moving Internet Mail and Addresses to Outlook 2013 (64 bit)

How to upgrade from Outlook Express to Outlook 2010, to Outlook 2007, to Outlook 2003, or to Outlook 2002
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291602

Use an Outlook.com account in Outlook
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/use-a-windows-live-hotmail-account-in-outlook-HA010354935.aspx?CTT=1

Where does Microsoft Outlook save my information and configurations?
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/locating-the-outlook-data-files-HA103412630.aspx?CTT=1

For more information about how to export email messages from Windows Mail, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: