How-To: Import contacts from Microsoft Outlook 2007 and 2010 to your Windows Phone device

You grabbed a brand new Windows Phone 7 device and now you want to import contacts. If you don’t have that many people in your old phone’s Address Book, you can simply move them to a SIM card (presuming you’re phone has one – i.e. you’re not on Verizon or Sprint) and then copy the contents to the Windows Phone 7 address book. If that’s not the case, and you want to transfer contacts from Microsoft Outlook 2007 or 2010 (without Microsoft Exchange) here’s how to do it.

First of all, you’ll need a Windows Live account and a free tool called Microsoft Office Outlook Hotmail Connector (you can download it from here). When that’s set up (Office Outlook Hotmail Connector is installed), you’re ready to proceed.

Here’s how to copy contacts to Windows Live using Outlook 2007

1. Open Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
2. Click Outlook Connector, then click “Add a New Account” and here you should enter the information for your Windows Live account.
3. Exit Outlook and then re-open it (yeah, it’s stupid but it’s required).
4. Click Contacts and now you’ll be able to move people from your main Contacts folder to the new Windows Live account folder.

If you’re running Outlook 2010, it’s even easier:

1. Open Microsoft Office Outlook 2010
2. Click File, then “Add Account,” make sure that “E-mail Account” is selected, and then enter the information for your Windows Live account.
3. Click Contacts and now you’ll be able to move people from your main Contacts folder to the new Windows Live account folder.

After completing the steps above, your Outlook contacts will be copied to your Windows Live account, from where you’ll be able to sync them with your Windows Phone device. You’ll need to setup a Windows Live account on your phone too, but I presume you’ve already done that. Good luck!