jig1234

Q: OS X El Capitan - Contacts App not working

I am running OS X El Capitan 10.11 (15A284) on a MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012). It works fine for the most part, but I can't open the Contacts app. It just seems to crash upon every click. I don't see anything of the application at all. I think it is also effecting my iMessages application also, Not all my contacts emails, mobiles appear when starting a new conversation, Including my own. I can't find some contacts when I

 

If anyone knows anything, I'd appreciate some advice or help.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11)

Posted on Oct 9, 2015 5:02 AM

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Q: OS X El Capitan - Contacts App not working

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  • by cmroseny,

    cmroseny cmroseny Feb 24, 2016 5:07 AM in response to jig1234
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 24, 2016 5:07 AM in response to jig1234

    I went to Library; application support but no address book listed. How do I find this folder?

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Feb 24, 2016 12:21 PM in response to cmroseny
    Level 9 (73,166 points)
    Applications
    Feb 24, 2016 12:21 PM in response to cmroseny

    Hi,

     

    IN the View menu when you have a Finder window open  select the Show Path Bar option.

     

    You should be in this folder

    Hone_Folder_library.png

    The Full Path is Hard Drive name/Users/Your Account Name/Library/Application Support.

    The shorter Path for this is ~/Library/Application Support.

     

    This Library is Hidden by default.

    You can use the Go Menu  whilst holding down the ALT key so that the Library appears in the Menu list

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:21 pm      Wednesday; February 24, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by LongIsland14,

    LongIsland14 LongIsland14 Mar 12, 2016 9:24 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 12, 2016 9:24 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    I'm trying to transfer my Contacts app data from my MacBook Pro to my iMac. Both are running El Capitan 10.11.3. The iMac is a 2009 version while the MacBook is about 4-6 months old. (Love that MacBook!!)

     

    Completely formatted and reloaded my iMac due to a total system crash - not sure why that happened.

     

    I've created a contacts.abbu file and copied it to the iMac from the MacBook. Tried inputting this file but nothing transfers. Don't know what to do next!

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 13, 2016 1:17 PM in response to LongIsland14
    Level 9 (73,166 points)
    Applications
    Mar 13, 2016 1:17 PM in response to LongIsland14

    Hi,

     

    If the Contacts app is being synced via System Preferences > Internet Account or the iCloud pane then it is unlikely to install a import file.

     

    If the iMac is doing a Sync then the local "On My Mac" copy does not  exist and the file is not likely to contain anything.

    The Names and therefore Address Cards are literally in the cloud.

     

    I am not sure the MacBook would even allow an import if set to sync with one service or another.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:17 pm      Sunday; March 13, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by ishen,

    ishen ishen Mar 18, 2016 10:02 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 18, 2016 10:02 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Hello Ralph,

     

    I followed your instructions (thank you) but the folder literally does not exist. Is there a way to restore it?

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 18, 2016 2:35 PM in response to ishen
    Level 9 (73,166 points)
    Applications
    Mar 18, 2016 2:35 PM in response to ishen

    Hi,

     

    To be clear it should be here:-

    Application_Support.png

    The Read enclosed area it what you see when you open the Hard Drive itself  (I have three extra folders that you might not have:- a folder from another computer, "Previous System" and "Incompatible Software")

     

    I have then expanded the Users folder, then my Home Folder (which in my case Displays the Library folder) and then Application Support and the Address Book folder.

    Once in your Own (Little House Icon) Home Folder you can use the View Menu in the Finder then  Show View Options and choose the show the Library.

    It's the last tick box.

    Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 21.24.30.png

    You can also access the Library by having a Finder Window open then holding down the ALT key whilst using the Go Menu and selecting the Library that appears in the list.

     

    I find it hard to believe that this does not have a Folder called Applications Support in it.

     

    However the System/Library folder has no Application Support folder

    Application_Support__not_.png

     

    It sounds like you are in the wrong folder.

     

    Start here

    Start_here.png

    Do the Finder > View Menu bit from above so that the Library (in the Home Folder) appears to be visible.

    Navigate to Application Support

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:35 pm      Friday; March 18, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by ishen,

    ishen ishen Mar 18, 2016 8:14 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 18, 2016 8:14 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    I was able to find the Application Support folder, just not an Address Book folder.

    Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 8.07.31 PM.png

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 20, 2016 3:11 PM in response to ishen
    Level 9 (73,166 points)
    Applications
    Mar 20, 2016 3:11 PM in response to ishen

    Hi,

     

    Start here was not the place you started.

    Note the Path Bar across the bottom

    I was in Hard Drive Name/Users/My Account Name/Library/Application Support

     

    In the second from Last pic I  said "Not this One" in orange.

    I went on to point out it also was not the /System/Library one either.

     

    The first pic should be "Red Enclosed Area..." and not "read"

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    10:11 pm      Sunday; March 20, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by Ghepard,

    Ghepard Ghepard Apr 14, 2016 3:57 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Apr 14, 2016 3:57 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Well, thank you very much for the tip. It did it for me. Attached a finder pic. It's in italian but it should be understandable anyway.

     

    Thank you,

     

    Markus

     

    Screenshot 2016-04-14 12.38.37.png

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Apr 14, 2016 11:22 AM in response to Ghepard
    Level 9 (73,166 points)
    Applications
    Apr 14, 2016 11:22 AM in response to Ghepard

    Hi,

     

    Glad it helped.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    7:22 pm      Thursday; April 14, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by CBColem,

    CBColem CBColem May 19, 2016 3:10 PM in response to George Litterst
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 19, 2016 3:10 PM in response to George Litterst

    So far so good!

     

    As George has said - trashing the AddressBook folder from the Library Application Support folder made it possible to open the Contacts App which was empty but began to repopulate quickly presumably because I have synched my contacts through iCloud. I always forget how to show the Library folder . . .  Go to the finder, click on the "Go" menu, press alt (aka option) to expose the Library Folder. Inside there is a folder called "application support" and inside that one is the address book folder. Drag the whole folder to the trash. I'd not try this if my contacts weren't synched to the cloud.

     

     

    Caryn

    Mac Book Pro, late 2011 running El Capitan 10.11.5 - contacts app would not open at all, was using lots of resources but I had to force quit it to close it.

  • by Big Red Fish,

    Big Red Fish Big Red Fish Aug 4, 2016 12:40 AM in response to George Litterst
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Aug 4, 2016 12:40 AM in response to George Litterst

    Thanks for this. Worked for me. My contacts must have become corrupted after restoring everything to my new Mac. As long as your contacts are already stored in iCloud, deleting the Address Book folder prompts the OS to regenerate it and you can see it downloading the contacts again.

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