Contact Group - iCloud vs Outlook

Csound1, thanks for answering my question and for your suggestion. That would work - at least for a while.

Unfortunately, there seems to be some sort of conflict between the iCloud Contacts and My Contacts folders. I described it in this post: http://https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5915896?tstart=0. The shorter version is that, since I started synching iCloud with Outlook, the entries in My Contacts have vanished. Apparently I can copy iCloud contents into the My Contacts folder, but then I need to deal with iCloud randomly emptying My Contacts again.

I've done some reading that suggests that I can install another Outlook add-in that will keep the two folders synched. Is this the "standard" solution to the misbehavior of the iCloud add-in? Wouldn't it make more sense for the iCloud add-in to be modified so it automatically synchs - in both directions - with the My Contacts folder in Outlook?

Thanks, Csound1.

After doing some research, I decided to use CodeTwo Sync for iCloud, an add-in for Outlook that automatically synchs the iCloud Contacts and My Contacts folders. I then changed settings in Outlook to look first to My Contacts. Now I can create Contact Groups in My Contacts - which works as Outlook is designed to function - and those Groups are automatically added to the iCloud Contacts folder. Now I need work only within My Contacts when using Outlook, and Contact changes I make will be propagated to the iCloud folder and then onward to my iPhone. This doesn't work for Groups since the Apple and Microsoft approaches are so different, but I guess I'll just have to live with that. Or consider installing a different email client as you suggested.

Thanks for your suggestions. I'm okay for now.

Dave