Contact Retrieval
My Mac crashed. I had saved my contacts as an ABBU file prior to the crash. I no longer have access to a Mac but have a PC. I wish to convert the ABBU file to CSV. How do I do it? Thank you.
iMac with Retina 5K display
7 replies
BobTheFisherman,
Thank you for your reply. Prior to posting my question I performed exhaustive on line searches. All the query responses I found explain how to convert ABBU to CSV from a Mac. As I explained in m y original question, I do not have a Mac nor do I have access to one. I want to convert my ABBU file that now resides on a memory stick to a CSV file using a Windows PC. To reiterate my question: is this possible to do so? If yes, how?
PS I did pose the same question on a Microsoft support forum. The answer I got was: "ask the Apple community".
I have not been able to locate a Windows program that will open an .ABBU file clearly. A text editor, NotePad for example, will open chunks of it, but nothing useful (metadata, images) and be of no more help than if you used a text editor such as BBEdit on a Mac.
Solution: find a friend, anyone, with a Mac, open the USB there, and with a single click the .ABBU will open up from that Mac.
Thank you for looking. I was no more successful finding a Microsoft program either. I will just have to find a charitable soul with a Mac. One concern though. How will I open the ABBU file without affecting the contact list on the machine I 'll use? Will the Mac try to replace the existing contact list on the machine with my ABBU file?
You will get a question as to whether to replace it, Z. See below.
So yes, the way I read that it is that the Charitable Soul's Mac would be replaced. So be careful.
but I would think the Mac loaner would have to make sure that a backup is made of their own contacts.
Then your .ABBU replaces contacts on the Mac loaner
Then the Mac loaner would have to export that new Contacts file to into the .vcf format for you to use on your PC.
Then import their original contacts back. Despite it being 2016 there is nothing too easy here, but it is doable.
Brighter minds will surely help out here with what should ideally be an easy thing. Reading a contacts file. Goes back to proprietary file formats and all that stuff.
Ah! Nothing's easy with Apple. But I like your suggestion. I think that would work. I just hope Charitable Soul will be open minded enough not to be spooked. Thank you again for your help.
zoblamouche wrote:
Ah! Nothing's easy with Apple. But I like your suggestion. I think that would work. I just hope Charitable Soul will be open minded enough not to be spooked. Thank you again for your help.
Hi, Z, I wouldn't blame it on any single company/source.
Contact Retrieval