Where is the Contacts data file kept?

First, are you certain it is not an iCloud account?

Back up the AddressBook folder to somewhere else.

Then, delete the AddressBook Folder.

Open Contacts then close it (it should just populate with a single Apple contact, I think).

Go back into the AddressBook folder and replace the metadata and Images folders with the ones in your backup.

Delete all three of the addressbook-v22.abcddb files.

Open Contacts.

DarleenMB wrote:

I finally tried this. Still nothing. I don't understand why the Address book cannot find the contacts as the data is obviously all there.

Neither do I. The only thing I can think of is that the format of the metadata files has changed. I thought they were vCard files in the past, but now they are xml files. I don't think that should change the re-indexing, but it does prevent you from Double-clicking one to have it import. It will just open Contacts and not do anything with the file like it does with a vCard file.

With Contacts Open, make a Contacts Archive from the File Menu.

When it finishes exporting, first make sure the contacts are still in the metadata. Right-click on the .abbu file and choose Show Package Contents. It should look like a copy of the AddressBook folder. Look in the metadata folder and make sure the cards are all in there.

If they are in the metadata folder, you can try double-clicking on the abbu file which should then ask to replace the contents of Contacts. However, I don't think that will work as it will just restore the empty database.

Can you confirm that the .abcdp files are in the metadata folder directly inside of the AddressBook folder and not in a subfolder of Sources.

Make sure you still have the original backup of the AddressBook folder.