My Windows XP computer is around eight years old and slowly disintegrating. Recently I purchased a new computer running Windows Vista and need to transfer my Outlook Express address book from the old computer to this new computer. However, I have been unable to figure out how to transfer the data. Can you help?

You will first need to export and copy the address book from your old computer so that this can be transferred onto your new computer. I suggest that a USB drive would be the most convenient way to transfer the data between computers. Once you have connected a USB drive into the old computer, go to the “Start” menu > “Run” and type “wab” (without the quotes) and click OK. The Address Book window should appear. Go to the “File” menu > “Export” > “Address Book (WAB)”. A window will appear asking you to name and select the location to which the address book should be saved. Save the address book onto your USB drive with a memorable name, such as “AddressBookOldComputer.wab” and click the “Save” button. Once the address book has been saved, close the Address Book window and remove the USB drive from the computer.

Now, connect the USB drive to your new computer. Go to the Start button > “All Programs” > “Windows Contacts”. In the window that appears click the “Import” button on the toolbar. In the Import to Windows Contacts window that appears, select “Windows Address Book File (Outlook Express contacts)” and click the “Import” button. A window will appear where you select the address book file that you wish to import. Navigate to your USB drive and select the Windows Address Book (WAB) file that you saved from the old computer then click the “Open” button. Once the process has completed, a message will appear advising that the contacts import process has completed. Click OK. All your contacts should now be imported.