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You can manually download and update your Outlook OAB local copy. This is a common practice if you're experiencing issues with the address book or if you want to ensure you have the latest information before you disconnect from the network.
- Open Classic Outlook.
- Click the Send/Receive tab in the ribbon.
- In the "Send & Receive" tab, click on Send/Receive Groups > Download Address Book....
Note: If you do
not see "Send/Receive Groups" change your ribbon layout to
Classic Ribbon by clicking the drop-down near the top right corner.
- A dialog box will appear with Download changes since last Send/Receive.
- Checking this box is the default and fastest option, as it only downloads recent updates.
- Unchecking this box will force a full download of the entire address book. This is useful if you suspect your local copy is corrupted or out of date.
- Click OK.
- Outlook will then connect to the Exchange server and download the address book to your local machine- you will see a progress bar during the download.
- Once it's complete, you will have access to the offline address book and the Global Address List even when you're not connected to your organization's network.
- This process is for Classic Outlook connected to an Exchange server (e.g., in a corporate or school environment).
- If you are using a personal email account like Gmail or Outlook.com, this option may not be available or function differently.
- The OAB is stored in a hidden system folder on your computer. It is not meant to be a user-accessible file for export or backup.