Contact Problems

How to Synchronize Outlook Contacts Between Two Computers

Elise Williams Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to synchronize their Outlook contacts across two different computers, but the contacts are not appearing on the second device.

How to Synchronize Outlook Contacts Between Two Computers

Product: Microsoft Outlook
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up a second computer and attempting to access existing Outlook contacts.
Observed behavior: Contacts fail to appear on the second computer because IMAP accounts only sync emails, and PST files cannot be shared via cloud services like OneDrive.

Before you start

Verify your current Outlook account type (Exchange, IMAP, or POP) by going to File > Account Information. This will dictate whether your contacts can synchronize automatically.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a Microsoft Exchange or Outlook.com Account

The most reliable way to automatically synchronize contacts across multiple computers is by using an Exchange-based account.

Exchange-based accounts, such as Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com, automatically sync your emails, contacts, calendars, and tasks across all connected devices. If you are currently using an IMAP account, only your emails will sync, leaving your contacts stored locally on the original device.

Verify your account type

On your first computer, open Outlook, click 'File', and look under 'Account Information'. Ensure the account storing your contacts is listed as 'Microsoft Exchange'.

Add the account to the second computer

On your second computer, open Outlook and navigate to 'File' > 'Add Account'.

Sign in to your Exchange account

Enter the same Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 email address used on the first computer and follow the prompts to sign in.

Verify contact synchronization

Once the account finishes setting up, click on the 'People' or 'Contacts' icon in the lower-left navigation bar to verify that your contacts have synced automatically.

Avoid OneDrive for PST Files: Never attempt to sync contacts by storing an active Outlook Data File (.pst) on OneDrive. This will eventually lead to file corruption and severe synchronization errors.

Solution 2

Manually Export and Import Contacts (For IMAP/POP)

If you are using an IMAP or POP account and cannot switch to an Exchange account, you will need to manually transfer your contacts.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my Outlook contacts not syncing on my second computer?

If you are using an IMAP or POP email account, Outlook only synchronizes your emails. Your contacts, calendars, and tasks are stored locally on the computer where they were created. To automatically sync contacts, you need an Exchange-based account.

Can I share my Outlook .pst file on OneDrive to sync my contacts?

No. You should never store an active Outlook Data File (.pst) on OneDrive, Dropbox, or any other cloud-syncing service. Modifying a PST file from multiple devices over a cloud sync will cause database corruption and data loss.

How do I check if my Outlook account is Exchange or IMAP?

Open Outlook, click the 'File' tab in the top-left corner, and look at the 'Account Information' section. Directly under your email address, it will indicate whether your account type is 'Microsoft Exchange', 'IMAP', or 'POP'.

Outlook & Email Problems