Address Book: Can't edit contact or add new

I have two computers and an iPhone that should be synching Address Book and iCal amongst themselves on Mobile Me. Recently, the iBook G4's Address Book has had some features disabled: the "edit" button is grayed out, the "+" button is grayed out, and trying to access the same functions under the file or edit menus, the same things are all grayed out. There doesn't seem to be anything in the settings or preferences that I can find that could be contributing to this problem. I need to be able to add and edit contacts from all 3 places, thus the point of having each of the devices and having Mobile Me. I don't know if this is an Address Book bug or a Mobile Me bug, as sometimes changes sync to iCal or Address Book, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes new changes are overwritten with old data, etc. Frustrating! It would seem an Address Book issue to not be able to add/edit though. Any ideas? And yes, both computers are on the same OS, 10.5.6.

Thanks to jamesk8752's link...I fixed it!!! :-) That link he posted brought me to the fix. I wrote it out easier to follow. I want to mention that when I upgraded to Mountain Lion the issue continued. This fix did the trick
1. Make a Backup Archive of your AddressBook.app (or Contacts.app)
2. Shut off iCloud Syncing (choose the option to delete the contacts).
3. Now with NO contacts in AddressBook (Contacts) quit the application.
4. Click on "go" and choose "go to folder" & navigate to [username]/Library/Application Support/AddressBook (even in Mountain Lion this is still accurate)
5. DELETE the addressbook-v22.abcddb file. Empty trash (just because I have OCD).
6. Reopen AddressBook/Contacts & create a new address card. You should now be able to edit it! Then delete it.
7. Go back into System Prefrences and turn on iCloud Contacts.
Your iCloud contacts will then appear and you'll be able to edit, delete, add, etc! Everything will be right as rain!

Similar Messages

  • In address book on my new macbook pro I can't drag contacts to a new message or drag a group to bcc. What do I need to do?

    in address book on my new macbook pro I can't drag contacts to a new message or drag a group to bcc like I could on my 2007 macbook pro. What do I need to do? 

    The issue has nothing to do with your MacBook Pro. You are using a different version of OS X.
    If you are using Apple's Mail application, it will search both previous contacts and the address book as you type the send address.
    Barry

  • No contacts in address book, can not find address book anymore

    I was trying to switch default email accounts, Hughes.net was the default and Yahoo the secondary and I wanted to swap these around as I am no longer using Hughes net.
    In doing so I lost all email folders and address books. I have rebuilt the folders but now I see that I have no address book in either accounts.
    Are they gone for good?
    Thanks.
    Jeff

    There are two default address books in Thunderbird. Both of these address books can be copy pasted between mail accounts.
    ''Personal Address Book'' is called '''abook.mab'''
    ''Collected Addresses '' is called '''history.mab'''
    These are stored in your Profile folder in the mail account name. But it would need your old mail account to be intact in order to copy anything from it to another mail account.
    * http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Thunderbird
    * C:\Users\Windows user name\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\Profile name\ mail account name
    The AppData folder is folder is a hidden folder; to show hidden folders, open a Windows Explorer window and choose "Organize → Folder and Search Options → Folder Options → View (tab) → Show hidden files and folders".
    If your original mail account is still there: Profiles\Mail\mail account name
    You could simply recover it. Info here:
    * http://kb.mozillazine.org/Recovering_deleted_mail_accounts
    Remember, when performing any changes in Profiles folder, Thunderbird must be closed first.

  • Leopard Address Book Won't Edit Notes

    Hello. This Address Book notes field editing problem has been described for several years now, but I don't believe I have seen a satisfactory answer. The problem: AB won't allow any editing to a contact's Notes field, in or out of "edit" mode. Several seconds after adding or deleting Notes text, AB auto-save feature returns the old text, even if I have "Saved" in the interim. I'm running OS 10.5.8 Leopard. Here are some relevant diagnostic events:
    First, after closing the AB app, I deleted 2 preference files, com.apple.AddressBook.abd.plist and com.apple.AddressBook.plist, and the AddressBook-v22.abcddb file in the Application Support/AddressBook folder. I relaunched AB but the problem was not fixed.
    Second, after "exporting" the Address Book Archive file database to the desktop (as a backup), I deleted the AB application, the Address Book Plug-Ins folder, the above 3 files again, and the com.apple.AddressBook cache files. I then reinstalled AB from my OS install disk. I launched the new AB and got a clean contacts template,  ready for data input. But before I could do that, AB's automatic save feature kicked in and imported the entire old contacts database. Worse, the same "no-Notes-edit-for-you" problem persisted.
    Third, I can create new contacts and edit the Notes field to my heart's content.
    Fourth, I checked on my other Mac, running 10.6.x Snow Leopard on which I regularly override/replace its AB database by "importing" the Leopard AB archive database file. On the Snow Leopard machine, the AB application edits the notes field just fine in spite of all its data coming from the Leopard machine.
    Has anyone really solved this problem? Please advise. If I can't fix this, I will look for a substitute address/contacts application that will run on my desktop and sync with my iPod Touch (any suggestions?).
    Many thanks,
    Don Oswalt

    Hello Don,
    Whew, took me a long time to find out where this info is stored, but in...
    /Users/YourUserName/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Metadata/
    Look for files like...
    B144126F-ECB2-11DD-A2CC-0003938BD526/ABPerson.abcdp
    The encrypted Note seems stored in that.
    The only thing I can suspect at the moment since I can edit the notes in 10.5.8's AB, is that perhaps some of those have Read rights but nit Write Rights... Hmmm, where maybe these older ones Migrated from a different Mac or UUID?
    PS. I do not have to even Save, it does it automatically.

  • One of my 2 address books can no longer be viewed, how do I access it?

    ''locking this thread as duplicate, please continue at [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1051908 /questions/1051908]''
    one of my 2 address books can no longer be viewed, how do I access it? It disappeared within the last few days. I can still find addresses that are in the 2nd address book, but I cannot view it, so only 1/8 of my addresses are now viewable. How do I access the 2nd address book?

    Hi ronc2, there isn't a specific setting for this. Firefox's built-in JavaScript settings allow you to control several aspects of scripts*, but unfortunately not this one.
    I previously tried to find some other options for individually turning off this event, but I couldn't find a way. Someone might be able to create an add-on to solve this problem, but it will take someone cleverer than I.
    Extensions that disable scripts on a site-specific basis:
    * If you regularly visit some sites which do this, you can block JavaScript on that specific site using the YesScript extension. Unfortunately, other script-based functionality will be blocked as well.
    * YesScript does not preemptively block scripts on every site. If you have to visit a lot of random sites and want to take a paranoid approach of having scripting blocked until you see as much of the site as you can see without running scripts, then the NoScript extension would be for you. But even then it's "all or nothing".
    ''* These include: JavaScript enabled yes/no, override right-click menu yes/no, change order of windows yes/no, move and resize windows yes/no, close windows yes/no, specific features of pop-up windows, change images yes/no, detect copy/cut/paste and modify selection yes/no.''

  • Address Book Cards and Mail Contacts have suddenly disappeared!

    Help! The power went off for a minute here at the office, shutting everything down. When I restarted, the contents of my address book and all the contacts I had in mail have disappeared. Anybody got any ideas on what I can do? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Welcome to the discussions, malbright.
    Try the suggestion in Loading “Apple - Support - Discussions - Address Book has suddenly LOST all my ...” - but it doesn't always work.
    AK

  • HT2486 in address book can you sort first names alphabetically?

    In address book, can you sort first names alphabetically?

    Open "Contacts" app, and in the top of the screen Menu Bar for the app click on "Card" and then select from the dropdown list "Show First Name Before Last".
    Hope this helps

  • HT1351 My fifth generation nano will no longer sync my address book from my Mac. It gives me an error message that "You have no contacts" and asks me if I want to create some.  My address book is full of contacts. Sync works for everything else.

    My 5th generation nano will no longer Sync my address book from my Mac.  It gives me a message that I have no "Contacts", and asks if I want to create some.  My address book is full of contacts, but for some reason it thinks it is empty.  All the other sync operations work fine including iCal.  My Mac is running OS X 10.7.4.

    It sounds like all of your contacts on your Mac running Lion are actually stored up in iCloud. 
    Several users running Mac OS X Lion and now ML (and iCloud) have no longer been able to "sync" contacts over to their older iPods models.
    A work around is to export all of your contacts out of Address Book as vCards and them copy these vCards into your iPod's Contacts folder.  You'll need to have the Enable Disk Use option ticked from under the iPod's Summary tab in order to browse out to the iPod's Contacts folder via the Finder.
    Using your iPod as a storage drive
    That's the only "solution" I have been able to use to get contacts to sync/appear on my 5G iPod Video.
    B-rock

  • I was given a replacement and told to set it up on itunes but now I cannot retrieve my address book, can anyone help please?

    I was given a replacement and told to set it up on itunes but now I cannot retrieve my address book, can anyone help please?

    a message appears saying that there is a problem with the windows installer.
    What's the precise text of the message please? (There's a few different ones I can think of that you might be getting.)

  • Is there a difference in the mac mini address book and my iPhone contacts? I have them both as well as my Ipad2 connected on I could but these don't seem to be sharing contacts. It worked in the store. What have I done wrong?

    Is there a difference in the mac mini address book and my iPhone contacts? I have them both as well as my Ipad2 connected on I could but these don't seem to be sharing contacts. It worked in the store. What have I done wrong?

    that should read all connected through I Cloud (fat fingers)

  • I use an i-pad and my primary account email is aol.  Is there a way to import my aol address book onto my ipad "contacts?"

    I am using an ipad and the primary account email is aol.  Is there a way to import my aol address book onto my ipad "contacts" app?

    Oops, I found the answer to my question. Great knowledge base! I had originally imported via the automatic popup dialog box that appeared when I installed TB, and didn't absorb at the time that there would be a way to do an import later, after TB install, too, and even for specific parts of OE (address book vs. mail messages, etc.).
    I pasted the link to the "Migrate to Thunderbird" page that includes how to migrate just an Address Book from OE, but the following is all that pastes in: 9723729938
    I have typed out the link here:
    en.flossmanuals.net/thunderbird/migrating/

  • Address book stuck and all contacts gone

    when i open up address book none of my contacts appear and switching from directories to all contacts just resizes the empty window back and forth. when i try to resize the window using the handle on the lower right corner it keeps stretching out horizontally till it runs off the screen. I checked for the Helvetica font in system/library/fonts and it is there. it is also activated in font book. tried dumping com.apple.AddressBook.plist from my user/library/preferences, and tried various recommendations i found on these forums for renaming and replacing files in user/library/application support/address book. also tried dumping the address book from applications and reinstalling using pacifist.
    nothing has worked.
    in console i get either:
    Address Book[614] * -[NSCFArray objectAtIndex:]: index (2) beyond bounds (2)
    or
    Address Book[614] * -[NSCFArray objectAtIndex:]: index (0) beyond bounds (0)
    i was considering reinstallling the 10.3.9 combo update. anyone have any other suggestions?
    thanks

    My BB is Curve 8310 Version 4.5.0.182 (platform 2.7.0.106

  • Address Book / iCloud Deletes Imported Contacts Shortly after Import

    I ran into a incredbily frustrating problem recently whereby attempting to restore a backup of my Address Book resulted all my contacts being deleted once I reconnected my computer to the internet and my Address Book began syncing with iCloud. I wasn't able to find a solution here but I was able to eventually find one online. I thought it was worth sharing.
    Upon exporting a backup of your Address Book you have the choice of slecting to export the Backup as a "Address Book Archive" or as "vCard". If you select "Address Book Archive" and are syncing with iCloud when you attempt to reimport your backup, after about 15 to 30 seconds, iCloud will delete all of the Contacts you've just imported.
    Exporting a "Address Book Archive" creates a ".abbu" backup file whereas exporting as a "vCard" exports a ".vcf" backup file. Apparently iCloud doesn't like ".abbu" backup files, but if you didn't know that and you're trying to import your backup contact file you're pretty much screwed!
    To get around this problem do the following:
    1) Disconnect your computer from the internet
    2) Import the "Address Book Archive" ".abbu" backup file into your Address Book
    3) Select "All Contacts"
    4) Select, File > Export > Export vCard...
    5) Save the file to your Desktop
    6) Reconnect your computer to the Internet
    7) Select "Import"
    8) Select the ".vcf" file that you just saved to your Desktop.
    Importing your backup as a ".vcf" file will prevent iCloud from deleting all of your contacts upon syncing.
    ... at least it did for me ( :    

    I had the same problem on both my iPad & iPhone. I adding a contact on my iPad and now everything seems to sync properly. Hmmm, interesting.....  THANKS FOR THE SUGGESTION.

  • Moving Mail, Address Book and Keychains from Old Computer to New Computer

    My issue: Moving mail, address book and keychains from Panther (old machine) to Leopard (new machine). Old machine (500mh G4 power pc) will not connect directly via firewire to new machine (iMac intel). So, I have to move the files manually via a firewire hard drive.
    I am looking for a document that will tell me exactly which files to move. Can someone please help me find this document? Thank you. Dale
    P.S. I have no issues with installing Leopard. I only need to move the mail, address book and keychains from old to new machine. No .mac account is available.

    for address book: go to your old mac, launch ab, and go to file>export and export your contacts as vcards, select all cards before that, then bring that export file to the new mac, and launch ab there, then go to file>import as vcards and you should be set as far as contacts are, but not as far as groups if you have extensive groups. that would be the safe option. the other option is to go to homefolder/library/application support/address book and move that folder to the new mac. the only question i have is... is the database structure and files the same between panther and leopard, which is why i suggest the first option of import/export of vcards.
    for mail, in your old panther go to homefolder/library/mail and move that mail folder to the new mac. make a copy of that folder, then move one copy to the same location in the new mac.
    for keychain, in your old panther go to homefolder/library/keychain, you want to bring the file that is in that folder to your new mac. make a copy of that folder, then move one copy to the same location in the new mac.
    once that is done, you may have to do some more steps with mail, once you launch mail, such as importing mailboxes. let me know if that is the case.
    hope this helps

  • Why is my address book no longer being automatically updated with new entries?

    why is my MacBook Pro address book no longer being automatically updated with new entries?
    thanks!
    Joe

    thanks for the question!
    i have an iphone that uses addresses/contacts.  i don't use icloud because i was getting doubled calendar entries.
    updating is done "via itunes on this computer"

Maybe you are looking for