How to copy autocomplete cache in Outlook to new computer or new profile
If you use Outlook you are probably used to starting a new email and typing someone's name and it pops up automatically, as shown below. This feature is called the Autocomplete cache and is separate from the address book.
If you are setting up Outlook on a new computer or creating a new profile as part of a Microsoft 365 Email migration then the steps below will show you how to retain this incredibly useful feature when composing emails.
Make a copy of the existing Autocomplete file.
1. Close Outlook
2. Open File Explorer
3. In Windows 10 go to View menu and select Hidden items.
In windows 11 go to View menu and select Show and then Hidden items
4. Under This PC ou should see C: drive. Click on it.
5. Open up users folder and then your username folder
6. Open up AppData and then Local, followed by Microsoft, Outlook and RoamCache.
7. Order files by Date modified by clicking the Date modified column
There will be a little arrow above Date modified showing this is column is ordering the files.
8. The top file should begin Stream_Autocomplete_ followed by numbers.
Note the size of this file. It should be more than 1KB and is usually several hundreds KB.
9. Click file so itis highlighted and click Copy in toolbar.
10. Go to documents folder and create a new folder called Outlook Autocomplete
11. Open this folder and click Paste.
In Outlook create a new Autocomplete cache file
Open Outlook either on new computer or in new profile. We are assuming the new email address is setup in Outlook but when you compose a new email and start typing someone's name in the To field then no entries appear.
Create a new email and type in a legitimate email and send the email. You could send an email to a friend or another email address you own.
Close Outlook
Open Outlook and create new email and start typing person's email address you entered a minute ago. It should appear in drop down and you can then select that email easily.
Close Outlook
Go back to File Explorer and the AppData folder you were in earlier.
You should see a new Autocomplete file. This one will be much smaller in size - 1KB.
Copy this file to the same folder you created earlier in the Documents folder.
This folder should now have two Autocomplete files.
We now need to replace the filename of the original / larger file with the filename of the new file.
Click file of original/large file
Press F2
It will highlight blue.
Press CTRL+C
Press right arrow cursor key
Type -ORIG
Select other / new file
Press F2
Do CTRL+V to replace the file name
Copy this file back to the original location of C:\Users\[yourusername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\RoamCache
Say yes to overwrite original file.
Open Outlook
Create new email and see if list is as you remembe when you start typing someone's name in.
If not, then you may need to repeat the steps of creating the new autocomplete file. This is normal.
Create new email
Enter email address and send email
Close outlook and check if autocomplete catche file has new file name compared to one we copied to folder in Documents. If so, then copy this new files to the folder and then do the steps to rename it as above. Then copy back to user folder and try Outlook again.
4.
Select Outlook Data File (*.pst)
Select Contacts
Click Browse
Go to Documents
Click Browse
Go to Documents folder and create a new folder. eg. Outlook Export
Open this folder
Ente a name for the file that wil be exported. Eg. Contact Export ddmmyy
Click OK
