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[Fix] Windows Live Mail Automatically Adds New Email IDs in your Contacts List or Address Book

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We all know about “Windows Live Mail” which is one of the best and most popular Desktop email client for Windows from Microsoft. Its interface is clean and simple and the unique 2-column message list feature makes it different from others.

I’m using Windows Live Mail since many years and never had any problem with it. Although I don’t like the new Wave 5 version of Windows Live mail which comes with ribbon UI and big fonts. You can read following article which contains my complaints about the new version of Windows Live Mail:

Just Installed Good Old Windows Live Essentials 2009 (Wave 3) Back

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Recently I checked my Contacts list in Windows Live Mail and I was shocked to see that it was full of new email IDs which I never added. I was wondering why Windows Live Mail added those email IDs to my contacts list without my permission?

I checked all settings carefully and finally I found an option which was causing this issue. Actually Windows Live Mail comes with a built-in option to automatically add people you reply to your contacts list (or address book) after third reply.

Since I get lots of emails daily from various AskVG readers and there are many readers who contact me regularly regarding problems or news tips, Windows Live Mail added them to my contacts list.

This option is enabled by default. In my opinion, this option should not be enabled by default. I don’t want my contacts list full of random email IDs which I never added myself.

So if you also use Windows Live Mail Desktop email client and want to manually add desired email IDs to your contact list, check out following simple steps to disable this automatic feature and to disallow Windows Live mail to automatically add email IDs to your contacts list without your permission:

1. Open Windows Live Mail and click on Options -> Mail.

2. Now go to “Send” tab and disable “Automatically put people I reply to in my address book after the third reply” option.

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Disable_Automatic_Contacts_Addition_Windows_Live_Mail.png

3. Apply the changes and now Windows Live Mail will never add any new email ID in your contacts list without your knowledge.

Do you also use any Desktop client to access your email accounts? If yes, which one is your favorite? Feel free to share your comment with others…

Also Check:

Published in: Mobiles and Internet, Troubleshooting Guides

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

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Comments

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  2. When I send or replay the message from vista windows live mail, its showing two same E-mail addresses but I need only one address in TO, CC at all.
    Please help Same.

    Manish Chandra

  3. When I send or replay the message from vista windows live mail, its showing two same E-mail addresses but I need only one address in TO, CC at all.
    Please help Same.

  4. ^^ Sorry but I cant help as I dont have Windows Vista installed. Are you using built-in Windows Mail program? If yes, better to switch to Windows Live Mail.

  5. The opposite happens for me! I find that I often have been engaged in a thread with a contact but later will find when I want to restart a dialogue no Default will come up for me i.e. it was never taken onto my Contacts and I have to trawl down to find an earlier Inbox link.
    Your question implies that feature is TOO OFTEN active!!
    I’ve looked up Windows Live as you suggest and clicked Optons – but there’s nothing there of use such as your sample page shows. What can I do?!

  6. I have been using windows live mail for quite some time now. I have reloaded windows live mail as there was some problem with the system. I am using windows 8.1 I have imported all the msgs from my google account but my contact list is missing. Please help me as to how to retrieve all my old contacts in windows live mail.

  7. ^^ Did you try to sign into Windows Live Mail program using your Gmail ID? I’m talking about the Sign in option present in top-right corner of the toolbar.

  8. I have used Live Mail my main user until recently and now my emails are very slow arriving from Sky emails and come in fits & starts. How can I make Live Mail my main email again please ?

  9. Same problem as Shirley Knuckey above. I do not have an Options tab on our Live Mail that matches your sample above. Have spent the last hour trying to figure out how to stop people we receive emails from going directly into our Contacts list – and still have no idea how to accomplish this.

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