Delete Duplicate Contacts in Outlook by Manual Ways

Updated On - October 23, 2024 by Henry Bray | Reading Time: 6 minutes

Outlook is the most popular email program that Microsoft offers. Both big and small groups use it. It is the most popular email client because it is easy to use, safe, and has some more advanced features. Also, people who use Microsoft Outlook have to deal with a number of problems. However, Duplicate contacts in Microsoft Outlook can be a nuisance, cluttering your contact list and causing confusion. It’s not uncommon to end up with duplicate entries due to various reasons, such as importing contacts from different sources or syncing issues between devices. Fortunately, there are free manual methods available to help you delete duplicate contacts in Outlook and streamline your contact list. So, in the next section, we will talk about some easy ways to delete duplicate contacts in Outlook.

How did I end up with the duplicate Outlook contacts?

Before we delve into the solutions to delete duplicate contacts in Outlook, let’s understand how duplicate contacts can occur in Outlook. Here are a few common scenarios:

• Importing Contacts: When you import contacts from different sources, such as email providers or CSV files, there’s a chance of creating duplicates if the same contact already exists.
• Syncing Issues: Synchronization problems between multiple devices or email accounts can result in duplicate contacts being generated during the sync process.
• Manual Entry: Accidental duplication can occur when manually entering contacts into Outlook if you forget to check for existing entries.

Here are a few reasons that Outlook can make copies of a contact. So, now let’s talk about the ways to delete duplicate contacts in Outlook.

Related Blog: How to Merge Duplicate Contacts in Outlook

Free Manual Ways to Delete Duplicate Contacts in Outlook

Step 1: Get rid of duplicate contacts one by one.

1. Open the Outlook app and click on “People.”
2. Now, in the “Current View” group, click the right corner of the box that says “Views,” and then click “Phone.” It is also easiest to see your duplicates and look over your contacts list.
3. In the contacts list, hold down “Ctrl” and click on the names of the people you want to delete.
4. Once you’ve chosen the duplicates you want to get rid of, press “Delete” or “Ctrl+D” to get rid of them.

Step 2: Use the Export & Import Utility to get rid of duplicate contacts.

This is the fastest way to get rid of duplicate contacts instead of going through each one. So, exporting them to a file is simple, and then importing them into a new folder. Follow the steps below to get the most out of this duplicate detection feature in the Outlook import procedure:

1. Open Outlook on your computer.
2. Pick a choice under “People.”
3. Now, right-click on your current Contacts folder or choose New Folder.
4. You need to give the new folder a name, such as “Duplicate contacts.”
5. Go back to your main Contacts folder by clicking on it.
6. Then, press “Ctrl+A” to select all of your contacts.
7. Here, you can “drag and drop” your contacts into the duplicates contacts folder, or you can use “Ctrl+Shift+V” to open the “Move to Folder” dialogue box and choose your Duplicates folder.
8. When you’re done with the step above, your current contacts folder should be empty.
9. Go to the File, then click on Open & Export and select Import/Export.
10. Choose “Export to a File” and then “Comma Separated Values” (CSV).
11. Choose the duplicate folder, such as “Duplicate contacts,” that you made in the steps above.
12. The process is done when you click “Next.”

Step 3: Bring Back Contacts into MS Outlook

1. First, Click on the File option, then choose Open and Export, and click on Import & Export from the File menu.
2. Now, choose “Import from another program or file” and then “CSV.”
3. Here, you need to look for the File you made in the last step.
4. Then, click one of the options next to “Do not import duplicate items.”
5. Choose your main folder as your goal folder. This folder is empty right now.
6. Click “Finish” to end the process in a good way.

Step 4: Move the Contacts from the “Duplicates contacts” folder to the “Main Contacts” folder.

1. You have to choose the “Duplicates” folder for your contacts.
2. Now, click once on any of the contacts in the duplicates folder, and then press “Ctrl+A” to select all of them.
3. In this step, you must move the chosen contacts to your main Contacts folder. You can “Drag and Drop” them or use the “Move to Folder” dialogue box by pressing “Ctrl+Shift+V.”
4. MS Outlook will always give you a prompt with two options when it thinks you have a duplicate contact.
   1. Choose “Add New Contact” if your contact isn’t already on the list.
   2. If your contact is a duplicate, choose “Update Information of Selected Contact.”
5. Choose one that fits your needs, and then click “Update.” Regardless Choose “Update All” if you need to make the same choice for all of the duplicate contacts.

At the end of the process, you can delete the duplicate folder without any problems.

Use professional tool to remove duplicate contacts in Outlook easily and quick

While the manual methods mentioned above can help in removing duplicate contacts to some extent, they may not be efficient for handling large contact lists with numerous duplicates. In such cases, using an Outlook duplicate remover tool can save you considerable time and effort.

The manual method is quite a lengthy and hectic process, and a simple misstep can result in contact loss. Businesspersons and organizations always prefer using automated solutions such as Regain Outlook duplicate remover tool.

The tool is professionally developed to delete duplicate contacts of Outlook files and works like a charm. Its highly advanced algorithm removes all the restrictions and allows users to delete duplicate several Outlook accounts in a single process without any risk of data loss. Let’s describe its process before jumping into Regain Outlook duplicate remover tool’s glimpses.

Remove Duplicate contacts of Outlook effortlessly

• Firstly, install and open the Regain Outlook duplicate remover tool.
• Now click on the Add file option from the ribbon bar and browse the PST files to process.
• Once the PST file is added, click on the Remove Duplicate items option.
• Now the software will start the de-duplication process and display a live log report.

You only need to make these few clicks to make a PST file duplicate free. Below are a few highlighted features of the tool.

Free Download100% Secure Buy NowPrice: $29

Why should to opt for the Regain Outlook Duplicate Remover tool?

Regain Outlook Duplicate Remover is a powerful tool designed to scan your Outlook contacts, identify duplicates, and delete them in a few simple steps. Here’s why it stands out:

• Easy to Use: The tool has a user-friendly interface, allowing even non-technical users to remove duplicates effortlessly.
• Advanced Scan Options: It offers various scan criteria such as duplicate emails, names, phone numbers, and more, providing flexibility in identifying duplicates.
• Preview and Selection: Before deleting duplicates, you can preview them and choose which ones to remove, ensuring you retain important information.
• Safety and Reliability: The tool ensures the safety of your Outlook data and performs duplicate removal operations without causing any harm or data loss.

Conclusion

Outlook is the first choice of organization for emailing as it offers several modern-day working environment requirements. If you’re a bit techy, you may know that it has a file size of 50 GB, and after that, the PST files get highly prone to corruption. Duplicate emails and contacts can drastically increase the PST file size and make it corrupt. We’ve provided two methods to delete duplicate contacts in Outlook, but using the Regain Outlook Duplicate remover tool is recommended for enhanced features.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I recover deleted contacts using the Regain Outlook Duplicate Remover tool?
No, the tool cannot recover permanently deleted duplicate contacts however you can use our Outlook PST recovery tool for this task. It is recommended to back up your Outlook data before using any duplicate removal tool.

Q: Are there any risks involved in using third-party tools for removing duplicate contacts?
Reputable third-party tools like Regain Outlook Duplicate Remover are designed to work safely without harming your Outlook data. However, it’s always a good practice to back up your data before using any tool.

Q: Can the Regain Outlook Duplicate Remover tool be used with any version of Outlook?
Yes, the tool is compatible with various versions of Microsoft Outlook, including Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, and older versions.

Q: Is it possible to undo the duplicate removal process?
No, once the duplicates are deleted using the tool, they cannot be undone. Therefore, it’s crucial to review the duplicates and make informed decisions before deleting them.