Backup and Restore Address Book and Never Lose Contact with Clients Again

Last Modified:	October 8, 2010
Software Affected:	Address Book 4.1.2
OS:	Mac OS X 10.5
Description:	This article shows you where to find the items required to backup Address Book and how to restore these items.

Backup:

1. Quit Address Book
2. Locate the ‘AddressBook’ folder found by following pathway found here:
   ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook 
3. Copy this folder to your backup media
4. Locate the com.apple.AddressBook.abd.plist and com.apple.AddressBook.plist files found here:
   ~/Library/Preferences
5. Copy these files to your backup media
6. You have now successfully backed up your Address Book

Do this with BackJack
 

Restore:

1. Launch Address Book
2. Quit Address Book
3. Navigate to the current ‘AddressBook’ folder found here:
   ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook
4. Drag the ‘AddressBook’ folder to the trash
5. Locate the com.apple.AddressBook.abd.plist and com.apple.AddressBook.plist files found here:
   ~/Library/Preferences
6. Drag these two files to the Trash
7. Click the ‘Trash’ to open the finder window.  On the toolbar, click
   Finder > Secure Empty Trash
8. Copy the ‘AddressBook’ folder from your backup media into the Application Support folder located here:
   ~/Library/Application Support
9. Enter the name and password for an administrator on this computer and click ‘Continue’
10. Copy the backed up com.apple.AddressBook~ files from your backup media into the Preferences folder found here:
    ~/Library/Preferences
11. Launch the ‘Address Book’ application
12. You have successfully restored your Address Book

Do this with BackJack