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How do I backup my address book?

To backup your address book, just make a copy of your *.abk address book file:

  1. Determine the location and name of your address book file you want to backup.  Look in the title bar of Handy Address Book to see the name of the address book you are currently using.  You can also use "File / Properties..." to display the full path and filename of your current address book.  The default address book when you first install Handy is called handy.abk, and is located in your "My Documents" folder.
  2. Make a backup copy of this file using Windows Explorer or whatever other file copying program you prefer.  To use Windows Explorer go to "Start / All Programs / Accessories / Windows Explorer".  Browse to your address book file.  A quick way to browse to your address book file is to use "File / Properties..." within Handy and select the "Open File Location" button.  Once you have selected your address book in Windows Explorer, choose "Edit / Copy".  Browse to where you want to back it up to, and use "Edit / Paste".

File Copy Tip:  Windows Explorer can hide extensions for known file types.  This can make it confusing to find your address book file.  To turn this option off from within Windows Explorer go to "Tools / Folder Options / View" and turn off the option "Hide extensions for known file types".

In addition to making your own backups, Handy automatically backs up your address book each time it exits.  To control the automatic backup location and number of backups kept, see "File / Options... / Backup".

See Also: How do I restore my address book from a backup?

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