Disclaimer: I'm a novice and barely know what I'm doing here, so be patient.

I'm setting up a new PC for my wife (Windows XP Home). The Account Name and administrator was just left as "Home". Then I realized after loading and configuring a bunch of software, that files and folders are also naming themselves "Home". Not such a big deal.

Here's the problem. I want to back up her Outlook Express Address Book which is saved in a file ending in .wab. I already know how to do that. BUT the .wab address book file is naming itself HOME so it makes it hard to know what it is on the back up hard drive. I also back up MY computer on the same back up drive, so this HOME thing is confusing.

The pathway for her address book is: C:\Documents and Settings\Home\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\Home.wab

I just found out that the name HOME associated with all these files and pathways came from the User Account name. I just changed the User Account Name to my wife's, which changed a few folder names, but the address book pathway is still HOME.

From what I read on-line, there are things that must be done to the Registry to change this, but there were all kinds of serious warnings about messing with the Registry. I don't even know what the Registry is!

The Big Question 1): Is there a simple & safe way to change the pathway either on Documents and Settings from HOME to my wife's name and/or change the pathway on the Outlook Express Address Book from HOME to my wife's name? (the address book is my priority).

Question 2) If I do change the pathway name, can I keep all the previous saved data in tact?

Thanks Everyone...

Hope this helps
Inside Outlook Express - Tips and Ideas - Move the Windows Address Book

Thanks Seahwk83. Sounds like it's just what I need.

Should I be nervous about messing with the registry? I keep reading all these warnings about it.

In step 4

This allows to save a .reg file to your desktop and after following other steps and you feel you need to go ack and change the changes that were made, click on this file you saved and it will put back what was there before any chabges made

Seahwk83,

Your suggested procedure sounds like it is exactly what I want to do. Rename the address book pathway so it saves the address book file as wife.wab, not home.wab

I followed the suggested procedure and thank goodness I backed up a copy of the registry key as you suggested above. I modified the pathway from... \home.wab to... \wife.wab and rebooted. Opened OE and looked at the pathway in Help / About Address Book, and it was a long list of scambled data that made no sense (to me). The shortcut to the address book still named it home.wab. So I restored the registry.

Maybe I'm missing something in the instructions. One thing that was not clear to me is step 2: Copy the *.wab file to its NEW LOCATION. I'm not sure what that means or how to do it. I do know how to copy the current pathway from address book / help.

Did I miss something?

One last question: The address book pathway is: C:\Documents and Settings\Home\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\Home.wab
If I change the pathway name to change the file name, do I change both "Home"'s to "wife", or just the last one before the .wab extension?

Thanks very much!

It's basically telling you that you can have your wab file in another location on your hard drive other then where it is originally

I would say you could try both, just remember exactly where you are and what you do in case you would have to change back

I wish I could offer more insight. Hope this works out for you. You're in the right area, just have to figure out exactly what will make it work for you

Hey Seahwk83,

Finally solved the mystery. The procedure you sent me was correct and necessary. I ALSO needed to change the file name in the Address Book Folder inside Documents and Settings to match the registry pathway name change. The reason I could never find it; it was marked as a "hidden file". Once I went into Folder Options and changed it to "show hidden files and folders" I was able to locate the address book file and change the name.

Problem solved! Wow, this nearly drove me crazy... but learned a lot. Thanks again.

mitchsc