How To Repair a Corrupt Outlook Autocomplete NK2 File?

2010-05-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

If you ever have been/are in a situation where you badly needed to recover your Outlook Autocomplete NK2 file, then you have come to a right place.

I will show you a method that you can use to recover your Outlook's autocomplete NK2 and most importantly how to do it for FREE. This is the method I use, there is no guaranty that this will work in all cases, but at least this may point you in a right direction to get your NK2 working again.

First you need the following:

1. A computer with Microsoft Outlook 2003/2007 installed (Not Outlook Express)

2. Download and extract NK2.info (with full libraries) from http://www.nk2.info to you desktop.

Once we have all necessary components we can begin the recovery process:

STEP 1: Backup of your current NK2 file (Always backup your files before you do anything)

Make sure that Outlook is completely closed
Click Start -->Run
Type in %userprofile%\Application data\Microsoft\Outlook (in some rare cases this location may be different)
Hit Enter
Copy your .nk2 file to your desktop (if you cannot see the extension then you need to click Tools-->Folder Options -->View then uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types")

Step 2: Export data from NK2 into CSV file (Use NK2.info)

Open NK2.info application
In NK2.info click browse and browse to the location of you .nk2 file
A list of Names and email address will be retrieved from the .nk2 file. (optional: In here you may do edits to the list if need be)
Click Export Now (by default nk2.info.csv file will be export in My Documents folder)
Close

Step 3: Import CSV into Contacts folder in Outlook

Open Microsoft Outlook
Switch to Folder View
Right click on your Inbox and select New Folder
Use the drop down button under Folder contains: and choose Contact Items
In the Name field type in NK2-Recovery then click OK

A new NK2-Recovery contact folder item will be created in your Outlook. Simply single left click on it to highlight/select.
Click File --> Import
Choose Import from another program or file then click Next
Choose Comma Seperated Values (Windows) then click Next
Navigate to the file nk2.info.csv (by default this file is exported in My Documents folder) then click Next
Select the NK2-Recovery contacts folder (the one we've created earlier) the click Next
Click Finish

Step 4: Rename existing .nk2 file

To be safe, lets rename an the existing .nk2 file. To do that make sure that you Outlook is closed.
Click Start -->Run
Type in %userprofile%\Application data\Microsoft\Outlook (in some rare cases this location may be different) hit Enter
rename existing .nk2 (outlook.nk2) to outlook.old
Open Outlook

Step 5: Recreate auto complete file by importing NK2-Recovery contacts.

Disconnect network cable from the computer. Make sure that your Outlook is not connected.

Click NK2-Recovery Contact folder and select and copy All contacts in there (Note: you can only copy not more that 500 at a time. if you have more then 500 contacts then you need to split them)

Click New Mail then paste all copied contacts in TO: field

Click Send

Now, go to the Outbox and delete this new email we just sent.

If you have more contacts to import then simply copy the rest of this NK2-Recovery contacts into new email (don't forget to delete the email from the Outbox after).

Test the Auto complete now by creating new email and typing the few letters.

If everything is working then you may delete the NK2-Recovery contacts folder.

Once again make sure that there is no emails in the Outbox folder.

Reconnect your network cable and You're done.

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Thank you in advance.

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