Translation Error While Importing Contacts (.csv file)

[Rick]

Please forgive me if this has been covered before, I could not find any
previous posts on the subject.
I am trying to Import contacts to a new Contact Folder from Excel. I have
setup the worksheet, included a row with column names, and saved it as a
.csv file. I saved it to my C:\ directory to remove any possibility of
network problems.
I then use the Import a File Wizard in Outlook, select to import a .csv,
pick my file (named BusContacts.csv), and select the new contacts folder I
created "Business Contacts". When I hit next I receive this error:
---------------
Translation Error
A file error has occurred in the Comma Separated Values (Windows) translator
while initializing a translator to build a field map.
Outlook was unable to retrieve the data from the file "C:\BusContacts.csv".
Verify that you have the correct file, that you have permission to open it,
and that it is not open in another program.
OK.
---------------
I do have the correct file, I should have full permissions and it is not
open in another program (not only is the file closed in Excel, but I closed
Excel too!).
I ran the Office 2003 setup again and setup to have the Importers and
Exporters "Run from My Computer" - per the instructions I found on this page
(http://www.pctoday.com/techsupport/detail.aspx?guid=&ErrorID=24656).

It seems to me that this a problem with the .csv translator rather than the
data file itself.
Any and all help on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in
advance. ~ Rick....

PS - Before actually *reading* how to use the import/export, I attempted to
import this data as an Excel file. Although it would allow me to progress
and assign fields and all that, it would begin the import (progress bar
appears and moves along) and when it got to the very end (progress bar 99%
full) it would hang up Outlook and crash it. When I would restart Outlook,
that new contact folder had many blank entries and was attempting to Update,
but would just hang. I deleted that contact folder and created a new one for
the above. Not sure if any of that matters, but I'm trying to be thorough. ~
Rick...

[mandt...@gmail.com]

Rick wrote:
> created "Business Contacts". When I hit next I receive this error:
> ---------------
> Translation Error
> A file error has occurred in the Comma Separated Values (Windows) translator
> while initializing a translator to build a field map.
> Outlook was unable to retrieve the data from the file "C:\BusContacts.csv".
> Verify that you have the correct file, that you have permission to open it,
> and that it is not open in another program.
> OK.
> ---------------

I just got this error too on a fresh Outlook 2003 install. I am trying
to bring in contacts from palm desktop, but it keeps erroring out on
me. I hope someone here has an answer.

Matthew

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

Try this instead. Create a couple of contacts in Outlook and export them to
excel. Compare your file with the one Outlook created and massage yours
accordingly. Remember, Outlook will not import or export custom fields
natively. That requires third party software or code you would need to
write.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, Rick asked:

[Rick]

Great idea! That worked!!!
I input 3 addys the way I wanted them and exported it. Then I cut and pasted
my data from the file I had that Outlook didn't like into the file I had
exported. Adjusted and saved it. Ran the import wizard and boom! All in!
Thanks for the tip! ~ Rick...

Now if I can just figure out how to change the "File As" from "Last Name,
First Name" to "Company Name" for all the records at once, I'll be set! I'm
on it!

"Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]"

<Mil...@donteventhinkaboutmailingmeatmvps.org> wrote in message
news:e0$KsYPfG...@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

[amar...@gmail.com]

**** 2019 *** It's weird how this hasn't been figured out over time and communicated clearly. I have Office 2016.... I wanted to import Google contacts via a .csv file (instructions are everywhere for this) but I also received the import error many others have received.

Open the EXPORTED .CSV file - CUT the TITLE FIELD and then pasted (INSERTED) it in Column "A" location so it's the first one instead of FIRST NAME. I then saved the file and closed the Excel sheet. I then re-imported the file and it imported seamlessly.

Good Luck everyone.

[J.S.]

******** 2020 ********* amar...@gmail.com..... THANK YOU!! Your recommendations to move the TITLE FIELD worked when having trouble importing an exported gmail contacts CSV file into outlook.

[jmr...@gmail.com]

Here is an easy way to fix it. Before inporting the csv file to where ever you want. try to open the CSV file and let it open in Excel.
Once opened go to file save as. and save again with another name but save again as csv from excel.

example original file was named File.csv
new file is going to be file2.csv

no try to inport file into outlook and you will see that is going to work just fine.

[Zemene Tewodros]

> | Rick... it worked. thank you so much!

[Joseph L. Ortiz]

Hi.

I tried all the options said above and none worked.

I found Excel has an MDOS csv file format. I saved it in that format and that worked for me.

Thanks!

Kind Regards,

Joe Ortiz
www.linkedin.com/in/josephlortiz

[Jackes Burger]

Joseph, Thank you. Your fix worked for me

[J]

Thank you Joe!

[Omar Romero]

I exported from Outlook and found the issue was that the gmail contacts file export did not have the "Title" field as the first column in the file.

Once i added that column blank it proceeded with the import successfully.

[Jani Kannisto]

maanantai 4. heinäkuuta 2022 klo 22.38.38 UTC+3 Omar Romero kirjoitti:
> I exported from Outlook and found the issue was that the gmail contacts file export did not have the "Title" field as the first column in the file.
>
> Once i added that column blank it proceeded with the import successfully.

Hi
I had this very same problem and what i did was....

Exported Google contacts as Outlook format
Opened Outlook online (webmail)
Imported without any alterations to Outlook Online contacts

After that i checked Outlook app and every contact was synced as it should.

Hope this helps.

[Simon Reynolds]

[harsh bagri]

Really not sure how, but that actually worked!
Tried on 07-04-2023.

[Amy Charmatz]

Thx for this tip worked fine!

[Rick Schmidt]

Realizing this is an old thread, but just want to say I performed the exact steps described in this message and it worked 100% to solve my gmail contact import error.