Recovering Autocomplete Addresses After Creating a New Outlook Profile
Creating a new Outlook mail profile is a common procedure, especially when troubleshooting issues or setting up a new computer. However, this process can result in the loss of autocomplete addresses—those suggested when typing in the "To", "Cc", or "Bcc" fields.
Many users confuse these with contacts saved in the address book, but in reality, they are stored in a temporary local cache and are not automatically transferred to new profiles.
How autocomplete was managed in older versions
Up to Outlook 2010, these addresses were stored in a separate .NK2 file. In newer versions, this system has changed: the data is now saved in a cache file tied to the Outlook user profile.
Where to find autocomplete data
The cache file is located at the following path:
%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\RoamCache
The filename starts with Stream_Autocomplete, followed by a unique identifier, for example:
Stream_Autocomplete_0_595122A81EC6DD45902DEDECB5D93C80.dat
By saving and reusing this file, you can restore the list of suggested addresses even on a different Outlook profile.
How to reassign the file to the new Outlook profile
Follow these steps to restore the autocomplete cache:
- Open Outlook using the new profile
- Send a test email (it must be successfully sent)
- Go to
%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\RoamCache - Paste the old
Stream_Autocompletefile here - Find the newly created autocomplete file (usually the most recent, containing just one address)
- Copy the name of the new file, then delete it
- Rename the old file with the name of the deleted one
- Close and reopen Outlook
- Try composing a new email: autocomplete suggestions should now be restored
This process allows you to recover lost autocomplete addresses without needing to manually re-enter them.
