How to Convert an Address Book .ABBU File to .CSV

Techwalla may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.
Convert old Address Book data to CSV format using Contacts.

In early versions of Mac OS X, Address Book archives were stored as ABBU files, a format unique to Apple computers and practically useless anywhere else. Since the Contacts app in OS X Mavericks -- which replaced the Address Book -- supports both ABBU and CSV formats, you can use the Contacts app to quickly convert an Address Book backup to CSV format.

Advertisement

Step 1

Launch the Contacts app on your Mac.

Video of the Day

Step 2

Go to the "File" menu at the top of the screen and select the "Import" command.

Step 3

Highlight the ABBU file you want to convert and click "Open" to add it to your Address Book data.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Step 4

Click the "File" menu, select "Export," then "CSV." Contacts creates a new archive file in CSV format. Use this file in any app on a Mac or Windows PC to import the address book data.

Video of the Day

Advertisement

Advertisement

references

Report an Issue

screenshot of the current page

Screenshot loading...