As you may already know, BCM uses MSDE (Microsoft SQL Desktop Edition) as the database engine and stores the BCM database in files with the extensions LDF and MDF in the hidden C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Business Contact Manager directory. If you have these two files, you may be able to get your BCM database back

Unfortunately, you can't just drop the two database files into the directory and connect BCM to them. You first need to create a new database using the same name as the old database then close Outlook and stop the BCM service. By default, BCM names the database files MSBusinessContactManager.*, unless you created a new database using a name of your choice.

Create a new database using the File, Data File Management menu and choose Add, then choose Business Contact Manager Database. Once the database is created, close Outlook and stop the BCM service using Administrator Tools, Services, looking for MSSQL$MICROSOFTBCM service.

After stopping the service, replace the newly created database files with the old database files (changing the file names if necessary) and restart the service, then restart Outlook. You should now have your old BCM database back.

Before you do anything else, your first task should be making a backup of the database then do it on a regular basis, as it's much easier to restore a backup than it is to reconnect an old one. It's also the only supported method of recovering your databases -- if my method doesn't work or causes database corruption don't look to Microsoft for help.

Diane Poremsky is the president of CDOLive LLC and a Microsoft Outlook MVP. She's author of Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours (Sam's, 2003) and coauthor of OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide). For questions or suggestions for future columns, write her at outlook@cdolive.com.