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Good morning,

I use macOS Sierra 10.12.3 on an iMac 21 1/2", 2.7gHertz Intel Core i5 Processor - I found, yesterday, that all of my contacts within the above application, bar seven, had been cleared. While this is very annoying, I would like to know how to get them 'back'?

I do run a backup storage option through Time Machine and may have to be walked through this.

Now what could have caused this list of deletions? I have been subjected to the Zeus Trojan, and thought that this had been cleared ....

Has this happened to others?

Re: " . . . that all of my contacts within the above application . . . "


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Which application? If you mean CONTACTS, these are stored in a folder called ADDRESS BOOK.

Go into YOUR USER library (not the System's Library) folder:


~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Metadata



ALL of your contacts should be listed in there - either on your computer or in the same file in your backup.

1. IF these are still in your computer, highlight the one(s) you want and double-click. This action "could" refresh the list.

2. IF these are not on your computer BUT are in your backup, then (using Time Machine) restore the same folder back to the computer.

P.S. I am not expert. Just a hunch. Let us know if this works for you. Thanks.

As I'm also using 10.12.3, I followed your referenced Path and found my CONTACTS in a bit different path: ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Sources/"a folder with a long alpha-number name"/Metadata

The individual Contacts were listed, in my Path's Metadata folder, as a long alpha-numeric list, whereby I could only confirm the quantity, in this Metadata folder. The list does correlate with the number in my Contacts.

Should the Contacts be in the Path as you set out or is the location Path for my Contacts, Ok?

I just double checked. (BTW: I am using SIERRA on an early 2011 MBPro.)

The path, for me, is exactly as I posted earlier: ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Metadata.

Note: There is NO long number between AddressBook/Metadata. See if anyone else chimes in about the long number series issue you mentioned. My guess is that the folders/files in your ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook got inadvertently moved about so that the entire Metadata folder may have got moved (somehow) into one of the contact files (???).

You should be able to go to the current Metadata folder, whenever it is, and open it. All contacts (if any) would be listed there by default. The icons look like Rolodex Cards and WILL have a long number series associated with each contact.

Highlight one, for example, and then right-click GET INFO. Under the box marked "Locked" there is a little flippy-thingy called MORE INFO. Click on that and it will reveal the name/title and e-mail address of that Contact.


You could create a new folder called Metadata on your desktop. Open the "old" existing Metadata folder. Highlight and drag all the contacts into the new desktop Metadata folder you created. Send the "old" (empty) Metadata folder to the trash. Drag the "new" Metadata folder (with all the contacts) into folder ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook.


Hope this is clearer and more helpful than my previous post.

Your reply is very helpful, but let me add some detail I should have previously mentioned.

My "~AddressBook/Metadata" folder is empty. Additionally, the "~/AddressBook/Images" folder is also empty.

It's the "~/AddressBook/Sources" folder that contains: the aforementioned, long alpha-numberic folder (I'll call it "CF18A7AF") that contains the Images and Metadata folders with the pertinent files.

Additionally, there are other files in the initial Metadata folder:
- 3 x ABAssistantChangelog files ( shown as .aclcddb - 2016, .aclcddb-shm - 2017, .aclcddb-wal - date of MBP15 migration )
- 3 x AddressBook-v22 files ( shown as .abcddb, .abcddb-shm, abcddb-wal ) - dating to 2017 & Today
- a Configuration.plist file - last modified in 2012
- 3 x MailRecents-v4 files (shown as .abcdmr, .abcdmr-shm, .abcdmr-wal) - dating to 2013

Then, the second Metadata folder (inside "CF18A7AF") initially contains:
- Images folder - containing the various photos used in customizing individual Contacts
- Metadata folder - containing the Rolodex Cards (with long numbers) associated with the correct number of Contacts
This second Metadata folder also contains the following individual files:
- 3 x AddressBook-v22 files ( shown as .abcddb, .abcddb-shm, abcddb-wal - all dated to date of migration)
- a Configuration.plist file - last modified in 2015
- a migration.log - last modified 2012
- OfflineDeletedItems.plist & OfflineDeletedItems.plist.lockfile
- Sync.lockfile & SyncOperations.plist.lockfile
Note: All these .lockfiles have dates corresponding to date I migrated to my new MBP15

So, based upon your note about somehow my stuff got moved, I should cleanup as your suggesting.

However in relation to the above mentioned files, in both Metadata folders, which ones should I keep and which ones should I Trash? ...Ones with newest Create / Modified dates? ...And then, delete "Sources" folder as well as the "CF18A7AF" folder?

Thanks for your help.

Do you mean what you typed or do you really mean ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Metadata?

I'm also in 10.12.3, but I haven't got anything at the path you typed, nor have I got either a ~/AddressBook/Sources or ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Sources folder.

By the way, you jumped in sounding like you've got the same problem as our OP, but without specifically saying so. Is that the case, and if so, have you got a Metadata folder on a clone that you could try dragging in?

Re: ". . . in both Metadata folders, which ones should I keep and which ones should I Trash? ...Ones with newest Create / Modified dates? ...And then, delete "Sources" folder as well as the "CF18A7AF" folder? . . . "

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Note: When I open MY Metadata folder, I only have 27 individual "rolodex icon" Contacts. There is nothing else in this folder. My SOURCES folder has no contacts. So, on the surface, it looks as though your Contacts (somehow) got moved from its original position in the Metadata folder into the Source folder.

I am no expert in this field, but your ADDRESSBOOK folder appears to be differently arranged (re-arranged?) than mine. Not sure how you ended up with TWO Metadata folders. My guess is that the original folder got moved so that when the system needed it - but could not find it in its usual location - it automatically created the second folder. But that is only a guess on my part.


My ADDRESSBOOK folder contains the following:


- 3 x ABAssistantChangelog files
- 3 x AddressBook-v22 files
- 3 x MailRecents-v4 files
- 1 x Images folder
- 1 x Metadata folder
- 1 x Sources folder
- 1 x Configuration.plist file

My idea was that you would MOVE/DRAG the Contacts you wish to keep (in whichever folder you may find these) so that all your contacts are combined into one folder called METADATA. Use the Command key as you click and drag the icons so as NOT to copy or duplicate the contacts to the "new" Metadata folder.

Your path should be set up to read: ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Metadata with only the Contacts in the Metadata folder. Nothing else therein.

Fingers & toes are crossed.

Re: " . . . have you got a Metadata folder on a clone that you could try dragging in? . . . "

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PbGuy made no mention of a backup in his post, so I am working from the position that there is none.

Certainly, IF there is backup of the original - not the current arrangement - path of folders and files, a restore could be made from that. (Note: Since PbGuy has not done so as the first line of action, I would presume that such a backup does not exist.)

I did mean that my "~AddressBook/Metadata" folder is empty. ...The "Metadata & Images" folders, with my Contacts' data, are both inside the "Sources/CF18A7A" folder.


The "~AddressBook/Sources/" folder seemed, when I joined this Thread, to need cleaning up as it contained this odd, "CF18A7A" folder which has the second "Metadata & Images" folders.


- I took notice of this Thread as I have a small issue with my Contacts, whereby 2 of my Contact's Names (in the Names' List) disappear, although it reappears when selected. ...When I took a closer look at my "~AddressBook" folder and noticed the hierarchy oddities (possibly, causing to this visual issue), I wanted to get clarification about proper structure. Otherwise, my Contacts is working / syncing Ok.
- My Superduper clones (completed about once a week), as well as my Time Machine backups (daily), will contain these same oddities since I don't know when they started as I've previously never peered into the "AddressBook" folder. (When I migrated to my new MBP15 (2/27), I started with a freshly made clone & Time Machine.) As result, I believe a cleanup is in order. I just need to be clear what should and should not be present - so, I don't muck up the results.

Thanks again for your assistance.

By the way, I wanted to upload screenshots that would easily show what I'm describing. But, Image Shack is no longer (as of 2015) allowing Free uploads. ...Is there somewhere else images, for display in this Forum, can be uploaded?

Based upon your reply, it would seem the "Sources" folder should be empty; but then, I wonder what purpose it has?


While my initial "AddressBook" folder arrangement is a bit different, it does contain the same folders & files as does yours. ...It's just that all the data stuff is actually located in the second "Metadata" folder, inside the "Sources" folder.


I'm now wondering about the Log & Lock files, since I don't see them in your "AddressBook" folder and that I see inside the odd "CF18A7A" folder. ...It seems that these should be deleted in the clean-up I need to complete. ...Is that a reasonable assumption?

This procedure seems a logical process.
Unless I see replies from either of you about differing opinion or procedure, I'll do the MOVE/DRAG process (implementing the Command key in this process & once I know for sure what to move and what not to move). ...I'd like to get thoughts on those .Log & .Lockfiles that currently reside in the "CF18A7A" folders.

Thanks for your assistance.

I've now completed the DRAG-MOVE; and afterwards, I deleted the "Sources" folder. I completed a MBP Restart. Upon reopening Contacts, all contacts were there (only have 181; so, easy to know correct count).

Upon reviewing the "AddressBook" folder, I found all the previous, "Sources" folder had regenerated itself. Except now, the "~AddressBook/Images & Metadata" folders hold the same, number of data files as in "~AddressBook/Sources/CF18A7A/Images & Metadata" folders.

When I view Contacts, showing Groups, it shows my "All iCloud" & "All on My Mac" Groups - they're the same number of contacts. So, I'm now wondering if the "Sources" folder (since it has the long, alpha-numeric folder - CF18A7A) is doing the sync with iCloud. ...If not, I have no idea why this "Sources" folder would fully re-generate itself (with all the same Images & Metadata files) after I had deleted it and its contents. ...Anyway, Contacts is working.

Thoughts anyone...

Well, your mention of iCloud may explain why you've got stuff in ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook that I haven't got.

My SOURCES folder contains 3 AddressBook-v22 files and one Configuration (plist).

I have never opened an iCloud Account and have no knowledge about how it moves about the Computer's system and folders - so, I cannot say officially whether or not the SOURCES folder is related to iCloud.

UPDATE

Found this : http://krypted.com/mac-os-x/address-book-file-locations/

Looks like the SOURCES folder is used by MAC OSX Server - presumably, iCloud in pbGuy's situation. It would appear that iCloud updated the Address Book/Contacts and the SOURCES folder was used/created, as needed, in the process.

I'm just wondering if anything that's been posted since you posed your question has been helpful towards your recovering your contacts?

In post #43933 . . .


". . . Anyway, Contacts is working."

My post wasn't directed at you; I was asking our OP if anything that had helped you had helped him.

My guess is that re-arranging the contents of his AddressBook folder to their original default locations - which I suggested - was helpful toward getting his Contacts to work as expected.