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General Questions

General Questions

How many contacts can I store in the progam?

The maximum theoretical database size is 140 TB, although this extreme has not been tested. In practical use, performance may start to degrade as you approach 100,000 records. This limit should be sufficient for any practical personal or business use.

How many contact groups can I create? Is there a limit?

There is no limit - you can create as many groups as you like.

How many columns can I display in the table?

You can display as many columns as will fit on your screen when maximized. However, for a clean and efficient workspace, it's best to show only the essential columns. Note that the search function scans all columns, even hidden ones, so visibility is not necessary for search functionality.

How can I transfer data from an older version of EZ Contact Book?

  • If you have a database file from version 3.0 or newer (contacts.db), you can restore it directly using Database > Restore.
  • Files from versions 2.0 - 2.8 (named contacts.fdb) use an unsupported format and cannot be restored.

Can I create groups in a hierarchical structure?

No, groups exist at a single level(a flat structure). Hierarchical groups would complicate the program's core export/import functionality. Instead, we recommend using tags to organize and categorize contacts. See Working with tags for details.

Can a contact belong to multiple groups?

No, a contact can belong to only one group. However, you can assign multiple tags to a contact as an alternative method of categorization. See Working with tags for details.

How can I back up my data or transfer it to another computer?

  • Backup: The easiest way is to save the database file using Database > Backup (see Backup database). Backup files include a date stamp for easy identification. By default, the program creates daily backups, which you can use for recovery or transfer.

  • Transfer/Sync: The best way to keep contacts synchronized between computers is to use Sync feature via your Google account.

Can I share contacts with others on a local network or the same computer?

Yes, you can share data, but not directly through a shared file system. Your options are:

See Comparison of import methods for more details on data integrity during transfer.

How can I copy and paste contact details?

Use the Copy to New Contact link label in the Contact Editor. This action creates a new contact while copying all personal or business data except the first and last name. This is useful for quickly adding family members or employees who share the same address and company details.

How can I enter spaces, dashes or brackets in phone numbers?

The program automatically formats phone numbers (if Auto-formatting in enabled), so you do not need to enter spaces or punctuation. You can adjust the auto-format settings as needed in Preferences. If your country has irregular phone formatting that the program doesn't handle well, you can disable auto-formatting. Learn more about auto-formatting here.