Understanding Unicode Characters in Outlook 2013

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 134 views

Are you struggling to export contacts with Unicode characters from Outlook 2013? Do you find that Chinese names and other non-English characters are being replaced with ??? in your CSV file? You're not alone. In this article, we'll walk you through the process of exporting contacts with Unicode characters from Outlook 2013, and provide you with some troubleshooting tips to ensure that your data is exported correctly.

Understanding Unicode Characters in Outlook 2013

Before we dive into the export process, it's essential to understand how Unicode characters work in Outlook 2013. Unicode is a character encoding standard that allows for the representation of text from any language, including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. In Outlook 2013, Unicode characters are stored in the contact's name field as a series of bytes, which are then displayed as a single character.

The Problem with Exporting Unicode Characters

When you export contacts from Outlook 2013 to a CSV file, the Unicode characters are not being exported correctly. Instead of displaying the actual characters, you see ??? in place of the Chinese names. This is because the CSV file format is not designed to handle Unicode characters, and Outlook 2013 is not converting the characters correctly.

Step 1: Open and Export Contacts from Outlook 2013

To export contacts from Outlook 2013, follow these steps:

Open Outlook 2013 and navigate to the File menu.
Click on Open & Export and select Import/Export.
In the Import and Export Wizard, select Export to a file and click Next.
Choose Comma Separated Values (Windows) as the file format and click Next.
Select the contacts you want to export and click Next.
Choose a location to save the CSV file and click Finish.

Step 2: Configure the Export Settings

To ensure that the Unicode characters are exported correctly, you need to configure the export settings. Follow these steps:

In the Import and Export Wizard, click on Advanced.
In the Export to a file dialog box, click on the Options button.
In the Options dialog box, select Unicode (UTF-8) as the character set.
Click OK to save the changes.

Step 3: Export the Contacts

Now that you've configured the export settings, you can export the contacts. Follow these steps:

Click on Next in the Import and Export Wizard.
Choose the contacts you want to export and click Next.
Choose a location to save the CSV file and click Finish.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you're still experiencing issues with exporting Unicode characters, try the following troubleshooting tips:

Check the character set: Ensure that the character set is set to Unicode (UTF-8) in the export settings.
Check the file format: Ensure that the file format is set to Comma Separated Values (Windows).
Check the encoding: Ensure that the encoding is set to UTF-8 in the export settings.
Check for corrupted data: Check the contact data for any corrupted or missing characters.

Conclusion

Exporting contacts with Unicode characters from Outlook 2013 can be a challenging task, but with the right steps and troubleshooting tips, you can ensure that your data is exported correctly. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to export your contacts with Unicode characters to a CSV file. If you're still experiencing issues, try the troubleshooting tips provided to resolve the problem.

Additional Resources

For more information on exporting contacts from Outlook 2013, check out the following resources:

Microsoft Support: [Exporting contacts from Outlook](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/export-contacts-from-outlook-9f4a4b3f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a
Frequently Asked Questions: Exporting Contacts with Unicode Characters from Outlook 2013 =====================================================================================

Are you still struggling to export contacts with Unicode characters from Outlook 2013? Do you have questions about the process or troubleshooting tips? Look no further! In this article, we'll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about exporting contacts with Unicode characters from Outlook 2013.

Q: Why are my Unicode characters not exporting correctly?

A: There are several reasons why your Unicode characters may not be exporting correctly. One common reason is that the character set is not set to Unicode (UTF-8) in the export settings. Make sure to check the character set and encoding settings in the export options.

Q: How do I configure the export settings to export Unicode characters correctly?

A: To configure the export settings to export Unicode characters correctly, follow these steps:

Open the Import and Export Wizard in Outlook 2013.
Select Export to a file and click Next.
Choose Comma Separated Values (Windows) as the file format and click Next.
Select the contacts you want to export and click Next.
Click on Options and select Unicode (UTF-8) as the character set.
Click OK to save the changes.

Q: What is the difference between Unicode (UTF-8) and ANSI?

A: Unicode (UTF-8) is a character encoding standard that allows for the representation of text from any language, including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. ANSI, on the other hand, is a character encoding standard that is limited to a specific set of characters. When you export contacts with Unicode characters, you need to use Unicode (UTF-8) to ensure that the characters are exported correctly.

Q: Why are my Chinese names being replaced with ??? in the CSV file?

A: This is a common issue when exporting contacts with Unicode characters from Outlook 2013. The ??? characters are a result of the CSV file format not being able to handle Unicode characters. To resolve this issue, make sure to configure the export settings to use Unicode (UTF-8) as the character set.

Q: Can I export contacts with Unicode characters to a CSV file in a different format?

A: Yes, you can export contacts with Unicode characters to a CSV file in a different format. However, you need to make sure that the format you choose can handle Unicode characters. Some common formats that can handle Unicode characters include:

Comma Separated Values (Windows)
Tab Separated Values
CSV (UTF-8)

Q: How do I troubleshoot issues with exporting contacts with Unicode characters?

A: To troubleshoot issues with exporting contacts with Unicode characters, follow these steps:

Check the character set and encoding settings in the export options.
Check the file format and make sure it can handle Unicode characters.
Check the contact data for any corrupted or missing characters.
Try exporting the contacts to a different format.

Q: Can I export contacts with Unicode characters to a different email client?

A: Yes, you can export contacts with Unicode characters to a different email client. However, you need to make sure that the email client you choose can handle Unicode characters. Some common email clients that can handle Unicode characters include:

Microsoft Outlook
Mozilla Thunderbird
Google Gmail

Conclusion

Additional Resources

For more information on exporting contacts from Outlook 2013, check out the following resources:

Microsoft Support: [Exporting contacts from Outlook](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/export-contacts-from-outlook-9f4a4b3f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4f-4a4