The file extension PAB is associated with Microsoft Outlook, which is part of the Microsoft Office suite of productivity applications. Microsoft Outlook is an email client which provides tools for organizing contact lists, setting up calendars to stay on task, sending and receiving emails, and communicating with others more effectively.
The PAB file extension is categorized as a data file type which stores personal address and contact information for use with the Microsoft Outlook email client. PAB stands for Personal Address Book and stores your personal contact list separately from your email message. This is different than OAB files which are also used by Microsoft Outlook to store addresses and are not saved separately from your email profile.
PAB files which are stored separately can be integrated with email messages as the user designates. PAB files can also be manually modified by the user to allow addresses to be added to or deleted from the file.
The file extension PAB is used in versions of Microsoft Outlook up to 2003. The later versions of Microsoft Outlook are backwards compatible and will easily import Personal Address Book (PAB) files into your Contact list. This is accomplished by clicking on File on the main toolbar of Microsoft Outlook and then using the Import command on the drop-down menu.
How to Open PAB Files
If you are using the Windows operating system, you can open PAB files with Microsoft Outlook 2013, which is the newest version of Outlook. Microsoft Outlook is available as a paid download in the Microsoft Store and is designed to work with Windows 7 and later in addition to Windows Server 2008 R2.
The file extension PAB can also be opened in Windows using Microsoft Outlook Express, which is an email client that is included with the Internet Explorer web browser version 4.x and later. Outlook Express is built on open Internet standards which enable the user to integrate new technologies such as composing email message with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and other tasks in addition to sending and receiving email more efficiently. If you have Internet Explorer installed on your PC, you can open PAB files with Outlook Express. To install Internet Explorer, you can visit the Microsoft website for a free download.
PAB files can be opened using Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, which is a server application that enables client access for up to five users. Exchange Server offers enhanced email security using built-in protection applications such as antivirus programs and spam blockers. Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 is available as a paid 5-user client access pack in the Microsoft Store and is designed for use with 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2008 Standard and Enterprise Edition with Service Pack 2 installed. Exchange Server will also work with Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard and Enterprise editions.
If you are using Mac OS X, it is possible to open the file extension PAB with Microsoft Outlook 2011 which is available as a paid download in the Microsoft Store.
