iCloud has stolen all my contacts and calendar events

Any special characters I need to worry about? CR/LF

I would suggest you go to File > Open & Export in Outlook.  Then export your current contacts to a csv file.  Then use this particular csv file as the base to rebuilt and clean up your contacts.  Once you are done, you can import the csv back to Outlook.

I have done contacts export and import only once previously and I never encounter any CR/LF issues.

Do you have iTunes installed?  If so iTunes defaults Contacts to iCloud and you must change this setting.

Great, first I had Windows updates screwing everything up now I have iTunes and Cloud. I will find that setting and turn it off. I know an iTunes update kicked in the other day and then I noticed this issue.

Windows update will not change iCloud settings. Only iTunes update will.

Besides, have you installed iCloud Panel for Windows recently?

You can mess up your contacts and calendar in MS Outlook if you select iCloud to be main Contacts and Calendar and iCloud panel will move all entries from your .PST file to iCloud contacts and calendar in MS Outlook.

My comment about Windows update was generic. I have had  them kill 3 computers this year. I do not even know what iCloud Panel is. All I know is there was  iCloud update that got rolled in over the weekend and now my Outlook Calendar and Contacts are totally FUBAR! I am going to restore my pst from cloud backup and start over.

If you see iCloud update, it should be iCloud panel for Windows as if it was iTunes update, you will not see the word of iCloud. By default, iCloud panel of Windows will make itself to be the centre of every entry in MS Outlook and will remove all entries (except the incompatible ones) in Contacts and Calendar in local PST file of MS Outlook and copy the same to iCloud folder.

There is no windows update having a description of iCloud as iCloud is the name of Apple technology.

I understand, I was just venting how Windows Updates wreak havoc and now apparently Apple Updates are no better.

Got it. By the way, after I restored my OUTLOOK.PST file my contacts are still doubled. Is there separate pst file for contacts and ,if so, where is it kept?

Are your old .pst file still available?

If no, Right click Outlook Data folder under Document and select previous versions and restore the old Outlook.pst file.

Then, open the old .pst file and browse for the Deleted Items folder in Outlook.pst and restore all contacts and calendar entries.

Source: http://www.brucebnews.com/2012/04/icloud-outlook-and-exchange/

The contacts and calendars have not been stolen, just copy to iCloud folder and being deleted (i.e. copied to deleted items folder).

Any update?

Thanks everyone for your tips. I have decided to go back to pen and paper.
Actually I exported everything out to csv files, cleaned it up there, blew away contacts and calendar and did a fresh import. Now that I have both Microsoft and Apple doing their best to screw up everything I may just start doing my own system.

Thanks for the update and sorry to know that you need to use pencil and paper now.

Actually, I do not use MS Outlook when the information cannot be messed up.

Just because you can do something does not mean you have to do something. Microsoft and Apple duking it out. Sort of like Godzilla versus Mothra!