Contact File – Windows Live Mail

Every time I go to Windows Live Mail - I get a Windows Live ID popup.  It contains an old email address that I haven't used in years.  I went through Options and Connection and clicked the "stop signing in" button.  Now, my contact file has disappeared, and been replaced by a 4 year old contact file.  I have tried - unsuccessfully to find the proper file and import it.  I can find 3 <empty> files in the Windows Live Contacts folder within the Microsoft folder - but they say that they are empty - even though they are 30 mb in size.  I am going crazy - I really need my proper contact list.  Even though I changed the connection button to ask me for a sign in - nothing works.  Please help me find the proper file so I can import it.