Lost Contacts In Windows Live Mail

I tried Firedog's suggestion of turning off "Stop Signing In" and lost all of my Contacts.  When I went back into WLM Options and clicked on Connections the "Stop Signing In" block is grayed out and you can't turn it back on.  I read somewhere to sign into WLM with the original password you used when setting up the Contacts and it won't let me do that now that I have a new password.  I must have my Contacts back.  There are nearly 2,000 of them and I don't want to hand enter all of them again.