Question about Outlook Express

I posted complaints about outlook.com last year.  Since then I have had no help with my problems - only other people's messages complaining about similar problems!

Apart from having to sign in almost every time, the system being slow, not responding, losing emails etc etc...... my main problem is not being able to access my contact list.  Two lots of advice were given (1) update the browser - which I did - to no effect.   (2) access my contacts via a separate website called 'People' which I did and for a while could get fairly quick access to my contacts by keeping this in my favourites bar.  Now this no longer works and I have no idea how to find it.

I repeat as I said before

I DO NOT HAVE A DOWN ARROW NEXT TO THE OUTLOOK BOX TOP LEFT WHICH WOULD GIVE ME THIS OPTION!!!!!!

In the past there was one on the screen when I was writing an email but this is no longer there!!!!!!!

SIMPLE QUESTION - How can I get to my contacts?????????????????????????????

I have recently been getting spam in my inbox that is also automatically adding itself to my contact list.  I don't understand how this can happen.  With  most I just go to my contact list and delete them.  However some of the spam has no identifiable e-mail addy just a very long string of indecipherable letters that don not show up in my contact list.  Is there a way to prevent this adding to contact list from happening?

Also, in my contact list  there are 5 red boxes with 1 random letter let in each of them.  What are they and why don't they have the checkmark box on the left so I can delete them?  Are the connected in some way to my first problem?

In advance, I would like to say TYVM for  any assistance provided.

I got switshed from hotmail to outlook and I lost all my e-mails and my contact list. Please help