Contact list resets to First Last name order on its own

I'm using OL2000 on W2K with all updates. This problem
has been driving me crazy for years, back to Outlook 97/98
even. I enter my new contacts as Last, First. I then set
the "File As" edit box to Last, First. But when I create
a new email, the names show up as First Last in the Select
Names dialog. In the same dialog I then reset the specific
contact's Properties to Last, First. All is well until a
few weeks later the same contact has reverted to First
Last again when I try to send an email. What the hell is
going on. What is the "File As" edit box in the Contact
Dialog good for if it can't control the way names are
displayed in the Select Name dialog? I have set
the 'other' settings in Tools, Options, Contact Options,
but as I understand it, this only sets the default
for 'New' contacts.

I would appreciate any ideas any one has. Come on MS, get
it right - you've had long enough...

We're not MS, but you're the one who needs to get it right. The information
on how to do this is widely available.
I would wager you haven't set the Outlook Address Book's sorting option
correctly. Do so:
Tools menu Services Highlight the Outlook Address Book service Click
Properties Set sort order
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Doug M" wrote in message
...
I'm using OL2000 on W2K with all updates. This problem
has been driving me crazy for years, back to Outlook 97/98
even. I enter my new contacts as Last, First. I then set
the "File As" edit box to Last, First. But when I create
a new email, the names show up as First Last in the Select
Names dialog. In the same dialog I then reset the specific
contact's Properties to Last, First. All is well until a
few weeks later the same contact has reverted to First
Last again when I try to send an email. What the hell is
going on. What is the "File As" edit box in the Contact
Dialog good for if it can't control the way names are
displayed in the Select Name dialog? I have set
the 'other' settings in Tools, Options, Contact Options,
but as I understand it, this only sets the default
for 'New' contacts.

I would appreciate any ideas any one has. Come on MS, get
it right - you've had long enough...

Russ,

Thanks for the reply. I really do appreciate you trying
to help us users. You must get tired of answering the
same questions, but believe me, it is not obvious (to me)
and I spent a good half hour searching through 10 pages of
this forum for an answer...so I really can't see how this
information is 'widely available'.

You are right, I did not set the setting you reference
below, basically, because I can't find them. There is no
Services item under Tools in my Outlook 2000. Nor is
there a Services option under the Tools menu under the
Address Book dialog. So I am still wondering why Outlook
is undoing changes that I make?

Thanks again.

Doug

-----Original Message-----
We're not MS, but you're the one who needs to get it
right. The information
on how to do this is widely available.
I would wager you haven't set the Outlook Address Book's
sorting option
correctly. Do so:
Tools menu Services Highlight the Outlook Address
Book service Click
Properties Set sort order
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Doug M" wrote in
message
...
I'm using OL2000 on W2K with all updates. This problem
has been driving me crazy for years, back to Outlook
97/98
even. I enter my new contacts as Last, First. I then
set
the "File As" edit box to Last, First. But when I
create
a new email, the names show up as First Last in the
Select
Names dialog. In the same dialog I then reset the
specific
contact's Properties to Last, First. All is well until
a
few weeks later the same contact has reverted to First
Last again when I try to send an email. What the hell
is
going on. What is the "File As" edit box in the Contact
Dialog good for if it can't control the way names are
displayed in the Select Name dialog? I have set
the 'other' settings in Tools, Options, Contact Options,
but as I understand it, this only sets the default
for 'New' contacts.

I would appreciate any ideas any one has. Come on MS,
get
it right - you've had long enough...




.

You must be using the long abandoned IMO mode of Outlook. It didn't even
have the capacity to use the Outlook Address Book. It uses the Windows
Address Book, the same address book as Outlook Express. I'm not sure why you
are having trouble because that address book is sorted more easily that the
Outlook Address Book:
Tools menu Address Book View menu Sort by
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Doug M" wrote in message
...
Russ,

Thanks for the reply. I really do appreciate you trying
to help us users. You must get tired of answering the
same questions, but believe me, it is not obvious (to me)
and I spent a good half hour searching through 10 pages of
this forum for an answer...so I really can't see how this
information is 'widely available'.

You are right, I did not set the setting you reference
below, basically, because I can't find them. There is no
Services item under Tools in my Outlook 2000. Nor is
there a Services option under the Tools menu under the
Address Book dialog. So I am still wondering why Outlook
is undoing changes that I make?

Thanks again.

Doug

-----Original Message-----
We're not MS, but you're the one who needs to get it
right. The information
on how to do this is widely available.
I would wager you haven't set the Outlook Address Book's
sorting option
correctly. Do so:
Tools menu Services Highlight the Outlook Address
Book service Click
Properties Set sort order
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Doug M" wrote in
message
...
I'm using OL2000 on W2K with all updates. This problem
has been driving me crazy for years, back to Outlook
97/98
even. I enter my new contacts as Last, First. I then
set
the "File As" edit box to Last, First. But when I
create
a new email, the names show up as First Last in the
Select
Names dialog. In the same dialog I then reset the
specific
contact's Properties to Last, First. All is well until
a
few weeks later the same contact has reverted to First
Last again when I try to send an email. What the hell
is
going on. What is the "File As" edit box in the Contact
Dialog good for if it can't control the way names are
displayed in the Select Name dialog? I have set
the 'other' settings in Tools, Options, Contact Options,
but as I understand it, this only sets the default
for 'New' contacts.

I would appreciate any ideas any one has. Come on MS,
get
it right - you've had long enough...




.

I was having a similar problem. I think this will work
in OL2000, I'm using OL2003. It follows what Russ
suggested. Open OL and click TOOLS--EMAIL ACCOUNTS.
Under DIRECTORY, check VIEW OR CHANGE and click next.
For your Outlook Contacts, click CHANGE. At the bottom
under SHOW NAMES BY check FILE AS. The contacts are now
sorted by the FILE AS field in your address book. Hope
this helps.

-----Original Message-----
I'm using OL2000 on W2K with all updates. This problem
has been driving me crazy for years, back to Outlook
97/98
even. I enter my new contacts as Last, First. I then
set
the "File As" edit box to Last, First. But when I
create
a new email, the names show up as First Last in the
Select
Names dialog. In the same dialog I then reset the
specific
contact's Properties to Last, First. All is well until
a
few weeks later the same contact has reverted to First
Last again when I try to send an email. What the hell
is
going on. What is the "File As" edit box in the Contact
Dialog good for if it can't control the way names are
displayed in the Select Name dialog? I have set
the 'other' settings in Tools, Options, Contact Options,
but as I understand it, this only sets the default
for 'New' contacts.

I would appreciate any ideas any one has. Come on MS,
get
it right - you've had long enough...


.

Nope. This does not apply to IMO mode.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Dave T." wrote in message
...
I was having a similar problem. I think this will work
in OL2000, I'm using OL2003. It follows what Russ
suggested. Open OL and click TOOLS--EMAIL ACCOUNTS.
Under DIRECTORY, check VIEW OR CHANGE and click next.
For your Outlook Contacts, click CHANGE. At the bottom
under SHOW NAMES BY check FILE AS. The contacts are now
sorted by the FILE AS field in your address book. Hope
this helps.

-----Original Message-----
I'm using OL2000 on W2K with all updates. This problem
has been driving me crazy for years, back to Outlook
97/98
even. I enter my new contacts as Last, First. I then
set
the "File As" edit box to Last, First. But when I
create
a new email, the names show up as First Last in the
Select
Names dialog. In the same dialog I then reset the
specific
contact's Properties to Last, First. All is well until
a
few weeks later the same contact has reverted to First
Last again when I try to send an email. What the hell
is
going on. What is the "File As" edit box in the Contact
Dialog good for if it can't control the way names are
displayed in the Select Name dialog? I have set
the 'other' settings in Tools, Options, Contact Options,
but as I understand it, this only sets the default
for 'New' contacts.

I would appreciate any ideas any one has. Come on MS,
get
it right - you've had long enough...


.

Russ, thanks for the reply. What is the IMO mode and how
would I be in it? 'Long abandoned'? I am not sure what
you mean. Who would abandon it. I have Outlook 2000
which was installed using the MS installer. Who would
likely abandon this mode?

Also confusing: why are there address books when there is
the Contact data within Outlook. I guess that is what I
am confused about. Why doesn't the Contact list control
all aspects of the Contacts. Why seperate Address Books?

Doug



-----Original Message-----
You must be using the long abandoned IMO mode of Outlook.
It didn't even
have the capacity to use the Outlook Address Book. It
uses the Windows
Address Book, the same address book as Outlook Express.
I'm not sure why you
are having trouble because that address book is sorted
more easily that the
Outlook Address Book:
Tools menu Address Book View menu Sort by
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Doug M" wrote in
message
...
Russ,

Thanks for the reply. I really do appreciate you trying
to help us users. You must get tired of answering the
same questions, but believe me, it is not obvious (to
me)
and I spent a good half hour searching through 10 pages
of
this forum for an answer...so I really can't see how
this
information is 'widely available'.

You are right, I did not set the setting you reference
below, basically, because I can't find them. There is
no
Services item under Tools in my Outlook 2000. Nor is
there a Services option under the Tools menu under the
Address Book dialog. So I am still wondering why
Outlook
is undoing changes that I make?

Thanks again.

Doug


trimmed

IMO mode was a temporary version of Outlook created for Outlook 98/2000 for
users who needed only simple Internet Transports for email, not the more
complicated proprietary MAPI transports required by other mail services such
as Exchange and Fax, which the full version (Corporate/Workgroup) of Outlook
must support. The Outlook Address Book also required these MAPI transport;,
so in IMO mode, users were not actually able to use the Outlook Address
Book. They were instead borrowing the Windows Address Book engine from
Outlook Express to display their Contacts data. That's why the address book
in IMO mode acts nothing like the real Outlook Address Book. The fact that
there were two such different versions of the same program was all done
"behind the scenes" with no acknowledgement from Microsoft, thus creating
enormous confusion among Outlook users who did not understand why two
installations of the same program would behave so differently.
Once Outlook development reached the point that it could handle all mail
transports efficiently, they no longer had to release a separate version for
Internet Mail only users. So IMO vanished 3 years ago with Outlook 2002.
No version of Outlook has ever had a separate Address Book. The Address Book
in all versions of Outlook is merely a dynamic display of the electronic
addresses within the Contacts Folders.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
wrote in message
...
Russ, thanks for the reply. What is the IMO mode and how
would I be in it? 'Long abandoned'? I am not sure what
you mean. Who would abandon it. I have Outlook 2000
which was installed using the MS installer. Who would
likely abandon this mode?

Also confusing: why are there address books when there is
the Contact data within Outlook. I guess that is what I
am confused about. Why doesn't the Contact list control
all aspects of the Contacts. Why seperate Address Books?

Doug



-----Original Message-----
You must be using the long abandoned IMO mode of Outlook.
It didn't even
have the capacity to use the Outlook Address Book. It
uses the Windows
Address Book, the same address book as Outlook Express.
I'm not sure why you
are having trouble because that address book is sorted
more easily that the
Outlook Address Book:
Tools menu Address Book View menu Sort by
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Doug M" wrote in
message
...
Russ,

Thanks for the reply. I really do appreciate you trying
to help us users. You must get tired of answering the
same questions, but believe me, it is not obvious (to
me)
and I spent a good half hour searching through 10 pages
of
this forum for an answer...so I really can't see how
this
information is 'widely available'.

You are right, I did not set the setting you reference
below, basically, because I can't find them. There is
no
Services item under Tools in my Outlook 2000. Nor is
there a Services option under the Tools menu under the
Address Book dialog. So I am still wondering why
Outlook
is undoing changes that I make?

Thanks again.

Doug


trimmed