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Selecting a contact list



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 19th, 2004, 09:05 PM
DianaH
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Selecting a contact list

I have a contact list (of course) in Outlook 2003. When I start typing an
email address, it doesn't auto-complete and I know why. When I click the
"to" button to access my contacts, a "blank" contact list displays instead
of the one I want. I use the pulldown menu and select the correct contact
list. This is an annoying workaround. How do I delete the other lists and
set the one that I want as default. (I know the others are not valid).

I just reformatted my drive two nights ago (so stressful - booooooo) and am
trying to get everything setup again, but I can't figure this one out. I'm
sure it's been posted a gazillion times, but I don't see it.

Thanks so much for your help. Diana


  #2  
Old June 19th, 2004, 09:29 PM
Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Selecting a contact list

No, that is not why. Autocomplete does not use your Contacts data. It uses a
cache of names that is populated from messages you have sent. Most likely
you have not populated a cache yet.

You do, however, still need to fix the Outlook Address Book which has lost
its connection to your Contacts data. It is not unusual for the Outlook
Address Book to "lose track" of the connection to its Contacts Folder when
you move or import your PST or update your Outlook version or OS. Use the
following steps to reset the connection. Note that in some instances you may
actually have to remove the Outlook Address Book completely from your
Profile, close Outlook, and then re-add it before you can get it to work.

Go to Tools | E-mail accounts, select "View or change existing directories
or address books", and click OK. If you don't see the OAB in the Directories
and Address Books list, click the Back button, then select "Add a new
directory or address book", then "Additional Address Books", and add the
OAB. Then keep clicking Back until you get back to the first dialog box,
and go back to the Directories and Address Books list as you did earlier.
Once the OAB appears in the list, select it and then click Change to make
sure the Contacts folder(s) you want to display are listed. If any of them
aren't listed, you'll need to enable those Contacts folders as Outlook
Address Books by right clicking the folder, selecting Properties, clicking
the Outlook Address Book tab, and checking the "Show this folder as an
E-mail address book" box. Make sure you restart Outlook after making these
changes.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
I have a contact list (of course) in Outlook 2003. When I start typing an
email address, it doesn't auto-complete and I know why. When I click the
"to" button to access my contacts, a "blank" contact list displays instead
of the one I want. I use the pulldown menu and select the correct contact


list. This is an annoying workaround. How do I delete the other lists

and
set the one that I want as default. (I know the others are not valid).

I just reformatted my drive two nights ago (so stressful - booooooo) and

am
trying to get everything setup again, but I can't figure this one out.

I'm
sure it's been posted a gazillion times, but I don't see it.

Thanks so much for your help. Diana




  #3  
Old June 19th, 2004, 09:50 PM
DianaH
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Selecting a contact list

Thanks Russ. I run though the steps you provided, right now and let you
know how it works.
Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
No, that is not why. Autocomplete does not use your Contacts data. It uses a
cache of names that is populated from messages you have sent. Most likely
you have not populated a cache yet.

You do, however, still need to fix the Outlook Address Book which has lost
its connection to your Contacts data. It is not unusual for the Outlook
Address Book to "lose track" of the connection to its Contacts Folder when
you move or import your PST or update your Outlook version or OS. Use the
following steps to reset the connection. Note that in some instances you may
actually have to remove the Outlook Address Book completely from your
Profile, close Outlook, and then re-add it before you can get it to work.

Go to Tools | E-mail accounts, select "View or change existing directories
or address books", and click OK. If you don't see the OAB in the Directories
and Address Books list, click the Back button, then select "Add a new
directory or address book", then "Additional Address Books", and add the
OAB. Then keep clicking Back until you get back to the first dialog box,
and go back to the Directories and Address Books list as you did earlier.
Once the OAB appears in the list, select it and then click Change to make
sure the Contacts folder(s) you want to display are listed. If any of them
aren't listed, you'll need to enable those Contacts folders as Outlook
Address Books by right clicking the folder, selecting Properties, clicking
the Outlook Address Book tab, and checking the "Show this folder as an
E-mail address book" box. Make sure you restart Outlook after making these
changes.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
I have a contact list (of course) in Outlook 2003. When I start typing an
email address, it doesn't auto-complete and I know why. When I click the
"to" button to access my contacts, a "blank" contact list displays instead
of the one I want. I use the pulldown menu and select the correct contact


list. This is an annoying workaround. How do I delete the other lists

and
set the one that I want as default. (I know the others are not valid).

I just reformatted my drive two nights ago (so stressful - booooooo) and

am
trying to get everything setup again, but I can't figure this one out.

I'm
sure it's been posted a gazillion times, but I don't see it.

Thanks so much for your help. Diana





  #4  
Old June 19th, 2004, 10:12 PM
DianaH
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Selecting a contact list

Hi Russ,
I ended up deleting them all and restarted Outlook. I then went into tools,
email accounts, and added a new address book (Outlook). That worked. To
bad about it not auto-completing from that contact list. In 2003, there's
an option for "suggestions" while completting to, cc and bcc and there
automatic name checking. I guess, like you said, it's only in the cache.
boooooo

At least when I click "to", it opens the correct contact list. Thanks so
much for taking the time to respond.
Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
No, that is not why. Autocomplete does not use your Contacts data. It uses a
cache of names that is populated from messages you have sent. Most likely
you have not populated a cache yet.

You do, however, still need to fix the Outlook Address Book which has lost
its connection to your Contacts data. It is not unusual for the Outlook
Address Book to "lose track" of the connection to its Contacts Folder when
you move or import your PST or update your Outlook version or OS. Use the
following steps to reset the connection. Note that in some instances you may
actually have to remove the Outlook Address Book completely from your
Profile, close Outlook, and then re-add it before you can get it to work.

Go to Tools | E-mail accounts, select "View or change existing directories
or address books", and click OK. If you don't see the OAB in the Directories
and Address Books list, click the Back button, then select "Add a new
directory or address book", then "Additional Address Books", and add the
OAB. Then keep clicking Back until you get back to the first dialog box,
and go back to the Directories and Address Books list as you did earlier.
Once the OAB appears in the list, select it and then click Change to make
sure the Contacts folder(s) you want to display are listed. If any of them
aren't listed, you'll need to enable those Contacts folders as Outlook
Address Books by right clicking the folder, selecting Properties, clicking
the Outlook Address Book tab, and checking the "Show this folder as an
E-mail address book" box. Make sure you restart Outlook after making these
changes.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
I have a contact list (of course) in Outlook 2003. When I start typing an
email address, it doesn't auto-complete and I know why. When I click the
"to" button to access my contacts, a "blank" contact list displays instead
of the one I want. I use the pulldown menu and select the correct contact


list. This is an annoying workaround. How do I delete the other lists

and
set the one that I want as default. (I know the others are not valid).

I just reformatted my drive two nights ago (so stressful - booooooo) and

am
trying to get everything setup again, but I can't figure this one out.

I'm
sure it's been posted a gazillion times, but I don't see it.

Thanks so much for your help. Diana





  #5  
Old June 19th, 2004, 10:34 PM
Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Selecting a contact list

"Suggest names..." is autocompletion and uses a cache you must first
populate.
"Automatic Named checking..." is autoresolution, and it DOES use your
Contacts data.
You can use either or both.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
Hi Russ,
I ended up deleting them all and restarted Outlook. I then went into

tools,
email accounts, and added a new address book (Outlook). That worked. To
bad about it not auto-completing from that contact list. In 2003, there's
an option for "suggestions" while completting to, cc and bcc and there
automatic name checking. I guess, like you said, it's only in the cache.
boooooo

At least when I click "to", it opens the correct contact list. Thanks so
much for taking the time to respond.
Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
No, that is not why. Autocomplete does not use your Contacts data. It uses

a
cache of names that is populated from messages you have sent. Most likely
you have not populated a cache yet.

You do, however, still need to fix the Outlook Address Book which has lost
its connection to your Contacts data. It is not unusual for the Outlook
Address Book to "lose track" of the connection to its Contacts Folder when
you move or import your PST or update your Outlook version or OS. Use the
following steps to reset the connection. Note that in some instances you

may
actually have to remove the Outlook Address Book completely from your
Profile, close Outlook, and then re-add it before you can get it to work.

Go to Tools | E-mail accounts, select "View or change existing directories
or address books", and click OK. If you don't see the OAB in the

Directories
and Address Books list, click the Back button, then select "Add a new
directory or address book", then "Additional Address Books", and add the
OAB. Then keep clicking Back until you get back to the first dialog box,
and go back to the Directories and Address Books list as you did earlier.
Once the OAB appears in the list, select it and then click Change to make
sure the Contacts folder(s) you want to display are listed. If any of

them
aren't listed, you'll need to enable those Contacts folders as Outlook
Address Books by right clicking the folder, selecting Properties, clicking
the Outlook Address Book tab, and checking the "Show this folder as an
E-mail address book" box. Make sure you restart Outlook after making

these
changes.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
I have a contact list (of course) in Outlook 2003. When I start typing

an
email address, it doesn't auto-complete and I know why. When I click

the
"to" button to access my contacts, a "blank" contact list displays

instead
of the one I want. I use the pulldown menu and select the correct

contact

list. This is an annoying workaround. How do I delete the other lists

and
set the one that I want as default. (I know the others are not valid).

I just reformatted my drive two nights ago (so stressful - booooooo) and

am
trying to get everything setup again, but I can't figure this one out.

I'm
sure it's been posted a gazillion times, but I don't see it.

Thanks so much for your help. Diana







  #6  
Old June 19th, 2004, 11:16 PM
DianaH
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Selecting a contact list

Hi Russ,
I have them both selected. Maybe I'll disable the suggest names for now,
because it's not checking or autocompleting. This was working before the
crash and the new install. I actually prefer the autochecking, as it
would provide a list of names that started with what I started to type and
I'll select the one I wanted. I have a reasonably large list 300+ and there
are quite a few that start with the same letters.
Again, thanks for your help. Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
"Suggest names..." is autocompletion and uses a cache you must first
populate.
"Automatic Named checking..." is autoresolution, and it DOES use your
Contacts data.
You can use either or both.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
Hi Russ,
I ended up deleting them all and restarted Outlook. I then went into

tools,
email accounts, and added a new address book (Outlook). That worked. To
bad about it not auto-completing from that contact list. In 2003, there's
an option for "suggestions" while completting to, cc and bcc and there
automatic name checking. I guess, like you said, it's only in the cache.
boooooo

At least when I click "to", it opens the correct contact list. Thanks so
much for taking the time to respond.
Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
No, that is not why. Autocomplete does not use your Contacts data. It uses

a
cache of names that is populated from messages you have sent. Most likely
you have not populated a cache yet.

You do, however, still need to fix the Outlook Address Book which has lost
its connection to your Contacts data. It is not unusual for the Outlook
Address Book to "lose track" of the connection to its Contacts Folder when
you move or import your PST or update your Outlook version or OS. Use the
following steps to reset the connection. Note that in some instances you

may
actually have to remove the Outlook Address Book completely from your
Profile, close Outlook, and then re-add it before you can get it to work.

Go to Tools | E-mail accounts, select "View or change existing directories
or address books", and click OK. If you don't see the OAB in the

Directories
and Address Books list, click the Back button, then select "Add a new
directory or address book", then "Additional Address Books", and add the
OAB. Then keep clicking Back until you get back to the first dialog box,
and go back to the Directories and Address Books list as you did earlier.
Once the OAB appears in the list, select it and then click Change to make
sure the Contacts folder(s) you want to display are listed. If any of

them
aren't listed, you'll need to enable those Contacts folders as Outlook
Address Books by right clicking the folder, selecting Properties, clicking
the Outlook Address Book tab, and checking the "Show this folder as an
E-mail address book" box. Make sure you restart Outlook after making

these
changes.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
I have a contact list (of course) in Outlook 2003. When I start typing

an
email address, it doesn't auto-complete and I know why. When I click

the
"to" button to access my contacts, a "blank" contact list displays

instead
of the one I want. I use the pulldown menu and select the correct

contact

list. This is an annoying workaround. How do I delete the other lists

and
set the one that I want as default. (I know the others are not valid).

I just reformatted my drive two nights ago (so stressful - booooooo) and

am
trying to get everything setup again, but I can't figure this one out.

I'm
sure it's been posted a gazillion times, but I don't see it.

Thanks so much for your help. Diana








  #7  
Old June 20th, 2004, 01:57 AM
Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Selecting a contact list

Take your pick. Most people don't understand the difference between the two
features. In case you're interested, here' a rather long primer:

Autoresolution has been a feature in all versions of Outlook. Its purpose is
to resolve any name typed in the To: field of a new message to a valid
e-mail address. It searches all Outlook Contacts Folders that have been
enabled as email address books for potential matches and presents any
matches as potential recipients for the message. In the past, many users
have used autoresolution as a substitute for the autocompletion feature seen
in Outlook Express and other e-mail programs.



Outlook 2002 and 2003 added a new autocompletion feature to Outlook but have
also retained this earlier autoresolution feature. The combination of these
two features is awkward and can be confusing to novice users. Users need to
understand the differences between autoresolution and autocompletion.



Autoresolution resolves the name you are typing in the To: field by
searching through your Contacts Folders to provide you with the correct
e-mail address. It is enabled by checking the box for "Automatic Name
checking" in "Advanced e-mail options." To use this feature, follow these
steps:

1.. Open a new message.
2.. In the To: field, type the first three letters of an e-mail address
that is stored in one of your contacts.
3.. Tab or click out of the field or on the "Tools" menu, click "Check
Name." You can also use the "Check Name" toolbar button (the one that has a
red check mark and a picture of a person) or press CTRL+K.
4.. If you have more than one listing matching the name you have typed,
the name you type will have a red wavy line below it. You can now
right-click the name and select the correct name from among the
possibilities presented. That choice will then be stored so that the next
time you compose a message using that name, the name will resolve
automatically. You will notice, however, that the name will now have a
dashed green underline instead of a solid underline just to let you know
that other possible matches exist in case you want to select another of the
possible matches.
When you resolve a name in Outlook 97-2000, that information is stored in a
file with a "nick" extension so that name resolutions will be remembered
from one session to the next.



Autocompletion is a feature that is new in Outlook 2002 and 2003. As you
begin to type a name in the To: field , Outlook offers to complete the entry
based on addresses, aliases, or names from e-mail messages that you have
previously sent. Note that this feature starts functioning immediately after
you have typed the first three letters in the To: field and does not require
that you Tab out of the field or hit CTRK+K. Also note that it does not use
your Contacts Folder as its data source but rather a cache of information
Outlook creates as you actually send messages. At first, the feature may
appear not to be working since it takes a while for Outlook to build its
cache. The autocompletion feature is enabled by default when you install
Outlook 2002 or 2003, but you can disable it by clicking "Options" on the
"Tools" menu, clicking "E-mail Options" on the "Preferences" tab, and then
clicking "Advanced E-mail Options," then uncheck "Suggest names while
completing."



In Outlook 2002 and 2003, both autoresolution and autocompletion features
function side by side. Curiously, both features store their data in the same
file. The file now has an "NK2" extension. Because both features are usually
in play, it is easy to get confused as to whether you are using
autocompletion or autoresolution. Just remember that autocompletion is in
play as soon as you have typed 3 or more letters (or just 1 letter in
Outlook 2003) in the To: field and remains in play until you click out of
the field or expressly invoke autoresolution by one of the methods listed
above. As long as one of the names suggested by the autocompletion feature
remains highlighted in the To: field dropdown, tabbing or clicking out of
the field will select that name as the sending address. If autocompletion
finds no matches in its cache (and therefore suggests no names) or if your
typing restricts the list so that no entries remain, then autocompletion is
no longer in play and autoresolution will take over once you tab or click
out of the field. In Outlook 2003, you can also invoke autoresolution at any
time by hitting "Escape" while typing in the To: field. Once autocompletion
is no longer in play, then Outlook will try to resolve the name you enter
against your various Contacts Folders, but not against the autocompletion
cache.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

"DianaH" wrote in message
...
Hi Russ,
I have them both selected. Maybe I'll disable the suggest names for now,
because it's not checking or autocompleting. This was working before the
crash and the new install. I actually prefer the autochecking, as it
would provide a list of names that started with what I started to type and
I'll select the one I wanted. I have a reasonably large list 300+ and

there
are quite a few that start with the same letters.
Again, thanks for your help. Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
"Suggest names..." is autocompletion and uses a cache you must first
populate.
"Automatic Named checking..." is autoresolution, and it DOES use your
Contacts data.
You can use either or both.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
Hi Russ,
I ended up deleting them all and restarted Outlook. I then went into

tools,
email accounts, and added a new address book (Outlook). That worked.

To
bad about it not auto-completing from that contact list. In 2003,

there's
an option for "suggestions" while completting to, cc and bcc and there
automatic name checking. I guess, like you said, it's only in the

cache.
boooooo

At least when I click "to", it opens the correct contact list. Thanks

so
much for taking the time to respond.
Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
No, that is not why. Autocomplete does not use your Contacts data. It

uses
a
cache of names that is populated from messages you have sent. Most

likely
you have not populated a cache yet.

You do, however, still need to fix the Outlook Address Book which has

lost
its connection to your Contacts data. It is not unusual for the Outlook
Address Book to "lose track" of the connection to its Contacts Folder

when
you move or import your PST or update your Outlook version or OS. Use

the
following steps to reset the connection. Note that in some instances you

may
actually have to remove the Outlook Address Book completely from your
Profile, close Outlook, and then re-add it before you can get it to

work.

Go to Tools | E-mail accounts, select "View or change existing

directories
or address books", and click OK. If you don't see the OAB in the

Directories
and Address Books list, click the Back button, then select "Add a new
directory or address book", then "Additional Address Books", and add the
OAB. Then keep clicking Back until you get back to the first dialog

box,
and go back to the Directories and Address Books list as you did

earlier.
Once the OAB appears in the list, select it and then click Change to

make
sure the Contacts folder(s) you want to display are listed. If any of

them
aren't listed, you'll need to enable those Contacts folders as Outlook
Address Books by right clicking the folder, selecting Properties,

clicking
the Outlook Address Book tab, and checking the "Show this folder as an
E-mail address book" box. Make sure you restart Outlook after making

these
changes.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
I have a contact list (of course) in Outlook 2003. When I start

typing
an
email address, it doesn't auto-complete and I know why. When I click

the
"to" button to access my contacts, a "blank" contact list displays

instead
of the one I want. I use the pulldown menu and select the correct

contact

list. This is an annoying workaround. How do I delete the other

lists
and
set the one that I want as default. (I know the others are not

valid).

I just reformatted my drive two nights ago (so stressful - booooooo)

and
am
trying to get everything setup again, but I can't figure this one out.

I'm
sure it's been posted a gazillion times, but I don't see it.

Thanks so much for your help. Diana










  #8  
Old June 20th, 2004, 12:45 PM
Peebs
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Selecting a contact list

I had exactly the same problem. I followed your directions and all is now OK. Thans very much BUT why do MS have to make everything so complicated? I am sure that there is a VAST market for Outlook/IE/Office/XP to serve people who have only one computer, no networks and who don't need to share anything!!

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

Take your pick. Most people don't understand the difference between the two
features. In case you're interested, here' a rather long primer:

Autoresolution has been a feature in all versions of Outlook. Its purpose is
to resolve any name typed in the To: field of a new message to a valid
e-mail address. It searches all Outlook Contacts Folders that have been
enabled as email address books for potential matches and presents any
matches as potential recipients for the message. In the past, many users
have used autoresolution as a substitute for the autocompletion feature seen
in Outlook Express and other e-mail programs.



Outlook 2002 and 2003 added a new autocompletion feature to Outlook but have
also retained this earlier autoresolution feature. The combination of these
two features is awkward and can be confusing to novice users. Users need to
understand the differences between autoresolution and autocompletion.



Autoresolution resolves the name you are typing in the To: field by
searching through your Contacts Folders to provide you with the correct
e-mail address. It is enabled by checking the box for "Automatic Name
checking" in "Advanced e-mail options." To use this feature, follow these
steps:

1.. Open a new message.
2.. In the To: field, type the first three letters of an e-mail address
that is stored in one of your contacts.
3.. Tab or click out of the field or on the "Tools" menu, click "Check
Name." You can also use the "Check Name" toolbar button (the one that has a
red check mark and a picture of a person) or press CTRL+K.
4.. If you have more than one listing matching the name you have typed,
the name you type will have a red wavy line below it. You can now
right-click the name and select the correct name from among the
possibilities presented. That choice will then be stored so that the next
time you compose a message using that name, the name will resolve
automatically. You will notice, however, that the name will now have a
dashed green underline instead of a solid underline just to let you know
that other possible matches exist in case you want to select another of the
possible matches.
When you resolve a name in Outlook 97-2000, that information is stored in a
file with a "nick" extension so that name resolutions will be remembered
from one session to the next.



Autocompletion is a feature that is new in Outlook 2002 and 2003. As you
begin to type a name in the To: field , Outlook offers to complete the entry
based on addresses, aliases, or names from e-mail messages that you have
previously sent. Note that this feature starts functioning immediately after
you have typed the first three letters in the To: field and does not require
that you Tab out of the field or hit CTRK+K. Also note that it does not use
your Contacts Folder as its data source but rather a cache of information
Outlook creates as you actually send messages. At first, the feature may
appear not to be working since it takes a while for Outlook to build its
cache. The autocompletion feature is enabled by default when you install
Outlook 2002 or 2003, but you can disable it by clicking "Options" on the
"Tools" menu, clicking "E-mail Options" on the "Preferences" tab, and then
clicking "Advanced E-mail Options," then uncheck "Suggest names while
completing."



In Outlook 2002 and 2003, both autoresolution and autocompletion features
function side by side. Curiously, both features store their data in the same
file. The file now has an "NK2" extension. Because both features are usually
in play, it is easy to get confused as to whether you are using
autocompletion or autoresolution. Just remember that autocompletion is in
play as soon as you have typed 3 or more letters (or just 1 letter in
Outlook 2003) in the To: field and remains in play until you click out of
the field or expressly invoke autoresolution by one of the methods listed
above. As long as one of the names suggested by the autocompletion feature
remains highlighted in the To: field dropdown, tabbing or clicking out of
the field will select that name as the sending address. If autocompletion
finds no matches in its cache (and therefore suggests no names) or if your
typing restricts the list so that no entries remain, then autocompletion is
no longer in play and autoresolution will take over once you tab or click
out of the field. In Outlook 2003, you can also invoke autoresolution at any
time by hitting "Escape" while typing in the To: field. Once autocompletion
is no longer in play, then Outlook will try to resolve the name you enter
against your various Contacts Folders, but not against the autocompletion
cache.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

"DianaH" wrote in message
...
Hi Russ,
I have them both selected. Maybe I'll disable the suggest names for now,
because it's not checking or autocompleting. This was working before the
crash and the new install. I actually prefer the autochecking, as it
would provide a list of names that started with what I started to type and
I'll select the one I wanted. I have a reasonably large list 300+ and

there
are quite a few that start with the same letters.
Again, thanks for your help. Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
"Suggest names..." is autocompletion and uses a cache you must first
populate.
"Automatic Named checking..." is autoresolution, and it DOES use your
Contacts data.
You can use either or both.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
Hi Russ,
I ended up deleting them all and restarted Outlook. I then went into

tools,
email accounts, and added a new address book (Outlook). That worked.

To
bad about it not auto-completing from that contact list. In 2003,

there's
an option for "suggestions" while completting to, cc and bcc and there
automatic name checking. I guess, like you said, it's only in the

cache.
boooooo

At least when I click "to", it opens the correct contact list. Thanks

so
much for taking the time to respond.
Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
No, that is not why. Autocomplete does not use your Contacts data. It

uses
a
cache of names that is populated from messages you have sent. Most

likely
you have not populated a cache yet.

You do, however, still need to fix the Outlook Address Book which has

lost
its connection to your Contacts data. It is not unusual for the Outlook
Address Book to "lose track" of the connection to its Contacts Folder

when
you move or import your PST or update your Outlook version or OS. Use

the
following steps to reset the connection. Note that in some instances you

may
actually have to remove the Outlook Address Book completely from your
Profile, close Outlook, and then re-add it before you can get it to

work.

Go to Tools | E-mail accounts, select "View or change existing

directories
or address books", and click OK. If you don't see the OAB in the

Directories
and Address Books list, click the Back button, then select "Add a new
directory or address book", then "Additional Address Books", and add the
OAB. Then keep clicking Back until you get back to the first dialog

box,
and go back to the Directories and Address Books list as you did

earlier.
Once the OAB appears in the list, select it and then click Change to

make
sure the Contacts folder(s) you want to display are listed. If any of

them
aren't listed, you'll need to enable those Contacts folders as Outlook
Address Books by right clicking the folder, selecting Properties,

clicking
the Outlook Address Book tab, and checking the "Show this folder as an
E-mail address book" box. Make sure you restart Outlook after making

these
changes.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
I have a contact list (of course) in Outlook 2003. When I start

typing
an
email address, it doesn't auto-complete and I know why. When I click

the
"to" button to access my contacts, a "blank" contact list displays

instead
of the one I want. I use the pulldown menu and select the correct

contact

list. This is an annoying workaround. How do I delete the other

lists
and
set the one that I want as default. (I know the others are not

valid).

I just reformatted my drive two nights ago (so stressful - booooooo)

and
am
trying to get everything setup again, but I can't figure this one out.
I'm
sure it's been posted a gazillion times, but I don't see it.

Thanks so much for your help. Diana











  #9  
Old June 20th, 2004, 01:04 PM
Peebs
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Selecting a contact list

Hi Russ,
You mentioned an autocompletion cache. Do you know where this is stored?
I had to redo my hard drive after an xp crash and the cache that I built up before may still exist. If it does, could it be moved into my new Outlook installation as was the case with my emails et al? I installed the new copy of XP and all the progs on a new hard drive so many of the files from the original installation still exist on my old drive.
Many thanks,
Peter

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

Take your pick. Most people don't understand the difference between the two
features. In case you're interested, here' a rather long primer:

Autoresolution has been a feature in all versions of Outlook. Its purpose is
to resolve any name typed in the To: field of a new message to a valid
e-mail address. It searches all Outlook Contacts Folders that have been
enabled as email address books for potential matches and presents any
matches as potential recipients for the message. In the past, many users
have used autoresolution as a substitute for the autocompletion feature seen
in Outlook Express and other e-mail programs.



Outlook 2002 and 2003 added a new autocompletion feature to Outlook but have
also retained this earlier autoresolution feature. The combination of these
two features is awkward and can be confusing to novice users. Users need to
understand the differences between autoresolution and autocompletion.



Autoresolution resolves the name you are typing in the To: field by
searching through your Contacts Folders to provide you with the correct
e-mail address. It is enabled by checking the box for "Automatic Name
checking" in "Advanced e-mail options." To use this feature, follow these
steps:

1.. Open a new message.
2.. In the To: field, type the first three letters of an e-mail address
that is stored in one of your contacts.
3.. Tab or click out of the field or on the "Tools" menu, click "Check
Name." You can also use the "Check Name" toolbar button (the one that has a
red check mark and a picture of a person) or press CTRL+K.
4.. If you have more than one listing matching the name you have typed,
the name you type will have a red wavy line below it. You can now
right-click the name and select the correct name from among the
possibilities presented. That choice will then be stored so that the next
time you compose a message using that name, the name will resolve
automatically. You will notice, however, that the name will now have a
dashed green underline instead of a solid underline just to let you know
that other possible matches exist in case you want to select another of the
possible matches.
When you resolve a name in Outlook 97-2000, that information is stored in a
file with a "nick" extension so that name resolutions will be remembered
from one session to the next.



Autocompletion is a feature that is new in Outlook 2002 and 2003. As you
begin to type a name in the To: field , Outlook offers to complete the entry
based on addresses, aliases, or names from e-mail messages that you have
previously sent. Note that this feature starts functioning immediately after
you have typed the first three letters in the To: field and does not require
that you Tab out of the field or hit CTRK+K. Also note that it does not use
your Contacts Folder as its data source but rather a cache of information
Outlook creates as you actually send messages. At first, the feature may
appear not to be working since it takes a while for Outlook to build its
cache. The autocompletion feature is enabled by default when you install
Outlook 2002 or 2003, but you can disable it by clicking "Options" on the
"Tools" menu, clicking "E-mail Options" on the "Preferences" tab, and then
clicking "Advanced E-mail Options," then uncheck "Suggest names while
completing."



In Outlook 2002 and 2003, both autoresolution and autocompletion features
function side by side. Curiously, both features store their data in the same
file. The file now has an "NK2" extension. Because both features are usually
in play, it is easy to get confused as to whether you are using
autocompletion or autoresolution. Just remember that autocompletion is in
play as soon as you have typed 3 or more letters (or just 1 letter in
Outlook 2003) in the To: field and remains in play until you click out of
the field or expressly invoke autoresolution by one of the methods listed
above. As long as one of the names suggested by the autocompletion feature
remains highlighted in the To: field dropdown, tabbing or clicking out of
the field will select that name as the sending address. If autocompletion
finds no matches in its cache (and therefore suggests no names) or if your
typing restricts the list so that no entries remain, then autocompletion is
no longer in play and autoresolution will take over once you tab or click
out of the field. In Outlook 2003, you can also invoke autoresolution at any
time by hitting "Escape" while typing in the To: field. Once autocompletion
is no longer in play, then Outlook will try to resolve the name you enter
against your various Contacts Folders, but not against the autocompletion
cache.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

"DianaH" wrote in message
...
Hi Russ,
I have them both selected. Maybe I'll disable the suggest names for now,
because it's not checking or autocompleting. This was working before the
crash and the new install. I actually prefer the autochecking, as it
would provide a list of names that started with what I started to type and
I'll select the one I wanted. I have a reasonably large list 300+ and

there
are quite a few that start with the same letters.
Again, thanks for your help. Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
"Suggest names..." is autocompletion and uses a cache you must first
populate.
"Automatic Named checking..." is autoresolution, and it DOES use your
Contacts data.
You can use either or both.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
Hi Russ,
I ended up deleting them all and restarted Outlook. I then went into

tools,
email accounts, and added a new address book (Outlook). That worked.

To
bad about it not auto-completing from that contact list. In 2003,

there's
an option for "suggestions" while completting to, cc and bcc and there
automatic name checking. I guess, like you said, it's only in the

cache.
boooooo

At least when I click "to", it opens the correct contact list. Thanks

so
much for taking the time to respond.
Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
No, that is not why. Autocomplete does not use your Contacts data. It

uses
a
cache of names that is populated from messages you have sent. Most

likely
you have not populated a cache yet.

You do, however, still need to fix the Outlook Address Book which has

lost
its connection to your Contacts data. It is not unusual for the Outlook
Address Book to "lose track" of the connection to its Contacts Folder

when
you move or import your PST or update your Outlook version or OS. Use

the
following steps to reset the connection. Note that in some instances you

may
actually have to remove the Outlook Address Book completely from your
Profile, close Outlook, and then re-add it before you can get it to

work.

Go to Tools | E-mail accounts, select "View or change existing

directories
or address books", and click OK. If you don't see the OAB in the

Directories
and Address Books list, click the Back button, then select "Add a new
directory or address book", then "Additional Address Books", and add the
OAB. Then keep clicking Back until you get back to the first dialog

box,
and go back to the Directories and Address Books list as you did

earlier.
Once the OAB appears in the list, select it and then click Change to

make
sure the Contacts folder(s) you want to display are listed. If any of

them
aren't listed, you'll need to enable those Contacts folders as Outlook
Address Books by right clicking the folder, selecting Properties,

clicking
the Outlook Address Book tab, and checking the "Show this folder as an
E-mail address book" box. Make sure you restart Outlook after making

these
changes.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
I have a contact list (of course) in Outlook 2003. When I start

typing
an
email address, it doesn't auto-complete and I know why. When I click

the
"to" button to access my contacts, a "blank" contact list displays

instead
of the one I want. I use the pulldown menu and select the correct

contact

list. This is an annoying workaround. How do I delete the other

lists
and
set the one that I want as default. (I know the others are not

valid).

I just reformatted my drive two nights ago (so stressful - booooooo)

and
am
trying to get everything setup again, but I can't figure this one out.
I'm
sure it's been posted a gazillion times, but I don't see it.

Thanks so much for your help. Diana











  #10  
Old June 20th, 2004, 02:10 PM
Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Selecting a contact list

The cache bears the name of your Outlook profile and an NK2 extension.
There's information on it he
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q287623

In theory, you should be able to rename your current cache, then move your
old cache to the same folder and rename it to match the new profile.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Peebs" wrote in message
...
Hi Russ,
You mentioned an autocompletion cache. Do you know where this is stored?
I had to redo my hard drive after an xp crash and the cache that I built

up before may still exist. If it does, could it be moved into my new Outlook
installation as was the case with my emails et al? I installed the new copy
of XP and all the progs on a new hard drive so many of the files from the
original installation still exist on my old drive.
Many thanks,
Peter

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

Take your pick. Most people don't understand the difference between the

two
features. In case you're interested, here' a rather long primer:

Autoresolution has been a feature in all versions of Outlook. Its

purpose is
to resolve any name typed in the To: field of a new message to a valid
e-mail address. It searches all Outlook Contacts Folders that have been
enabled as email address books for potential matches and presents any
matches as potential recipients for the message. In the past, many users
have used autoresolution as a substitute for the autocompletion feature

seen
in Outlook Express and other e-mail programs.



Outlook 2002 and 2003 added a new autocompletion feature to Outlook but

have
also retained this earlier autoresolution feature. The combination of

these
two features is awkward and can be confusing to novice users. Users need

to
understand the differences between autoresolution and autocompletion.



Autoresolution resolves the name you are typing in the To: field by
searching through your Contacts Folders to provide you with the correct
e-mail address. It is enabled by checking the box for "Automatic Name
checking" in "Advanced e-mail options." To use this feature, follow

these
steps:

1.. Open a new message.
2.. In the To: field, type the first three letters of an e-mail

address
that is stored in one of your contacts.
3.. Tab or click out of the field or on the "Tools" menu, click "Check
Name." You can also use the "Check Name" toolbar button (the one that

has a
red check mark and a picture of a person) or press CTRL+K.
4.. If you have more than one listing matching the name you have

typed,
the name you type will have a red wavy line below it. You can now
right-click the name and select the correct name from among the
possibilities presented. That choice will then be stored so that the

next
time you compose a message using that name, the name will resolve
automatically. You will notice, however, that the name will now have a
dashed green underline instead of a solid underline just to let you know
that other possible matches exist in case you want to select another of

the
possible matches.
When you resolve a name in Outlook 97-2000, that information is stored

in a
file with a "nick" extension so that name resolutions will be remembered
from one session to the next.



Autocompletion is a feature that is new in Outlook 2002 and 2003. As you
begin to type a name in the To: field , Outlook offers to complete the

entry
based on addresses, aliases, or names from e-mail messages that you have
previously sent. Note that this feature starts functioning immediately

after
you have typed the first three letters in the To: field and does not

require
that you Tab out of the field or hit CTRK+K. Also note that it does not

use
your Contacts Folder as its data source but rather a cache of

information
Outlook creates as you actually send messages. At first, the feature may
appear not to be working since it takes a while for Outlook to build its
cache. The autocompletion feature is enabled by default when you install
Outlook 2002 or 2003, but you can disable it by clicking "Options" on

the
"Tools" menu, clicking "E-mail Options" on the "Preferences" tab, and

then
clicking "Advanced E-mail Options," then uncheck "Suggest names while
completing."



In Outlook 2002 and 2003, both autoresolution and autocompletion

features
function side by side. Curiously, both features store their data in the

same
file. The file now has an "NK2" extension. Because both features are

usually
in play, it is easy to get confused as to whether you are using
autocompletion or autoresolution. Just remember that autocompletion is

in
play as soon as you have typed 3 or more letters (or just 1 letter in
Outlook 2003) in the To: field and remains in play until you click out

of
the field or expressly invoke autoresolution by one of the methods

listed
above. As long as one of the names suggested by the autocompletion

feature
remains highlighted in the To: field dropdown, tabbing or clicking out

of
the field will select that name as the sending address. If

autocompletion
finds no matches in its cache (and therefore suggests no names) or if

your
typing restricts the list so that no entries remain, then autocompletion

is
no longer in play and autoresolution will take over once you tab or

click
out of the field. In Outlook 2003, you can also invoke autoresolution at

any
time by hitting "Escape" while typing in the To: field. Once

autocompletion
is no longer in play, then Outlook will try to resolve the name you

enter
against your various Contacts Folders, but not against the

autocompletion
cache.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

"DianaH" wrote in message
...
Hi Russ,
I have them both selected. Maybe I'll disable the suggest names for

now,
because it's not checking or autocompleting. This was working before

the
crash and the new install. I actually prefer the autochecking, as

it
would provide a list of names that started with what I started to type

and
I'll select the one I wanted. I have a reasonably large list 300+ and

there
are quite a few that start with the same letters.
Again, thanks for your help. Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
"Suggest names..." is autocompletion and uses a cache you must first
populate.
"Automatic Named checking..." is autoresolution, and it DOES use your
Contacts data.
You can use either or both.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
Hi Russ,
I ended up deleting them all and restarted Outlook. I then went

into
tools,
email accounts, and added a new address book (Outlook). That

worked.
To
bad about it not auto-completing from that contact list. In 2003,

there's
an option for "suggestions" while completting to, cc and bcc and

there
automatic name checking. I guess, like you said, it's only in the

cache.
boooooo

At least when I click "to", it opens the correct contact list.

Thanks
so
much for taking the time to respond.
Diana

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
No, that is not why. Autocomplete does not use your Contacts data.

It
uses
a
cache of names that is populated from messages you have sent. Most

likely
you have not populated a cache yet.

You do, however, still need to fix the Outlook Address Book which

has
lost
its connection to your Contacts data. It is not unusual for the

Outlook
Address Book to "lose track" of the connection to its Contacts

Folder
when
you move or import your PST or update your Outlook version or OS.

Use
the
following steps to reset the connection. Note that in some instances

you
may
actually have to remove the Outlook Address Book completely from

your
Profile, close Outlook, and then re-add it before you can get it to

work.

Go to Tools | E-mail accounts, select "View or change existing

directories
or address books", and click OK. If you don't see the OAB in the
Directories
and Address Books list, click the Back button, then select "Add a

new
directory or address book", then "Additional Address Books", and add

the
OAB. Then keep clicking Back until you get back to the first dialog

box,
and go back to the Directories and Address Books list as you did

earlier.
Once the OAB appears in the list, select it and then click Change to

make
sure the Contacts folder(s) you want to display are listed. If any

of
them
aren't listed, you'll need to enable those Contacts folders as

Outlook
Address Books by right clicking the folder, selecting Properties,

clicking
the Outlook Address Book tab, and checking the "Show this folder as

an
E-mail address book" box. Make sure you restart Outlook after

making
these
changes.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"DianaH" wrote in message
...
I have a contact list (of course) in Outlook 2003. When I start

typing
an
email address, it doesn't auto-complete and I know why. When I

click
the
"to" button to access my contacts, a "blank" contact list displays
instead
of the one I want. I use the pulldown menu and select the correct
contact

list. This is an annoying workaround. How do I delete the other

lists
and
set the one that I want as default. (I know the others are not

valid).

I just reformatted my drive two nights ago (so stressful -

booooooo)
and
am
trying to get everything setup again, but I can't figure this one

out.
I'm
sure it's been posted a gazillion times, but I don't see it.

Thanks so much for your help. Diana













 




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