You failed to post your Outlook version.
If it is Outlook 2003, turn off the default Outlook Today display of your
root folder.

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Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
> When I open Outlook Contacts I have to click on one of the names before I
> can
> type the first few letters of the name I'm looking for and get to that
> place
> in the alphabet. My previous version would open with the first name
> highlighted so I just had to hit "T" for instance to go right to the Ts.