Why aren't my contacts correct in mail merge from Outlook? & other

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jviren - 23 Aug 2005 04:47 GMT

I am SO frustrated. I just got a new computer and finally got everything
transferred over from my old one. There are so many things that confuse me
about Outlook 2003 now. Here are my questions: 1) Why are fax numbers in my
address book and how can I get rid of them in there? I want them in my
Contacts only. 2) I can't seem to get the names in [last name, first name]
order in Contacts or the address book. Some are that way but others are
reversed. Nothing I do changes it. 3) Why don't some of e-mails in
Contacts show up in the address book? 4) Old deleted e-mail addresses keep
showing up when I start typing in the To: field on e-mails. How can I
prevent this? 5) I would like to print labels for CERTAIN categories in
Contacts but when I try this (in Word 2003) the categories don't show up in
the Choose Recipients box and most of the Contacts are from some old list
(i.e., many current Contacts are missing). What am I doing wrong? Somehow
the mail merge wizard chooses some weird list but there is only one to choose
from when I choose Contacts. What can I do to make it choose the correct
data? 6) Is there a better to print mailing labels from Contacts (from
certain categories), maybe in a different program? 7) Even though I have
deleted them from My Contacts, several Contacts folders show up in some
places and there is not a way to distinguish which Contacts folder it is
(i.e. one that has them in it or is empty). Any suggestions? Thank you so
much for trying to help.

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Brian Tillman - 23 Aug 2005 04:59 GMT

> Here are my
> questions: 1) Why are fax numbers in my address book and how can I
> get rid of them in there?

Fax numbers are legitimate electronic addresses and, therefore, Outlook
shows them. Either put them in some other field or change them so Outlook
doesn't recognize they're numbers. For example, you can prepend "F" or
"FAX" to them.

> 2) I can't seem to get the names in [last name, first name] order in
> Contacts or the address book.

For the address book, click Tools>E-mail Accounts>View or change existing
directories or address books>Next. Select the Outlook Address Book service
and click Change. Set the File As order you wish. Each COntact also has a
File As order that you can specify.

> 3) Why don't some of e-mails in
> Contacts show up in the address book?

Because they don't have electronic addresses, either e-mail or fax. As
address book shows electronic addresses. If you contact has none, it
doesn't show.

> 4) Old deleted e-mail
> addresses keep showing up when I start typing in the To: field on
> e-mails. How can I prevent this?

Select the old address using the arrow keys and press Delete.

> 5) I would like to print labels
> for CERTAIN categories in Contacts but when I try this (in Word 2003)
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> 6) Is there a better to print mailing labels from Contacts (from
> certain categories), maybe in a different program?

I can't help here.

> 7) Even though
> I have deleted them from My Contacts, several Contacts folders show
> up in some places and there is not a way to distinguish which
> Contacts folder it is (i.e. one that has them in it or is empty).
> Any suggestions?

Right-click the unwanted folders and choose Delete.

Signature

Brian Tillman

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Judy Gleeson MVP Outlook - 23 Aug 2005 11:37 GMT

Tag team from Australia here on 5 and 6....

5) the way to merge is to start by selecting the Contacts in Outlook. Do
that for a Category by Grouping by category, highlight the bunch of Contacts
and then Tools | Mailmerge | to email (bottom of screen), type the Subject
Line in the window that appears in the bottom right corner.

Click OK and Word will start up. Use the Insert Merge Fields button (NOT
the Insert Word Fields Button) to pop the Contacts fields you want to us
into the document. eg you type Hello (then insert FirstName), you then click
the merge to email icon and off they go!

6) To merge to Contacts is almost the same. Instead of to Email, you select
merge to labels and find the relevant Avery Label type you want to use.

Whatever you do, start from Outlook and select the Contacts first! There's
no need to change settings other than the ones I have described here in the
various windows that pop up in the process - the defaults are fine. Have a
test run. I teach this every day BTW.

Judy Gleeson [MVP Outlook]
Acorn Training and Consulting
www.acorntraining.com.au

Everyone - turn on your Advanced Toolbars and learn how to use the Field
Chooser and Group by Box!!

>> Here are my
>> questions: 1) Why are fax numbers in my address book and how can I
[quoted text clipped - 45 lines]
>
> Right-click the unwanted folders and choose Delete.

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