Failing to find some contacts

[Richard Lewis Haggard]

I've lost the ability to find a contact when I make a new email. If it is a
contact that I've used fairly recently, then it isn't a problem but there
are some contacts that I can't send email to. For example, there is an entry
in my contacts for Dave Smith but if I put that name into the to box,
Outlook will complain that it can't find the contact. When the search box
comes up, it says that it can't find any contact at all.

One other little data point. A few months back, I had another problem that
was 'solved' (and I use the term loosely) by using the Help\Detect and
Repair... command. At the time, I completely lost everything and it took me
a while to figure out how to hook up my existing PST data.

So, what could be causing Outlook to fail to find some contacts and, more
importantly, how can I repair the problem?

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

I've lost the ability to find a contact when I make a new email. If
it is a contact that I've used fairly recently, then it isn't a
problem but there are some contacts that I can't send email to. For
example, there is an entry in my contacts for Dave Smith but if I put
that name into the to box, Outlook will complain that it can't find
the contact. When the search box comes up, it says that it can't find
any contact at all.

One other little data point. A few months back, I had another problem
that was 'solved' (and I use the term loosely) by using the
Help\Detect and Repair... command. At the time, I completely lost
everything and it took me a while to figure out how to hook up my
existing PST data.

So, what could be causing Outlook to fail to find some contacts and,
more importantly, how can I repair the problem?

Right-click on your contacts folder, go to properties, Outlook Address Book,
and tick the box.

If it's grayed out, you need to add the Outlook Address Book service to your
mail profile. What version of Outlook? For 2002/2003, go to tools | e-mail
accounts | view or change existing directories.... next. Do you see Outlook
Address Book in there? If not, choose Add, Additional Address Books, and
pick Outlook Address Book...add it.

See
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;287563&Product=ol2002 for more info (OL2002/2003).

 

[Brian Tillman]

I've lost the ability to find a contact when I make a new email. If
it is a contact that I've used fairly recently, then it isn't a
problem but there are some contacts that I can't send email to. For
example, there is an entry in my contacts for Dave Smith but if I put
that name into the to box, Outlook will complain that it can't find
the contact. When the search box comes up, it says that it can't find
any contact at all.

When yuo click To, does it show the address book view of your contacts?

 

[Richard Lewis Haggard]

Thank you. That did the trick. My contacts did not have the 'Outlook'
checkbox activated. Once that was taken care of then contact addresses
became available for use as a To: field. My gratitude.
===
"Most people don't know this, but I'm actually quite famous."
Richard Lewis Haggard

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Thank you. That did the trick. My contacts did not have the 'Outlook'
checkbox activated. Once that was taken care of then contact addresses
became available for use as a To: field. My gratitude.

No worries - glad to help.

===
"Most people don't know this, but I'm actually quite famous."
Richard Lewis Haggard

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

Right-click on your contacts folder, go to properties, Outlook
Address Book,
and tick the box.

If it's grayed out, you need to add the Outlook Address Book service
to your
mail profile. What version of Outlook? For 2002/2003, go to tools |
e-mail accounts | view or change existing directories.... next. Do
you see Outlook
Address Book in there? If not, choose Add, Additional Address Books,
and pick Outlook Address Book...add it.

See
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;287563&Product=ol2002
for more info (OL2002/2003).