I am using W XP and Outlook 2003. I have just moved all my contacts to
Outlook from Yahoo. I am having trouble understanding the difference
between Categories and Distribution Lists. In Yahoo a category
functions as a collection of contacts to send an email to. When I set
ua a category in Outlook I have not figured out how to put the
Category Name into the To field of an email message. Or should I have
set up my categories as Didtribution Lists and then enter the name of
the Distribution List in the To field.

Also when I am creating a new distribution list and I get the Select
Members screen, in the select Show Names From field I can select from
Contacts or Outlook Address Book. If I select Contacts I can see all
the data I have entered but if I select Outlook Address Book It says
there are no entries in the book. What is an Outlook Address Book and
how does it differ from Contacts. What should I be using?

As you can see my level of confusion is great.

Thanks for any and all help.

Categories have largely replaced Distribution Lists in Outlook (which are
notoriously featureless and unreliable). Use this method to use Contacts in
lieu of DL's:
http://www.outlook-tips.net/archives/2003/20030730.htm

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"trvlnmny" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I am using W XP and Outlook 2003. I have just moved all my contacts to
> Outlook from Yahoo. I am having trouble understanding the difference
> between Categories and Distribution Lists. In Yahoo a category
> functions as a collection of contacts to send an email to. When I set
> ua a category in Outlook I have not figured out how to put the
> Category Name into the To field of an email message. Or should I have
> set up my categories as Didtribution Lists and then enter the name of
> the Distribution List in the To field.
>
> Also when I am creating a new distribution list and I get the Select
> Members screen, in the select Show Names From field I can select from
> Contacts or Outlook Address Book. If I select Contacts I can see all
> the data I have entered but if I select Outlook Address Book It says
> there are no entries in the book. What is an Outlook Address Book and
> how does it differ from Contacts. What should I be using?
>
> As you can see my level of confusion is great.
>
> Thanks for any and all help.
>

On Feb 15, 5:37 pm, "Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" <russ...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Categories have largely replaced Distribution Lists in Outlook (which are
> notoriously featureless and unreliable). Use this method to use Contacts in
> lieu of DL's:http://www.outlook-tips.net/archives/2003/20030730.htm
>
> --
> Russ Valentine
> [MVP-Outlook]"trvlnmny" <trvln...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>
>
> >I am using W XP and Outlook 2003. I have just moved all my contacts to
> > Outlook from Yahoo. I am having trouble understanding the difference
> > between Categories and Distribution Lists. In Yahoo a category
> > functions as a collection of contacts to send an email to. When I set
> > ua a category in Outlook I have not figured out how to put the
> > Category Name into the To field of an email message. Or should I have
> > set up my categories as Didtribution Lists and then enter the name of
> > the Distribution List in the To field.
>
> > Also when I am creating a new distribution list and I get the Select
> > Members screen, in the select Show Names From field I can select from
> > Contacts or Outlook Address Book. If I select Contacts I can see all
> > the data I have entered but if I select Outlook Address Book It says
> > there are no entries in the book. What is an Outlook Address Book and
> > how does it differ from Contacts. What should I be using?
>
> > As you can see my level of confusion is great.
>
> > Thanks for any and all help.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Ok, I have several categories each containing several contacts. When I
try to send an email the To field does not recognize a category name
when I type it in. If I look at the Select By Name drop down menu that
appears when I click on To I do not see the Categories there.

Why are you asking the same question instead of doing what I suggested?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"trvlnmny" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Feb 15, 5:37 pm, "Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" <russ...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> Categories have largely replaced Distribution Lists in Outlook (which are
>> notoriously featureless and unreliable). Use this method to use Contacts
>> in
>> lieu of DL's:http://www.outlook-tips.net/archives/2003/20030730.htm
>>
>> --
>> Russ Valentine
>> [MVP-Outlook]"trvlnmny" <trvln...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>
>>
>> >I am using W XP and Outlook 2003. I have just moved all my contacts to
>> > Outlook from Yahoo. I am having trouble understanding the difference
>> > between Categories and Distribution Lists. In Yahoo a category
>> > functions as a collection of contacts to send an email to. When I set
>> > ua a category in Outlook I have not figured out how to put the
>> > Category Name into the To field of an email message. Or should I have
>> > set up my categories as Didtribution Lists and then enter the name of
>> > the Distribution List in the To field.
>>
>> > Also when I am creating a new distribution list and I get the Select
>> > Members screen, in the select Show Names From field I can select from
>> > Contacts or Outlook Address Book. If I select Contacts I can see all
>> > the data I have entered but if I select Outlook Address Book It says
>> > there are no entries in the book. What is an Outlook Address Book and
>> > how does it differ from Contacts. What should I be using?
>>
>> > As you can see my level of confusion is great.
>>
>> > Thanks for any and all help.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> Ok, I have several categories each containing several contacts. When I
> try to send an email the To field does not recognize a category name
> when I type it in. If I look at the Select By Name drop down menu that
> appears when I click on To I do not see the Categories there.
>

If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got.
Does that surprise you?

Russ has pointed you to a new way (a better one too).

Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook
www.acorntraining.com.au
Canberra, Australia

Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual
way. This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of
complaining.
Jef Raskin, interviewed in Doctor Dobb's Journal
"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Why are you asking the same question instead of doing what I suggested?
> --
> Russ Valentine
> [MVP-Outlook]
> "trvlnmny" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> On Feb 15, 5:37 pm, "Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" <russ...@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>> Categories have largely replaced Distribution Lists in Outlook (which
>>> are
>>> notoriously featureless and unreliable). Use this method to use Contacts
>>> in
>>> lieu of DL's:http://www.outlook-tips.net/archives/2003/20030730.htm
>>>
>>> --
>>> Russ Valentine
>>> [MVP-Outlook]"trvlnmny" <trvln...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>>
>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> >I am using W XP and Outlook 2003. I have just moved all my contacts to
>>> > Outlook from Yahoo. I am having trouble understanding the difference
>>> > between Categories and Distribution Lists. In Yahoo a category
>>> > functions as a collection of contacts to send an email to. When I set
>>> > ua a category in Outlook I have not figured out how to put the
>>> > Category Name into the To field of an email message. Or should I have
>>> > set up my categories as Didtribution Lists and then enter the name of
>>> > the Distribution List in the To field.
>>>
>>> > Also when I am creating a new distribution list and I get the Select
>>> > Members screen, in the select Show Names From field I can select from
>>> > Contacts or Outlook Address Book. If I select Contacts I can see all
>>> > the data I have entered but if I select Outlook Address Book It says
>>> > there are no entries in the book. What is an Outlook Address Book and
>>> > how does it differ from Contacts. What should I be using?
>>>
>>> > As you can see my level of confusion is great.
>>>
>>> > Thanks for any and all help.- Hide quoted text -
>>>
>>> - Show quoted text -
>>
>> Ok, I have several categories each containing several contacts. When I
>> try to send an email the To field does not recognize a category name
>> when I type it in. If I look at the Select By Name drop down menu that
>> appears when I click on To I do not see the Categories there.
>>
>
>

On Feb 15, 8:07 pm, "Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" <russ...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Why are you asking the same question instead of doing what I suggested?
> --
> Russ Valentine
> [MVP-Outlook]"trvlnmny" <trvln...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>
>
> > On Feb 15, 5:37 pm, "Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" <russ...@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >> Categories have largely replaced Distribution Lists in Outlook (which are
> >> notoriously featureless and unreliable). Use this method to use Contacts
> >> in
> >> lieu of DL's:http://www.outlook-tips.net/archives/2003/20030730.htm
>
> >> --
> >> Russ Valentine
> >> [MVP-Outlook]"trvlnmny" <trvln...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> >>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> >> >I am using W XP and Outlook 2003. I have just moved all my contacts to
> >> > Outlook from Yahoo. I am having trouble understanding the difference
> >> > between Categories and Distribution Lists. In Yahoo a category
> >> > functions as a collection of contacts to send an email to. When I set
> >> > ua a category in Outlook I have not figured out how to put the
> >> > Category Name into the To field of an email message. Or should I have
> >> > set up my categories as Didtribution Lists and then enter the name of
> >> > the Distribution List in the To field.
>
> >> > Also when I am creating a new distribution list and I get the Select
> >> > Members screen, in the select Show Names From field I can select from
> >> > Contacts or Outlook Address Book. If I select Contacts I can see all
> >> > the data I have entered but if I select Outlook Address Book It says
> >> > there are no entries in the book. What is an Outlook Address Book and
> >> > how does it differ from Contacts. What should I be using?
>
> >> > As you can see my level of confusion is great.
>
> >> > Thanks for any and all help.- Hide quoted text -
>
> >> - Show quoted text -
>
> > Ok, I have several categories each containing several contacts. When I
> > try to send an email the To field does not recognize a category name
> > when I type it in. If I look at the Select By Name drop down menu that
> > appears when I click on To I do not see the Categories there.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Russ,
You really did not suggest anything. You pointed me to a website that
did not explain what I asked. I am sorry that I am trying your
patience but I am not as bright as you would like me to be.

Once again I have several Categories, Cat1 Cat2, each with several
contacts, When I go to Mail and put Cat1 in the TO field I get a
message saying Cat1 is not recognized.
Once again thanks for any help.

trvlnmny <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Once again I have several Categories, Cat1 Cat2, each with several
> contacts, When I go to Mail and put Cat1 in the TO field I get a
> message saying Cat1 is not recognized.

Display your COntacts in the By Category view, select a category by clicking
on it, then click Actions>New Message to Contact.
--
Brian Tillman

On Feb 16, 8:09 pm, "Brian Tillman" <tillman1...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> trvlnmny <trvln...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Once again I have several Categories, Cat1 Cat2, each with several
> > contacts, When I go to Mail and put Cat1 in the TO field I get a
> > message saying Cat1 is not recognized.
>
> Display your COntacts in the By Category view, select a category by clicking
> on it, then click Actions>New Message to Contact.
> --
> Brian Tillman

Thank you!! That did it.
I do not know why the person who previously responded could not have
said that instead of getting a head of steam up.

The person who responded in the first place gave you that same solution. You
just didn't read it.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"trvlnmny" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Feb 16, 8:09 pm, "Brian Tillman" <tillman1...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> trvlnmny <trvln...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> > Once again I have several Categories, Cat1 Cat2, each with several
>> > contacts, When I go to Mail and put Cat1 in the TO field I get a
>> > message saying Cat1 is not recognized.
>>
>> Display your COntacts in the By Category view, select a category by
>> clicking
>> on it, then click Actions>New Message to Contact.
>> --
>> Brian Tillman
>
> Thank you!! That did it.
> I do not know why the person who previously responded could not have
> said that instead of getting a head of steam up.
>