Error: The item could not be found

[Ken Elder]

After upgrading from Office 2000 to Office 2003 and installing SP1, I'm
having a problem with Outlook distribution lists.

When I manually type the name of a distribution list in TO:, then
right-click on it, then select Properties, I get "The name or distribution
list has been deleted and is no longer a valid Address Book entry. The item
could not be found." If I try to send the message, I get "The item could
not be found."

But when I click the TO button and select the same distribution list from
the resulting dialog box, everything works okay.

Any suggestions?
Ken Elder

 

[AndreasRoeder]

Hi Ken Elder
please read this

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=281284

 

[Ken Elder]

Thanks for the tip, but that Knowledge Base Article doesn't address the
issue I'm experiencing. That article is written for Outlook 2000; I'm using
Outlook 2003. That article concerns a problem with Contacts; the problem
I'm experiencing occurs in Mail and does not occur in Contacts. That
problem occurs "when there are multiple servers in the site;" I'm using a
stand-alone computer. There is a service pack that fixes that problem; I've
installed the one-and-only service pack for 2003 and it didn't fix the
problem. So while the wording of the error message is similar, a different
situation is triggering it.

Any other ideas?

Ken Elder

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Could this be an issue with autocomplete suggesting a DL that no longer
exists? When you right-click on it, is it underlined?

 

[Ken Elder]

Yes, when I right-click on it, it is underlined and it has the box with the
plus sign just to the left of the DL name. The DL really does exist -- when
I select it from the Select Names dialog box, it works. But when I type it
in manually, it doesn't work.

Ken Elder

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

How interesting! This sounds vaguely like another case where someone is
sending to a DL but the message goes to people who aren't actually still on
that DL.

I'm not sure what's causing this, but on a hunch, try renaming your .nk2
file (see http://www.slipstick.com/config/backup). Does the problem persist
after that?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Ken Elder]

I just renamed my .nk2 file to .old, rebooted, and tried again. Same
problem.

I also tried using my four other distribution lists. They all worked okay.
So there's something about that one DL that's causing the problem.
Previously I tried deleting that DL and creating it again from scratch.
That didn't solve the problem. So later this weekend (when I have time)
I'll try methodically creating the DL again from scratch, but this time I'll
add names one-at-a-time and test until I discover the culprit.

Ken

 

[Ken Elder]

Thank you for your interest and help with this, Sue. I just discovered two
more clues...

The DL name that's been causing me grief is "Family" (with a capital F).
When I change the name of "Family" to "Family old," it works okay. When I
change the name back to "Family," I get the error message.

After changing the name of "Family" to "Family old" I created a new DL named
"family" (with a lower case f). Then when I start a new message and type
"family" (with a lower case f) in the TO field, it automatically changes to
"Family" (with a capital F) and of course gives me the error message.
That's strange because at that point there is no DL named "Famly" (with a
capital F).

Ken Elder

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

If you used the Family DL after you deleted the .nk2 file, then it's back in
the autocomplete cache. Since you got it working as "Family Old," I'd leave
it that way.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[pradeepsaran]

Thanks Ken, I was breaking my head with the same issue on my Outlook 2007.Will have to let microsoft know about the bug !!

 

[d2smwar]

I just worked through this issue. I wanted to send messages to the usual group so i created a DL called 'usual' from work in Microsoft Exchange a long time ago. Yesterday, using Outlook Web Access I modified the list and saved it. Then back at work when I typed 'usual' I got the error message. After trying renames and recreating the list, I got the bright idea that it may be a (type ahead) caching issue. I went to the To: line and started to type 'usual'. After typing 'u' Outlook suggested 'usual'. I hit 'delete' key to delete the remembered entry and finished entering 'usual'. Then I did 'check names' and it rediscovered the list, underlined it and put the '+' sign in front. After that I had no problem in subsequent messages.