Windows Contacts (Address book)

[Larry Pollane]

The Vista replacement (Windows Contacts) for Address Book insists on sorting
by first name rather than by last name. I can get around this foolishness by
right clicking the column headings and displaying "Last Name" and then
sorting on this.

After doing this however, when I print a phone list, the program insists on
sorting the listing by first name.

Is there any way of printing a phone list sorted on last name?

Thnks for you help.

--L. Pollane

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

Each Contact is its own file now. They are XML files (viewable in any text
editor) but with an extension of .contact. The contact name (filename)
follows the FullName field, which unfortunately defaults to First Last
format with no way to change the default. For an individual contact, it's
easy enough to change the name. Open the contact for editing, and, on the
'Name and E-mail' tab, click the drop-arrow on the 'FullName' textbox.
You'll be given a choice of:

First Last
Last, First
Last First
Nickname
Company Name

Of course, this is a pain if you've imported a large number of contacts that
have all defaulted to First Last naming. Until MS does something, if you
want your Contact files renamed in LastFirst format, I've written a script
for that. Right-click on the link and select 'Save Target As...' (no web
page there, just individual files). Then extract the vbs file from the .zip
file & run the script.

http://mysite.verizon.net/res18hr7/LastFirst.zip

If your Contacts have data in the FirstName & LastName fields, that will be
used in contructing the name. If only a FullName exists, a 'best guess' is
made at parsing. Unmodified Contacts will remain in their original folder.
Modified Contacts will be placed in a subfolder. Backups of the originals
will be placed in another. It is left up to the User to select which to
retain & which to delete.