Address book issue

[Guest]

This is an Outlook 2007 question.

My Outlook Contacts folder shows over 1400 entries, but when I'm writing an
e-mail clicking on the "To" button brings up an empty Select Names dialog
box. Can someone suggest ways I can make Outlook access my Contacts list
when I'm preparing e-mails?

Thanks!
Elliot Berlin

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Same as always. Add and configure the Outlook Address Book Service to your
profile: Tools > Accounts > Address Book Tab

 

[Guest]

Hi and thanks...

Sounded like it would work but when I open the Address Book Tab it doesn't
allow me to select "Show this folder as an e-mail address book." FYI I'm the
older user on this computer and definitely the "administrator."

Anything I can try to give myself control over that function?
Elliot

Same as always. Add and configure the Outlook Address Book Service to your
profile: Tools > Accounts > Address Book Tab
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

This is an Outlook 2007 question.

My Outlook Contacts folder shows over 1400 entries, but when I'm writing
an
e-mail clicking on the "To" button brings up an empty Select Names dialog
box. Can someone suggest ways I can make Outlook access my Contacts list
when I'm preparing e-mails?

Thanks!
Elliot Berlin

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Sorry, but you need to post more accurately. That option does not appear in
the Address Book Tab. That interface only allows you to select your Address
Book Service.
You enable a folder to be displayed as an email address book in the
properties of the folder.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Hi and thanks...

Sounded like it would work but when I open the Address Book Tab it doesn't
allow me to select "Show this folder as an e-mail address book." FYI I'm
the
older user on this computer and definitely the "administrator."

Anything I can try to give myself control over that function?
Elliot

Same as always. Add and configure the Outlook Address Book Service to
your
profile: Tools > Accounts > Address Book Tab
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

This is an Outlook 2007 question.

My Outlook Contacts folder shows over 1400 entries, but when I'm
writing
an
e-mail clicking on the "To" button brings up an empty Select Names
dialog
box. Can someone suggest ways I can make Outlook access my Contacts
list
when I'm preparing e-mails?

Thanks!
Elliot Berlin

 

[Guest]

Tengu, open Adress Book, use menus Tool....Options, & use bottom pane to
select where Oulook will look for names.

 

[Guest]

Sorry I wasn't clearer. I think followed your instruction by right clicking
on the Contacts icon in the Outlook navigation pane and selecting
"Properties." That opened a Contacts Properties box/window. One of the tabs
on that box is "Outlook Address Book." When I choose that tab it opens the
portion Headed "Outlook Address Book." Below that is a Contacts icon and
below that is a click box next to "Show this folder as an e-mail Address
Book." Under that is a section labeled "Name of the address book:" and under
that is a greyed-out bar that contains "Contacts." I am unable to place a
check into the box next to "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book."
When I click on it nothing changes.

I hope this explanation helps!
Elliot

Sorry, but you need to post more accurately. That option does not appear in
the Address Book Tab. That interface only allows you to select your Address
Book Service.
You enable a folder to be displayed as an email address book in the
properties of the folder.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Hi and thanks...

Sounded like it would work but when I open the Address Book Tab it doesn't
allow me to select "Show this folder as an e-mail address book." FYI I'm
the
older user on this computer and definitely the "administrator."

Anything I can try to give myself control over that function?
Elliot

Same as always. Add and configure the Outlook Address Book Service to
your
profile: Tools > Accounts > Address Book Tab
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is an Outlook 2007 question.

My Outlook Contacts folder shows over 1400 entries, but when I'm
writing
an
e-mail clicking on the "To" button brings up an empty Select Names
dialog
box. Can someone suggest ways I can make Outlook access my Contacts
list
when I'm preparing e-mails?

Thanks!
Elliot Berlin

 

[Guest]

This gets stranger and stranger. I did what you suggested within the
Address Book Options and there was nothing there I could select. All three
of the regions where one would think something could be chosen had no entries
listed there.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

You're still not on the same planet I am. R clicking on the Contacts Button
on the Nav Pane provides no such options nor did I ever suggest you do that.
Please do what I suggested and post back with what you did and what didn't
happen as you imagined it should.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Sorry I wasn't clearer. I think followed your instruction by right
clicking
on the Contacts icon in the Outlook navigation pane and selecting
"Properties." That opened a Contacts Properties box/window. One of the
tabs
on that box is "Outlook Address Book." When I choose that tab it opens
the
portion Headed "Outlook Address Book." Below that is a Contacts icon and
below that is a click box next to "Show this folder as an e-mail Address
Book." Under that is a section labeled "Name of the address book:" and
under
that is a greyed-out bar that contains "Contacts." I am unable to place a
check into the box next to "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book."
When I click on it nothing changes.

I hope this explanation helps!
Elliot

Sorry, but you need to post more accurately. That option does not appear
in
the Address Book Tab. That interface only allows you to select your
Address
Book Service.
You enable a folder to be displayed as an email address book in the
properties of the folder.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Hi and thanks...

Sounded like it would work but when I open the Address Book Tab it
doesn't
allow me to select "Show this folder as an e-mail address book." FYI
I'm
the
older user on this computer and definitely the "administrator."

Anything I can try to give myself control over that function?
Elliot



:

Same as always. Add and configure the Outlook Address Book Service to
your
profile: Tools > Accounts > Address Book Tab
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is an Outlook 2007 question.

My Outlook Contacts folder shows over 1400 entries, but when I'm
writing
an
e-mail clicking on the "To" button brings up an empty Select Names
dialog
box. Can someone suggest ways I can make Outlook access my Contacts
list
when I'm preparing e-mails?

Thanks!
Elliot Berlin

 

[Guest]

I'm beginning to wonder which of us is in fact on a distant planet. Your
original instruction was a little cryptic, perhaps. Maybe you can offer a
more complete step by step explanation in case there's something in your
description I'm blind to.

I took your suggestion to mean that, within Outlook, I should select
"Accounts" from the "Tools" menu, select the "Address Books" tab that appears
on the Directories & Address Books dialog, and that I'd then find something I
could configure. I don't find any such thing. When I select the Address
Books tab here's what appears:
A box that, under "name" says "Outlook Address Book." Above that are
options for "New," "Change," and Remove. If I click on "Outlook Address
Book" it doesn't activate anything I can change. If I click on "Change" it
opens a small dialog box that's headed "Microsoft Office Outlook Address
Book." The little window that appears there under "Outlook Address Books:" is
empty. If I click on "New" it offers to "Add New E-mail Account." The
choices there are to create an "Internet Directory Service (LDAP)" or
"Additional Address Books." I don't know what an LDAP is but if I select the
radio button for "Additional Address Books" and hit "next," the little box on
the "Other Address Book Types" dialog contains two choices: "Mobile Address
Book" or "Outlook Address Book." Since I don't want a mobile address book I
chose "Outlook Address Book," but when I select that and hit "next" again, a
message appears that says "This account or directory type already exists and
cannot be specified twice."

I've tried the things you suggested and that were suggested by the other
responder. The bottom line is that there are not options on any of these
pages/dialog boxes that give me anything new I can select. There appears to
be a glitch somewhere. The only way I can be 100% sure that it really is a
glitch and not operator error on my part is for you to try to help with a
more detailed step-by-step instruction.
Thanks

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Then the Outlook Address Book already exists in your profile and all you
need to do is enable your Contacts Folder as an email address book. You do
that in the properties of the Contacts Folder, not the Contacts Button. You
must be in a view where you can see your Contacts Folder, such as
"Contacts."

 

[Guest]

I believe I've tried that repeatedly, but the dialog does not respond when I
try to select the necessary option.

I've got outlook open. The entire navigation pane is now taken up with
Contacts folders. I see an option to search "All Contact Items." I see four
entries under "My Contacts." They are "Contacts," "Xmas" (a supplemental
database I manually created for people to whom I want to send Christmas
cards), "PocketMirror Contacts Archives," and "PocketMirror Contacts
Conflicts." Below that is a similar section for "Business Contact Manager"
and below that are the options for "Current View."

I tried to access the Contacts folder properties in two ways. First I
highlighted "Contacts" right below the "My Contacts" heading, went to the
File menu/Folder/Properties for Contacts... Selecting "Properties for
Contacts" opens the Contacts Properties dialog. I clicked on the Outlook
Address Book tab which reveals a pane *supposedly* showing the option to
"Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book." BUT, when I try to click the
option button to show the folder NOTHING HAPPENS. It DOESN'T TAKE, even
though I can see "Contacts" in the "Name of the address book" list (it's the
only item in that list).

I also tried to access and adjust my Contacts properties by right-clicking
the Contacts folder in the list of My Contacts in the navigation pane. It
brought up the same options but also left me UNABLE TO CHANGE ANYTHING!!!

These are the things are tried almost immediately AFTER YOUR FIRST MESSAGE.
Obviously I need to troubleshoot other things so I achieve the option to make
the necessary change.

NOW...if this is NOT precisely, absolutely what you thought you told me to
do, please explain what I SHOULD do in a way that leaves absolutely NOTHING
to the imagination, as it appears to me I followed your guidance from the
start without success.

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

I hope it answers your problem. I worked for me.
1. Select Contacts button
2. Right click "Business Contacts in Business Contacts Manager"
3. Select Properties
4. Select "Outlook Address Book" tab
5. Make sure check box "Show this folder as an email Address Book" is checked
6. OK and and should show up in address book now.

 

[Guest]

Unfortunately that's about the first thing I tried and I've tried it
repeatedly. For an unknown reason there's something interfering with my
ability to check the "Show this folder as an email Address Book" box.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

That is certainly a much different description than in your previous posts.
Let me make sure I understand this latest description and that this
statement is true: The Outlook Address Book Service already exists in your
profile. When you R click your default Contacts Folder to enable it as an
email address book you are unable select that checkbox.
If that is true, then you corrupted this profile probably by migrating data
to it incorrectly. How did you migrate your data file to this installation?
Outlook 2007 is the worst version yet for migrating a previous data file.

 

[Guest]

I migrated the data from my desktop's Outlook 2003 installation to my new
Vista laptop with Outlook 2007. Everything else appears to be working fine,
however. I have access to all my messages, folders, etc. on my new computer.
The only thing that's been a problem is the inability to activate my
Contacts folder as an Outlook Address Book.

If there's a way to do so I could trash my Outlook 2007 contacts folder and
retransfer the contacts data from my desktop using another method. However
since I have no problem using the Contacts folder directly I'm left curious
about all this.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Again, we are too short on details to be able provide an answer. I need to
know how you migrated your data.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for trying to help but I'm going to cease this correspondence. It may
well just be me but your tone comes across ass rather condescending even if
you don't mean it that way. And your replies frustratingly uninformative in
their brevity. I'm generally pretty adept with computers. Perhaps the
problem is that you expect everyone to be a complete dunce so you talk down.

I called Microsoft and apparently it's a corrupt Profile...or something.
I'm going to work it out elsewhere.
eb

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Not my fault. Your posts come nowhere close to providing enough accurate
information for anyone to help in a newsgroup. I already recognized that you
corrupted your profile after enough information finally managed to trickle
in. I am not condescending. I am frustrated that you managed to waste so
much of my time by posting so poorly.

 

[Guest]

Russ, lets start fresh with a new user experiencing the same problem.

Initial state:

Old machine: Dell D800, XP SP2, Office 2003, with OL using a username.PST,
username.PAB and several archival PSTs (attached as data files) located in
folder C:\Exchange.

New machine: Dell M90, Vista Business, Office 2007.

Steps:
1. Easy Transfer used to migrate one user and the C:\Exchange folder
2. Started Outloook.
- notified that PABs are not supported, so opted to import into Contacts
- set password and confirmed account could send and retrieve mail
- tried search (but indexing didn;t finish until 9 hrs later ;-)
3. tried to compose new mail and select address by clicking To button - but
no addresses appeared.
4. remembering how things worked before, checked whether contacts could be
added. Could not add contacts because the checkbox is disabled.
5. searched web and found numerous threads on many forums describing this
problem. All describe two-phase operation such as you did above (ensure
Address book service is added, then select "show" checkbox on the contacts
folder).

Current state:

When I select Tools->Account Settings and check on the Address Book tab, it
displays "Outlook Address Book ... MAPI"; the New and Change buttons are
enabled; remove is disabled.

When I highlight "Outlook Address Book" and click Change, the "Microsoft
Office Address Book" dialog displays, but the "Outlook Address Books"
control is empty.

From the above I have to conclude that the address book *service* is
installed, but there is no actual address book *repository* associated with
it (because the previous repository consisted solely of a PAB data file).

Other Anomalies:

When I click on Contacts in the nav pane, there are three entries listed
under "My Contacts" - and all three are named "Contacts". Only the first one
has anything in it - the ones I imported from the PAB, plus some duplicates
that were in the actual original Contacts folder on the XP machine. Thinking
this might be a conflict, I tried renaming the second and third "Contacts"
entries, but this had no effect.

I hope I haven't left anything out. What I'm considering next is:

1. delete all entries from the "Contacts" folder, delete the two "extra"
Contacts entries from My Contacts, and then re-import the username.PAB. Since
the actual "Contacts" folder will be the same, I have little confidence this
will work.

2. delete the profile altogether and recreate it, then attach the
username.PST (the main data file) and the archival PSTs, and finally
re-import the username.PAB into Contacts.

3. recreate the profile, but do not use the existing username.PST as the
main data file (let OL create a new one). After that, attach username.PST and
and copy over all the messages and/or folders except Contacts (just import
those from username.PAB into the new Contacts folder).

Will any of the above work? If not, what do you suggest?

Thanks!

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Start fresh? Were you posting in this thread before? Were you not aware that
Vista's Easy Transfer does not work with Outlook and should not be used?