Distribution list won't expand

[Frank Dreyfus]

Hi,

I had a system crash. I managed to get everything back.

But... I have this silly problem. When I'm addressing an email, I type
the first few letters of one of my distribution lists and the list is
inserted into the To: field.

When I try to expand the list, I get

"Cannot perform the requested operation. The command selected is not
valid for this recipient. The operation failed."

If I use the address book within the message to insert the list, it works
(as opposed to just typing the first few letters).

From the main OL window, I click on the address book icon and then
Tools/Options I see that there are four entries in the first drop down
list (Show this address list first): OL Address Book, Contacts, Contacts,
Personal Address Book. Yes, there are two entries for contacts and only
the second one has any addresses.

If I choose any option other than the second Contacts, I get no addresses
at all. I don't know where all the other choices are or how to get rid
of them.

What's going on and how can I fix it???

Thanks,

Frank

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

REmove the reference to the non-functional Contacts folder here:

Tools->Options->Mail Setup->Email Accounts->Directories->View or
Change->Change.


--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, Frank Dreyfus asked:

| Hi,
|
| I had a system crash. I managed to get everything back.
|
| But... I have this silly problem. When I'm addressing an email, I
| type the first few letters of one of my distribution lists and the
| list is inserted into the To: field.
|
| When I try to expand the list, I get
|
| "Cannot perform the requested operation. The command selected is not
| valid for this recipient. The operation failed."
|
| If I use the address book within the message to insert the list, it
| works (as opposed to just typing the first few letters).
|
| From the main OL window, I click on the address book icon and then
| Tools/Options I see that there are four entries in the first drop down
| list (Show this address list first): OL Address Book, Contacts,
| Contacts, Personal Address Book. Yes, there are two entries for
| contacts and only the second one has any addresses.
|
| If I choose any option other than the second Contacts, I get no
| addresses at all. I don't know where all the other choices are or
| how to get rid of them.
|
| What's going on and how can I fix it???
|
| Thanks,
|
| Frank

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

REmove the reference to the non-functional Contacts folder here:

Tools->Options->Mail Setup->Email Accounts->Directories->View or
Change->Change.


--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, Frank Dreyfus asked:

| Hi,
|
| I had a system crash. I managed to get everything back.
|
| But... I have this silly problem. When I'm addressing an email, I
| type the first few letters of one of my distribution lists and the
| list is inserted into the To: field.
|
| When I try to expand the list, I get
|
| "Cannot perform the requested operation. The command selected is not
| valid for this recipient. The operation failed."
|
| If I use the address book within the message to insert the list, it
| works (as opposed to just typing the first few letters).
|
| From the main OL window, I click on the address book icon and then
| Tools/Options I see that there are four entries in the first drop down
| list (Show this address list first): OL Address Book, Contacts,
| Contacts, Personal Address Book. Yes, there are two entries for
| contacts and only the second one has any addresses.
|
| If I choose any option other than the second Contacts, I get no
| addresses at all. I don't know where all the other choices are or
| how to get rid of them.
|
| What's going on and how can I fix it???
|
| Thanks,
|
| Frank

 

[Frank Dreyfus]

Hi,

I did what you said; Tools->Options->Mail Setup->Email Accounts->
Directories->View or Change->Change.

There's nothing there to change? I should have said this is OL 2003.
Maybe it's different in other versions.

The only thing you can do there is Remove Address Book or select the sort
option. It does say this:

"To designate a Contacts folder as an Outlook Address Book, go to the
Properties dialog box for the Contacts folder. On the Outlook Address
Book tab, select the "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book" check
box."

Well I had a hard time finding the Contacts Folder but finally displayed
the contacts in OL and right clicked on the Contacts header. The option
to show the folder as an address book was already checked.

I also went to the Control Panel->Mail->Data Files and removed everything
but one Personal Folders (there was some other junk in there).

So now in Address Book->Tools->Options I only have one item called
Contacts where there had been two. I selected it in the first two lists
and moved it to the top of the third.

But I'm still left with the original problem. I.E. I can't expand a
distribution list unless I select it from the address book that is in the
message window. Just typing the first few letters lets me enter the list
but not expand it.

I have a hunch that when you start to type an address (as in the "To"
edit box) it's just pulling the choices from some most recently used
(MRU) list somewhere. Maybe that MRU list is from before my crash and I
should clean it out so that it can rebuild. If so, where is it?

Any ideas?

Thanks,


Frank

 

[Frank Dreyfus]

Hi,

I did what you said; Tools->Options->Mail Setup->Email Accounts->
Directories->View or Change->Change.

There's nothing there to change? I should have said this is OL 2003.
Maybe it's different in other versions.

The only thing you can do there is Remove Address Book or select the sort
option. It does say this:

"To designate a Contacts folder as an Outlook Address Book, go to the
Properties dialog box for the Contacts folder. On the Outlook Address
Book tab, select the "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book" check
box."

Well I had a hard time finding the Contacts Folder but finally displayed
the contacts in OL and right clicked on the Contacts header. The option
to show the folder as an address book was already checked.

I also went to the Control Panel->Mail->Data Files and removed everything
but one Personal Folders (there was some other junk in there).

So now in Address Book->Tools->Options I only have one item called
Contacts where there had been two. I selected it in the first two lists
and moved it to the top of the third.

But I'm still left with the original problem. I.E. I can't expand a
distribution list unless I select it from the address book that is in the
message window. Just typing the first few letters lets me enter the list
but not expand it.

I have a hunch that when you start to type an address (as in the "To"
edit box) it's just pulling the choices from some most recently used
(MRU) list somewhere. Maybe that MRU list is from before my crash and I
should clean it out so that it can rebuild. If so, where is it?

Any ideas?

Thanks,


Frank

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

You are asking two completely different and unrelated questions.
1. Your first question deals with problems you have with autocompletion. The
entry for your DL in the autocompletion cache is corrupt. Delete it an do
not use autocompletion to enter your DL as a recipient until you have
selected it from your address book or Contacts Folder and sent a message
successfully. You delete entries from your autocompletion list by using your
arrow key to highlight it when it is suggested, then hitting your Del Key.
2. Your second question demonstrates that you have old, invalid references
to Contacts Folders in your Outlook Address Book Service. Milly answered
that already. Delete the invalid entries here: Tools > E-mail accounts >
View or change existing directories or address books > Outlook Address Book

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

You are asking two completely different and unrelated questions.
1. Your first question deals with problems you have with autocompletion. The
entry for your DL in the autocompletion cache is corrupt. Delete it an do
not use autocompletion to enter your DL as a recipient until you have
selected it from your address book or Contacts Folder and sent a message
successfully. You delete entries from your autocompletion list by using your
arrow key to highlight it when it is suggested, then hitting your Del Key.
2. Your second question demonstrates that you have old, invalid references
to Contacts Folders in your Outlook Address Book Service. Milly answered
that already. Delete the invalid entries here: Tools > E-mail accounts >
View or change existing directories or address books > Outlook Address Book