outlook 2003 address book missing when composing e-mail messages

[Guest]

when composing an e-mail I can no longer access/select my contacts from my
address book from the tools menu. There is nothing in the drop down box.
Previously the drop down box defaulted on something other than contacts and
I'd have to select contacts (which always bugged me), but now I there's
nothing there and I am forced to go to the contacts tab on Outlook outside of
the message I am composing and copy/paste the contacts I need (a real pain).
Any idea how I can re-establish this function?

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Impossible to answer without knowing your Outlook version and the steps that
were used to disconnect your Contacts Folder from the address book service.
It is not unusual for the Outlook Address Book to “lose track†of the
connection to its Contacts Folder when you move or import your PST or update
your Outlook version or operating system. Use the following steps to reset
the connection. Note that in some instances you may actually have to remove
the Outlook Address Book completely from your Profile, close Outlook, and
then re-add it before you can get it to work.

For Outlook 2000, Corp/Workgroup:
Go to Tools > Services. Make sure the Outlook Address Book service is
listed. If not, add it. Next, R click on the Contact folder or folders you
want the OAB to display, choose "Properties", go to the Outlook Address Book
tab and check the "Show this folder as an E-mail address book" box. You may
also need to go to Tools > Options > Addressing Tab and choose to show your
Contacts folder.

For Outlook 2002/2003:
Make sure the Contact folder is enabled as an email address book. Right
click the Contacts folder, choose Properties then Outlook Address Book. Is
the box to enable as email address book checked?
If this is grayed out...Go to Tools | Email Accounts, choose View or change
existing directories or address book. Is the Outlook Address Book present?
If it isn't listed, add it and close and restart Outlook. If it is listed,
then remove it and close then restart Outlook and repeat these steps to add
it.

More details available here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;287563&Product=ol2002