Outlook 2003 Distribution List Sort Order

[AL]

I just upgraded to Office 2003 Pro from Office 97. I was
using Outlook 98. The distribution lists I had in Outlook
98 did not survive the upgrade, so I had to re-select the
list's members. After I set up the lists again in Outlook
2003, I noticed that some of the lists were
sorted "LastName,FirstName" while others
were "FirstName,LastName". The default sort order in my
Contacts folder is Last,First. I don't know how the
different distribution lists ended up sorting the names
differently. In Outlook 98, when a distribution list is
displayed, one could click on the "Name" title bar and the
sort order would toggle from "Last,First,Ascending"
to "Last,First,Descending" to "First,Last,Ascending"
and "First,Last,Descending". That nice feature seems to
have disappeared in OL2003. How do I change the sort
order from "Last,First" to "First,Last", and vice versa?

Thanks.

AL

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Something's not right here. Outlook 98 did not support Distribution Lists in
PST files. So you weren't using DL's.
At any rate, DL's should follow the sort order you set for the Outlook
Address Book, not the Contacts Folder. Go to Tools > E-mail accounts > View
or change existing directories or address books > Outlook Address Book >
Change. > Set your sort order there

 

[Guest]

Russ,

Thanks for your posting. In OL98 the DLs are called
groups. From anywhere in OL98, if you go to the menu
choices Tools|Address Book, you will find your list of
contacts. If you had set up these groups, you would see
a "plus" sign next to "Contacts". Expanding that would
show the list of groups. Each groups would have a list of
email addresses which the user specifies. You would then
be able to send an email to the entire group by just
sending it to the group. Works just like the distribution
list in OL2003. Same function, different name.

My question remains. In OL98, once I expand the group
names, I can see select each group name, and the contacts
in each group will be listed in the pane on the right
side. In this pane, when I click on the "Name" titlebar,
I can toggle among the sort options. In OL2003, when I
get into the DL listing, the entries are listed in
Firs,Last order in some cases, and in Last,First order in
others. I have gone through the steps to select my
address book's default sort order. Clicking on the "Name"
titlebar merely changes the sort order from ascending to
descending, then back. I want my contacts to be listed
by "Last,First,Ascending" in all my distribution lists.

Thanks.

Alex

-----Original Message-----
Something's not right here. Outlook 98 did not support Distribution Lists in
PST files. So you weren't using DL's.
At any rate, DL's should follow the sort order you set for the Outlook
Address Book, not the Contacts Folder. Go to Tools > E- mail accounts > View
or change existing directories or address books > Outlook Address Book >
Change. > Set your sort order there
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I just upgraded to Office 2003 Pro from Office 97. I was
using Outlook 98. The distribution lists I had in Outlook
98 did not survive the upgrade, so I had to re-select the
list's members. After I set up the lists again in Outlook
2003, I noticed that some of the lists were
sorted "LastName,FirstName" while others
were "FirstName,LastName". The default sort order in my
Contacts folder is Last,First. I don't know how the
different distribution lists ended up sorting the names
differently. In Outlook 98, when a distribution list is
displayed, one could click on the "Name" title bar and the
sort order would toggle from "Last,First,Ascending"
to "Last,First,Descending" to "First,Last,Ascending"
and "First,Last,Descending". That nice feature seems to
have disappeared in OL2003. How do I change the sort
order from "Last,First" to "First,Last", and vice versa?

Thanks.

AL

.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Groups are in no way related to DL's. Outlook has never used groups. Only
the Windows Address Book uses groups. You must have been using the downsized
IMO version of Outlook 98 which was unable to use the Outlook Address Book,
so had to use the Windows Address Book instead. Groups do not reside with
Outlook data and did not persist from one installation to another--as you
discovered.

How did you set the sort order for the Outlook Address Book? If you did it
correctly and the DL's won't comply, then you may have to change the Subject
field of the Contact within the DL.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Russ,

Thanks for your posting. In OL98 the DLs are called
groups. From anywhere in OL98, if you go to the menu
choices Tools|Address Book, you will find your list of
contacts. If you had set up these groups, you would see
a "plus" sign next to "Contacts". Expanding that would
show the list of groups. Each groups would have a list of
email addresses which the user specifies. You would then
be able to send an email to the entire group by just
sending it to the group. Works just like the distribution
list in OL2003. Same function, different name.

My question remains. In OL98, once I expand the group
names, I can see select each group name, and the contacts
in each group will be listed in the pane on the right
side. In this pane, when I click on the "Name" titlebar,
I can toggle among the sort options. In OL2003, when I
get into the DL listing, the entries are listed in
Firs,Last order in some cases, and in Last,First order in
others. I have gone through the steps to select my
address book's default sort order. Clicking on the "Name"
titlebar merely changes the sort order from ascending to
descending, then back. I want my contacts to be listed
by "Last,First,Ascending" in all my distribution lists.

Thanks.

Alex

-----Original Message-----
Something's not right here. Outlook 98 did not support Distribution Lists in
PST files. So you weren't using DL's.
At any rate, DL's should follow the sort order you set for the Outlook
Address Book, not the Contacts Folder. Go to Tools > E- mail accounts > View
or change existing directories or address books > Outlook Address Book >
Change. > Set your sort order there
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I just upgraded to Office 2003 Pro from Office 97. I was
using Outlook 98. The distribution lists I had in Outlook
98 did not survive the upgrade, so I had to re-select the
list's members. After I set up the lists again in Outlook
2003, I noticed that some of the lists were
sorted "LastName,FirstName" while others
were "FirstName,LastName". The default sort order in my
Contacts folder is Last,First. I don't know how the
different distribution lists ended up sorting the names
differently. In Outlook 98, when a distribution list is
displayed, one could click on the "Name" title bar and the
sort order would toggle from "Last,First,Ascending"
to "Last,First,Descending" to "First,Last,Ascending"
and "First,Last,Descending". That nice feature seems to
have disappeared in OL2003. How do I change the sort
order from "Last,First" to "First,Last", and vice versa?

Thanks.

AL

.