Firstname/Lastname filing order in Address Book

H

Herman

When I bring up the address book of my names (Tools>Address Book) most of them come up Firstname first and they are filed that way. But not all. And yet as far as I can see they are defined identically in properties. Compare Arthur Schmidt and Arlene Barton. So how can I define whether first name shows first or last name shows first in Name field in the Address Book list. See examples attached:
 
B

Brian Tillman

Herman said:
When I bring up the address book of my names (Tools>Address Book)
most of them come up Firstname first and they are filed that way. But
not all. And yet as far as I can see they are defined identically in
properties. Compare Arthur Schmidt and Arlene Barton. So how can I
define whether first name shows first or last name shows first in
Name field in the Address Book list. See examples attached:

What version of Outlook? (I'm certainly not going to open an attachment
from an unknown source.)
 
B

Brian Tillman

Herman said:
It's Outlook 2003

Click Tools>E-mail Accounts>View or change existing directories or address
books>Next. Select Outlook Address Book and click Change. What sort order
have you chosen?
 
B

Brian Tillman

jackc said:
I have Outlook 2007. My contacts are <Last Name> <First Name>.
Most of them show up in my Address Book that way. I can figure out
why some show up just the opposite! I compare the "Properties" on
"SMITH, John" and "Mary Smith" and they're the same! I went to
"Tools" > "Accounts" etc and checked for Last Name, First Name.
What am I doing wrong?

I suspect the ones listed "last, first" are some you added and those listed
"first last" are some you imported.
 
J

jackc

Brian Tillman said:
I suspect the ones listed "last, first" are some you added and those listed
"first last" are some you imported.

As a data point, I went to one correspondent's "Properties" and changed
"Smith, John&Mary" to "Smith, John & Mary" [spaces before and after the
ampersand]. NOW.....the Address Book shows them as "John & Mary Smith!" So,
I returned to the "Properties" and deleted the spaces on either side of the
ampersand thinking that it would go back to "Smith, John&Mary." It didn't!
Why does it seem to this rookie that the relationship to the "Contacts"
folder and the "Address Book" is so convoluted??

jack
 
B

Brian Tillman

jackc said:
OK......but is there a way to "fix" this? It's just an irritant but
I would like to have the Address Book show "last, first."

As a data point, I went to one correspondent's "Properties" and
changed "Smith, John&Mary" to "Smith, John & Mary" [spaces before and
after the ampersand]. NOW.....the Address Book shows them as "John &
Mary Smith!" So, I returned to the "Properties" and deleted the
spaces on either side of the ampersand thinking that it would go back
to "Smith, John&Mary." It didn't! Why does it seem to this rookie
that the relationship to the "Contacts" folder and the "Address Book"
is so convoluted??

Click Tools>Account Settings. Select the Address Books tab. Select Outlook
Address Book and click Change. Set the sort order there.
 
J

jackc

Brian Tillman said:
jackc said:
OK......but is there a way to "fix" this? It's just an irritant but
I would like to have the Address Book show "last, first."

As a data point, I went to one correspondent's "Properties" and
changed "Smith, John&Mary" to "Smith, John & Mary" [spaces before and
after the ampersand]. NOW.....the Address Book shows them as "John &
Mary Smith!" So, I returned to the "Properties" and deleted the
spaces on either side of the ampersand thinking that it would go back
to "Smith, John&Mary." It didn't! Why does it seem to this rookie
that the relationship to the "Contacts" folder and the "Address Book"
is so convoluted??

Click Tools>Account Settings. Select the Address Books tab. Select Outlook
Address Book and click Change. Set the sort order there.

jjc
 
B

Brian Tillman

jackc said:
Well, Brian, as I implied in less detail in my original post, this
is what I did [selected "Smith, John" and "Close"] based on your
advice to the first person in this thread. I closed Outlook,
restarted......hoping that this irritant had gone away. It hasn't.
I know it's just an irritant, but now solving this has become a
"crusade" :>)

What do you have chosen under Tools>Options>Contacts Options as the "File
As" order?
 
J

jackc

Brian Tillman said:
jackc said:
Well, Brian, as I implied in less detail in my original post, this
is what I did [selected "Smith, John" and "Close"] based on your
advice to the first person in this thread. I closed Outlook,
restarted......hoping that this irritant had gone away. It hasn't.
I know it's just an irritant, but now solving this has become a
"crusade" :>)

What do you have chosen under Tools>Options>Contacts Options as the "File
As" order?
 
B

Brian Tillman

jackc said:
Brian...... YOU "BROKE THE CODE!'

Just call me Robert Langdon.
I had "first, last" there.
Should have messed around in "Tools" a little more thoroughly before
coming here! Thank for eliminating that little irritant for me!

You're welcome.
 

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