How do I convert cc's to a distribution list group?

[Howard M. Rensin]

Hi;
I have received email as part of a 40 person cc and want to create my
own distribution list of those other cc's so I can originate messages to the
group (and not just use the 'reply all' key). Is there a way to move the
cc's from the header of an incoming email directly into a new distribution
group with out having to first make each of them a separate contact and then
move the contact into the distribution group?
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.
Howard

 

[Brian Tillman]

I have received email as part of a 40 person cc and want to create
my own distribution list of those other cc's so I can originate
messages to the group (and not just use the 'reply all' key). Is
there a way to move the cc's from the header of an incoming email
directly into a new distribution group with out having to first make
each of them a separate contact and then move the contact into the
distribution group?

If the list you have is a semicolon-separated list of addresses (which a Cc
field would contain), you can select the entire list, right-click and choose
Copy, then open a new DL, click Select Members, and paste the list into the
Members field. Click OK and that list will be turned into individual DL
members.

 

[Howard M. Rensin]

I tried it and it did not work. All the names were separated by semicolons
so that was not a problem, but when I pasted the list of names into the box
for Select Members, Outlook started checking the names against my contact
list. as soon as it found one it did not recognize, it prompted me to pick
it out of the Contact list (which of course it was NOT in). I could not get
Outlook to bypass that process and just take the names as I submitted them.
I tried this with both the Add members as well as the New members option
buttons and neither would work. I am using Outlook 2003 single user. Any
other thoughts?
Howard

 

[Brian Tillman]

I tried it and it did not work. All the names were separated by
semicolons so that was not a problem, but when I pasted the list of
names into the box for Select Members, Outlook started checking the
names against my contact list. as soon as it found one it did not
recognize, it prompted me to pick it out of the Contact list (which
of course it was NOT in).

You still don't have to have them in your Contacts list, as long as the
addresses are valid Internet addresses. Those will resolve without being in
Contacts.

I could not get Outlook to bypass that
process and just take the names as I submitted them.

All names in a DL must be resolved. They don't necessarily need to resolve
against your Contacts, though.

I tried this
with both the Add members as well as the New members option buttons
and neither would work. I am using Outlook 2003 single user.

There are no "Add members" or "New members" button anywhere on the DL
creation form. There are, however, buttons labeled "Select Members" (the
one I told you to use), and "Add New" (which you should be avoiding. Click
Select Members, and in the Members field, paste your list. I know it works
with addresses NOT in the Contacts folder because I've done it.

 

[Howard M. Rensin]

Let me try to explain this one more time. I followed your directions
exactly. I pasted the list of valid email addresses separated by semicolons
into the "Select Member" box that opened up when I chose that button. The
valid addresses appeared in the 'Select Member' box and when I clicked on
the ok button, Outlook opened a message window telling me that it could not
find the first name in the list and asked me if I wanted it to show me more
names (which just shows the names already in my Contacts). If I say 'Yes' it
just opens up my existing Contact list. There is no 'No' button, just
'Cancel' which puts me back where I started with the addresses pasted into
the Select member box and not able to complete the group creation. Any ideas
on how to get past this point?

 

[Howard M. Rensin]

I located the problem... If the list of names pasted into the Select Member
box contains any names of people already in Contacts, Outlook converts the
email address to something like 'Smith, John (email);' rather than allowing
the proper email address to be listed in the Select Member list. So the
question now, is how to force Outlook to simply list the full and proper
email addresses without converting them to the shorthand notation I have
just described?

 

[Brian Tillman]

I located the problem... If the list of names pasted into the Select
Member box contains any names of people already in Contacts, Outlook
converts the email address to something like 'Smith, John (email);'
rather than allowing the proper email address to be listed in the
Select Member list. So the question now, is how to force Outlook to
simply list the full and proper email addresses without converting
them to the shorthand notation I have just described?

I don't know of any way to do that. However, if the people are in your
Contacts folder, then you should let Outlook change it to use what you have.