Outlook 2003 Address Book Issues

[Heinz Wehner]

Before installing Outlook 2003 over Outlook 2000, the Windows Address
Book (%ProgramFiles%\Outlook Express\wab.exe) and Outlook were unified
in the sense that the Outlook contacts and Address Book held the same
entries. So opening the Address Book from the start menu and opening
it by clicking the icon in the Outlook tool bar displayed exactly the
same list. After the installation of Outlook 2003, the described
unification went somewhat out of order:

1. The Address Book displayed by clicking the icon in the Outlook tool
bar starts up an address book program different from "wab.exe".

2. The Outlook address book shows double entries for all contacts that
have both an e-mail and a business fax number. This is confusing. How
do I configure the Outlook address book to show each contact only
once?

Heinz Wehner
(Karlsruhe, Germany)

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

You can't.
You weren't actually using the Outlook Address Book before. You must have
been using IMO mode of Outlook 2000 which was a downsized, simplified
"internet mail only" version of Outlook that was unable to support the
Outlook Address Book so it used the Windows Address Book instead.
The Outlook Address Book has always displayed each electronic address
separately. Most users far prefer that.

 

[Heinz Wehner]

Russ,

thanks for your clarifying comments. It really surprises me that the
majority of users prefers that. However, it would be nice if Outlook
would provide an option to get a "single contact - single item" view
for the minority I belong to ;-)

Heinz Wehner
(Karlsruhe, Germany)

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Since Outlook is a messaging program, its address book is optimized for
sending messages. Most Contacts have more than one electronic address. If
there were only one entry for each Contact, there would be no way to tell
Outlook which address to use. Hence, each address is listed separately and
most users prefer that.

Now when you open the Outlook Address Book from Word where you are more
likely to want a mailing address, each Contact will usually only be listed
once.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Russ,

thanks for your clarifying comments. It really surprises me that the
majority of users prefers that. However, it would be nice if Outlook
would provide an option to get a "single contact - single item" view
for the minority I belong to ;-)

Heinz Wehner
(Karlsruhe, Germany)

On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 14:02:43 -0500,

You can't.
You weren't actually using the Outlook Address Book before. You must have
been using IMO mode of Outlook 2000 which was a downsized, simplified
"internet mail only" version of Outlook that was unable to support the
Outlook Address Book so it used the Windows Address Book instead.
The Outlook Address Book has always displayed each electronic address
separately. Most users far prefer that.

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]



Before installing Outlook 2003 over Outlook 2000, the Windows Address
Book (%ProgramFiles%\Outlook Express\wab.exe) and Outlook were unified
in the sense that the Outlook contacts and Address Book held the same
entries. So opening the Address Book from the start menu and opening
it by clicking the icon in the Outlook tool bar displayed exactly the
same list. After the installation of Outlook 2003, the described
unification went somewhat out of order:

1. The Address Book displayed by clicking the icon in the Outlook tool
bar starts up an address book program different from "wab.exe".

2. The Outlook address book shows double entries for all contacts that
have both an e-mail and a business fax number. This is confusing. How
do I configure the Outlook address book to show each contact only
once?

Heinz Wehner
(Karlsruhe, Germany)

 

[Heinz Wehner]

It's OK for me to know that listing more than one entry for a contact
is intentional in the address book opened within Outlook 2003.

BTW, I don't see any menu item or tool bar icon within my Word 2000
that would let me open the Outlook 2003 address book. I guess this is
be due the the fact that I'm using Word 2000 rather than Word 2003.

On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 15:18:22 -0500,

Since Outlook is a messaging program, its address book is optimized for
sending messages. Most Contacts have more than one electronic address.
If there were only one entry for each Contact, there would be no way to tell
Outlook which address to use. Hence, each address is listed separately and
most users prefer that.

Now when you open the Outlook Address Book from Word where you are more
likely to want a mailing address, each Contact will usually only be listed once.

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]



Russ,

thanks for your clarifying comments. It really surprises me that the
majority of users prefers that. However, it would be nice if Outlook
would provide an option to get a "single contact - single item" view
for the minority I belong to ;-)

Heinz Wehner
(Karlsruhe, Germany)


On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 14:02:43 -0500,

You can't.
You weren't actually using the Outlook Address Book before. You must have
been using IMO mode of Outlook 2000 which was a downsized, simplified
"internet mail only" version of Outlook that was unable to support the
Outlook Address Book so it used the Windows Address Book instead.
The Outlook Address Book has always displayed each electronic address
separately. Most users far prefer that.

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]



Before installing Outlook 2003 over Outlook 2000, the Windows Address
Book (%ProgramFiles%\Outlook Express\wab.exe) and Outlook were unified
in the sense that the Outlook contacts and Address Book held the same
entries. So opening the Address Book from the start menu and opening
it by clicking the icon in the Outlook tool bar displayed exactly the
same list. After the installation of Outlook 2003, the described
unification went somewhat out of order:

1. The Address Book displayed by clicking the icon in the Outlook tool
bar starts up an address book program different from "wab.exe".

2. The Outlook address book shows double entries for all contacts that
have both an e-mail and a business fax number. This is confusing. How
do I configure the Outlook address book to show each contact only
once?

Heinz Wehner
(Karlsruhe, Germany)

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Versions should not be mixed.
Normally you'll find the Address Book under the Insert menu.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

It's OK for me to know that listing more than one entry for a contact
is intentional in the address book opened within Outlook 2003.

BTW, I don't see any menu item or tool bar icon within my Word 2000
that would let me open the Outlook 2003 address book. I guess this is
be due the the fact that I'm using Word 2000 rather than Word 2003.

On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 15:18:22 -0500,

Since Outlook is a messaging program, its address book is optimized for
sending messages. Most Contacts have more than one electronic address.
If there were only one entry for each Contact, there would be no way to tell
Outlook which address to use. Hence, each address is listed separately and
most users prefer that.

Now when you open the Outlook Address Book from Word where you are more
likely to want a mailing address, each Contact will usually only be listed once.

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]



Russ,

thanks for your clarifying comments. It really surprises me that the
majority of users prefers that. However, it would be nice if Outlook
would provide an option to get a "single contact - single item" view
for the minority I belong to ;-)

Heinz Wehner
(Karlsruhe, Germany)


On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 14:02:43 -0500,

You can't.
You weren't actually using the Outlook Address Book before. You must have
been using IMO mode of Outlook 2000 which was a downsized, simplified
"internet mail only" version of Outlook that was unable to support the
Outlook Address Book so it used the Windows Address Book instead.
The Outlook Address Book has always displayed each electronic address
separately. Most users far prefer that.

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]



Before installing Outlook 2003 over Outlook 2000, the Windows Address
Book (%ProgramFiles%\Outlook Express\wab.exe) and Outlook were unified
in the sense that the Outlook contacts and Address Book held the same
entries. So opening the Address Book from the start menu and opening
it by clicking the icon in the Outlook tool bar displayed exactly the
same list. After the installation of Outlook 2003, the described
unification went somewhat out of order:

1. The Address Book displayed by clicking the icon in the Outlook tool
bar starts up an address book program different from "wab.exe".

2. The Outlook address book shows double entries for all contacts that
have both an e-mail and a business fax number. This is confusing. How
do I configure the Outlook address book to show each contact only
once?

Heinz Wehner
(Karlsruhe, Germany)