Stop bracketting false area code when displaying phone no

[MonocleMike]

I am using Outlook 2002 SP3 with XP. I live in France. We do not have area
codes - we have to dial all the digits of every no. How do I stop Outlook
Contacts putting brackets round the first two digits of any telephone no I
enter in Contacts?

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

There is no way to change how Outlook masks phone numbers. There shouldn't
be any need to. How a number is dialed is controlled by the operating
system's dialing rules, not how Outlook formats the number.

 

[MonocleMike]

Thank you for trying to help but ....! I am using my Outlook Contacts to
maintan a simple telephone list that I print out and keep in my wallet and
refer to online. I don't want Outlook to change anything at all about the
number that I enter. How can I persuade Outlook to stop trying to be helpful
and just the leave the number exactly as I entered it. I have loads of old
numbers in there that are exactly as I want them but I cannot get any new
numbers in so obviously I have switched something on that I want to switch
off. I am happy to edit the Registry if required. I hope you can help.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

As I said, you can't. How Outlook masks numbers is hard coded. Why not place
the number in quotes so Outlook won't recognize it or store the number in a
different field?

 

[MonocleMike]

Thank you for your help. I believe that the masking rules depend upon the
country code. Is there a country which does not have area codes? Where can
I find the masking rules? I could then choose a country that does it the way
I want and then also use the facility to turn off the automatic adding of the
country code.

Yes, I could put them in quotes but it clutters up the printed list.

Incidentally it is weird the way Outlook has only recently started
formatting the numbers. I have loads in there already that I edited manually
to be the way I want them but now cannot re-edit them without them being
formatted.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Outlook has always done this and cannot be configured otherwise. The only
time it doesn't is when your telephony registry keys are missing or damaged,
which is not a condition you can willingly replicate:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/258171/en-us

 

[Diane Poremsky {MVP}]

there is no registry option for this but if you enter a character before the
number it won’t convert it - ' and , prevent it from changing and are not
too intrusive, as will letters. Some will not have an affect.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
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[Nicolo]

Hi Mike

there is a way to limit the negative imapct of this outrageous function.

in your control panel / dialing properties, specify in a current location
Country France
Area code 1

It will stop putting stupid brackets to the nb starting by 0... (01 55 ...)
and it will stop putting brackets on number starting by +33

But it might still continue to put brackets on number staring by another
country code (although the area codes exists only in the USA and Canada...
but not at all in Europe)

I have tried to intentionally ruin the registry keys (as "suggested above"
without success... unfortunately. I would be very happy to find how to
completely impeede this function

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Do you use the windows dialer? If not, you can disable the dialer service
and the numbers won't be formatted at all.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



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