Syncing Contacts Folders

[Jemsilve]

I have Contact Folders set up with several contacts in each folder and the
folders are organized into Groups. There are some contacts that need to go
into multiple folders. I can do that by copying teh contact and then I can
see them in both lists. I also have a Smarthphone and need all of my
contacts in there. In order to get them to Sync to my phone, All contacts
must be in the default Contacts folder, so a copy of every contact goes there
as well. I want to know if there is a way to up date a contact in one folder
and it automatically update everywhere? I need it to be more like a windows
Shortcut instead of a copy. I have multiple versions of each. contact and
when re-copying info. gets duplicated in the contact and it's just not as
streamlined as I need it to be. I also need to be able to get all my
contacts onto another computer and be able to synchronize those as well, any
suggestions?

Thankx

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

No way to do so. The fact that you need to suggests you need to rethink how
you are organizing Contacts. Your post is unclear. We have no idea what you
mean by "Groups."
The vast majority of users who need to maintain syncing keep all their
Contacts in the default folder and organize them using Categories. There is
very little that that won't achieve.

 

[Jemsilve]

Groups, meaning in the left-hand side of the Outlook screen. I need them in
folders because I use a mail merge in Word and can't filter/sort using
Categories, also can't search/sort using categories when adding members to a
Distribution List.

OK, I am a Pampered Chef consultant. I have a Contact Folder for each
person who hosts a party. Under each hosts folder, I have all of her invited
guests. I then use the folder for mail merge in Word to print mailing labels
for invitations. I also use the folder to find the contacts for that party
to add to my e-mail distribution list. If someone books a party from that
host, they then become their own folder. This is how I have contacts in
multiple folders. Some of the guests from the first party will also be
invited to the second. I want to be able to track who came to each party so
when that host books another show with me, I can just re-print their guest
list for them, they don't have to come up with all the addresses again, they
can just update those that have changed. I have searched and searched for
way to use categories because it elminates duplicating contacts, but I can't
figure out how to search/filter to add those new people to the distribution
list or for a mail merge. If you can tell me how to do that then I can
elminate the contact folders and just use categories.

I hope this makes it clearer. I currently have about 1000 contacts and it's
growing daily, so I need to streamline more, but I HAVE to be able to do a
mail merge and limit it to only that host's guests w/o having to sift through
1000 contacts to check the 40 that I want.

thank you

No way to do so. The fact that you need to suggests you need to rethink how
you are organizing Contacts. Your post is unclear. We have no idea what you
mean by "Groups."
The vast majority of users who need to maintain syncing keep all their
Contacts in the default folder and organize them using Categories. There is
very little that that won't achieve.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I have Contact Folders set up with several contacts in each folder and the
folders are organized into Groups. There are some contacts that need to
go
into multiple folders. I can do that by copying teh contact and then I
can
see them in both lists. I also have a Smarthphone and need all of my
contacts in there. In order to get them to Sync to my phone, All contacts
must be in the default Contacts folder, so a copy of every contact goes
there
as well. I want to know if there is a way to up date a contact in one
folder
and it automatically update everywhere? I need it to be more like a
windows
Shortcut instead of a copy. I have multiple versions of each. contact and
when re-copying info. gets duplicated in the contact and it's just not as
streamlined as I need it to be. I also need to be able to get all my
contacts onto another computer and be able to synchronize those as well,
any
suggestions?

Thankx

 

[Jemsilve]

Groups, meaning in the left-hand side of the Outlook screen. I need them in
folders because I use a mail merge in Word and can't filter/sort using
Categories, also can't search/sort using categories when adding members to a
Distribution List.

OK, I am a Pampered Chef consultant. I have a Contact Folder for each
person who hosts a party. I have a goup for Catalog Show's and one for Cooking Show's. Under each group are the host folders for those who have hosted that type of party. Under each hosts folder, I have all of her invited
guests. I then use the folder for mail merge in Word to print mailing labels
for invitations. I also use the folder to find the contacts for that party
to add to my e-mail distribution list. If someone books a party from that
host, they then become their own folder. This is how I have contacts in
multiple folders. Some of the guests from the first party will also be
invited to the second. I want to be able to track who came to each party so
when that host books another show with me, I can just re-print their guest
list for them, they don't have to come up with all the addresses again, they
can just update those that have changed. I have searched and searched for
way to use categories because it elminates duplicating contacts, but I can't
figure out how to search/filter to add those new people to the distribution
list or for a mail merge. If you can tell me how to do that then I can
elminate the contact folders and just use categories.

I hope this makes it clearer. I currently have about 1000 contacts and it's
growing daily, so I need to streamline more, but I HAVE to be able to do a
mail merge and limit it to only that host's guests w/o having to sift through
1000 contacts to check the 40 that I want.

thank you

No way to do so. The fact that you need to suggests you need to rethink how
you are organizing Contacts. Your post is unclear. We have no idea what you
mean by "Groups."
The vast majority of users who need to maintain syncing keep all their
Contacts in the default folder and organize them using Categories. There is
very little that that won't achieve.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I have Contact Folders set up with several contacts in each folder and the
folders are organized into Groups. There are some contacts that need to
go
into multiple folders. I can do that by copying teh contact and then I
can
see them in both lists. I also have a Smarthphone and need all of my
contacts in there. In order to get them to Sync to my phone, All contacts
must be in the default Contacts folder, so a copy of every contact goes
there
as well. I want to know if there is a way to up date a contact in one
folder
and it automatically update everywhere? I need it to be more like a
windows
Shortcut instead of a copy. I have multiple versions of each. contact and
when re-copying info. gets duplicated in the contact and it's just not as
streamlined as I need it to be. I also need to be able to get all my
contacts onto another computer and be able to synchronize those as well,
any
suggestions?

Thankx

 

[Jemsilve]

I did look into CRM Software, but it does alot of stuff I don't need it to
do. I just need customer info that Outlook provides, but you did help me
tremendously. I didn't realize you could do a mail merge from Outlook, so I
found out how to do that so that does eliminate one problem. As far as not
being able to search be category to narrow the options for adding customers
to my dist. list. I can just set up a temp. Contact folder to copy the host
category contacts into to update the dist. list and then just copy them back
ot Contacts. Then I can get rid of all my Contacts folders and just use
Contacts and Categories. Just one last question. Is there a limit to how
many categories you can have set up. I'm OK w/ Duplicating colors, but can't
run our of being able to add categories.

Thanx

Looks to me that you need CRM software, not Outlook. Outlook is not CRM
software.
Nevertheless, there is no reason you can't do a mail merge to a Category if
you start the merge from Outlook.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Groups, meaning in the left-hand side of the Outlook screen. I need them
in
folders because I use a mail merge in Word and can't filter/sort using
Categories, also can't search/sort using categories when adding members to
a
Distribution List.

OK, I am a Pampered Chef consultant. I have a Contact Folder for each
person who hosts a party. Under each hosts folder, I have all of her
invited
guests. I then use the folder for mail merge in Word to print mailing
labels
for invitations. I also use the folder to find the contacts for that
party
to add to my e-mail distribution list. If someone books a party from that
host, they then become their own folder. This is how I have contacts in
multiple folders. Some of the guests from the first party will also be
invited to the second. I want to be able to track who came to each party
so
when that host books another show with me, I can just re-print their guest
list for them, they don't have to come up with all the addresses again,
they
can just update those that have changed. I have searched and searched for
way to use categories because it elminates duplicating contacts, but I
can't
figure out how to search/filter to add those new people to the
distribution
list or for a mail merge. If you can tell me how to do that then I can
elminate the contact folders and just use categories.

I hope this makes it clearer. I currently have about 1000 contacts and
it's
growing daily, so I need to streamline more, but I HAVE to be able to do a
mail merge and limit it to only that host's guests w/o having to sift
through
1000 contacts to check the 40 that I want.

thank you

No way to do so. The fact that you need to suggests you need to rethink
how
you are organizing Contacts. Your post is unclear. We have no idea what
you
mean by "Groups."
The vast majority of users who need to maintain syncing keep all their
Contacts in the default folder and organize them using Categories. There
is
very little that that won't achieve.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I have Contact Folders set up with several contacts in each folder and
the
folders are organized into Groups. There are some contacts that need
to
go
into multiple folders. I can do that by copying teh contact and then I
can
see them in both lists. I also have a Smarthphone and need all of my
contacts in there. In order to get them to Sync to my phone, All
contacts
must be in the default Contacts folder, so a copy of every contact goes
there
as well. I want to know if there is a way to up date a contact in one
folder
and it automatically update everywhere? I need it to be more like a
windows
Shortcut instead of a copy. I have multiple versions of each. contact
and
when re-copying info. gets duplicated in the contact and it's just not
as
streamlined as I need it to be. I also need to be able to get all my
contacts onto another computer and be able to synchronize those as
well,
any
suggestions?

Thankx