How to control the sort order for your contacts in Outlook 2002 and in Outlook 2003 (298817)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
  • Microsoft Outlook 2002
This article was previously published under Q298817

SUMMARY

This article describes how to customize the view for your contacts in Microsoft Outlook 2002 and in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003. You can control the order of fields in the card view as well as the sort order.

MORE INFORMATION

By default, the Contact folder Address Card and Detailed Address Card views display the File As field first. These views default to sort your contacts by the File As field, and this field is ordered by the "last name, first name" (without quotation marks) in a contact. You cannot globally change this sort order for your existing contacts, but you can use the user interface to change the default for any new contacts.

Use the following steps to change the default File As field sort order:
  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, click the Preferences tab, and then click Contact Options.
  2. Click to select the appropriate Default Full Name order and the Default File As order.
  3. Click OK twice.

    NOTE: These settings apply to new contacts only.
If you define or customize an existing view, you can globally re-arrange the contact field and sort order, and you can sort your contacts on a different field, such as the Company field.

Use the following steps to create a new view that lists your contacts by the Company field instead of the Name field:
  1. Open your Contacts folder.
  2. On the View menu, point to Current View, and then click Define Views.
  3. In Define Views for Contacts, click New.
  4. In the Name of new view box, type Company Sort.
  5. In the Type Of View box, click Card.
  6. Under Can be used on, click All Contact Folders, and then click OK.

    This procedure opens the View Settings for Company Sort box. This box allows you to set the sort field and the order that the fields appear in the card view.
  7. Click Fields to open Show Fields. This allows you to select the fields that are displayed and to arrange their order.
  8. In the Available fields box, click to select the Company field, and then click Add.
  9. In the Show these fields in this order box, click to select the Company field, and then repeatedly click Move Up until Company is at the top of the list.
  10. Click OK to return to the View Settings for Company Sort box, and then click Sort.
  11. In the Sort Items By box, click Company.
  12. Click OK twice, and then click Close.
  13. On the View menu, point to Current View, and then click Company Sort.
Your contacts now appear in a card view, and the company name appears at the top of each contact. Your new view also sorts the contacts by the company name. Contacts that do not have a company name appear first in the sort order.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/27/2006
Keywords:kbinfo KB298817
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