OL97: Changing the "File As" Order of Contacts (175300)

SUMMARY

Contacts are listed in the Address Book in "Firstname, Lastname" order by default. You must create a new view or use programming to change this order. A new feature in an updated Contab32.dll file allows users to sort the entire Contacts Address Book using the "File As" field.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem was corrected in Microsoft Office 97 Service Release 2 (SR-2).

For additional information about SR-2, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

151261 OFF97: How to Obtain and Install MS Office 97 SR-2

To Add the Outlook Address Book

To add the Outlook Address Book and configure as an e-mail address book, follow these steps:

On the Tools menu, click Services. Click Add. Click Outlook Address Book, and then click OK.
On the Services tab, click OK.
On the File menu, click "Exit and Log Off."
Restart Outlook.
Right-click the Contacts icon in the Outlook Bar, then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
Click the Outlook Address Book tab; then click to select the "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book" check box and click OK.

To Sort Based on the File As Field

To configure the Outlook Address Book to sort based on the Contacts "File As" field, follow these steps:

On the Tools menu, click Services.
Click Outlook Address Book, then click Properties.
Click "File As (Smith, John)." Click Close, and then click OK to close the Services.
On the File menu, click Exit and Log Off.
Restart Outlook.
On the Tools menu, click Address Book; then click to select Contacts in the Show Names list.

The Contacts in the Outlook Address Book are sorted and displayed based on each contact's File As field.

REFERENCES

For more information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

172795 How to Control the Sort Order of Your Contacts

165139 How to Reorder Outlook Address Book Names

163178 How to Change the Name of Contacts in the Address Book