# Outlook 2003 - Auto Name Resolution



## bobbi (Dec 21, 2000)

Hi

We recently migrated to Exchange 2003 from Exchange 5.5

I have Windows XP Pro on my laptop and I'm running Office 2003. Everything is up to date for patches etc. 

When I start a new email, I used to be able to type a letter or two of the the last name, put a comma and type a letter or two of the first name. Outlook would then use the GAL to resolve it to a name. 

This doesn't work any more. It works for others in the office, so that means it must be a setting connected to my account. 

If I sign on another computer I still have the same problem. 

I'm not talking about the "nickname cache" in outlook. That works...the auto complete works. But when I type a portion of a name, Outlook should check the Global Address Book to resolve that name. It doesn't.

Ctrl-K only give me the message that there are no suggestions. I click on Show me more and it takes me to the global address book. Depending on how many letters of the first and last name I entered, it will even take me to the exact person I'm looking for. But it won't just resolve the name for me. 

Any ideas? I can't seem to find much on the Internet. Most articles are about the auto complete feature and the nickname cache. 

Thanks


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## bearone2 (Jun 4, 2004)

tools/preferences/email/advanced email/suggest names


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## bobbi (Dec 21, 2000)

bearone2 said:


> tools/preferences/email/advanced email/suggest names


Suggest name while completing and the Automatic name checking are both checked on.

thanks


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## bobbi (Dec 21, 2000)

Well, I found out the if I just enter a few letters from the last name it will work. But if I enter a comma and then a letter or two from the first name it will not work. 

I did check to see if I had set the comma to be an address seperator. It's not set that way. 

I guess it's not a big deal. I can do the letters of the last name. It's just that I've done it the other way so long, I'm used to it and I wonder why it doesn't work now. 

Another note is that it does work for the domain admins so I guess it may be some sort of permission thing.


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## bearone2 (Jun 4, 2004)

fyi:
something has to separate multiples.

i set my address book up 1st name, last name.


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## bobbi (Dec 21, 2000)

multiples are seperated by semicolon for me. 

I don't know what order the address book is searching...last or first name. I can check with the admin on that. 

It will find the name as long as I don't put in any letters from the first. So that seems to be causing the problem.

The comma is not causing the problem because if I put in a few letters from the last name and then the comma is will resolve the name. As soon as I put in a letter from the first name it won't resolve.


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## bearone2 (Jun 4, 2004)

outlook defaults to last, 1st, i changed it.

outlook and outlook express both use the semi colon.


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## greendo (Oct 23, 2006)

I up here looking for some Outlook compatibilty stuff and saw your post. I figured since I am a fellow Westminster resident I would lend a hand. Lets see from the post I got that you did an upgrade to 2003 for the server and you are using xp with office 2003. It sounds like a local config problem but if your admins can get the GAL resolution than its a permissions issue.

Here is what I would do first. Take the laptop you had and log into it. Open Outlook and go to the address book. Make sure that now your are using a Outlook data file "contacts" versus a PAB personal address book. Then make sure the GAL is the first checked under the tools/options for the address book. then make sure its top of your list. Now depending on the size of your network and how efficient it is determines the speed at which its will autocomplete. I have 4000+ nodes here so it takes 5+ seconds but on my closed area networks its instant. If that doesn't do it then I would suspect a process during the upgrade was missed thus allowing domain admins the only right to see it. There is a ton of steps in an upgrade so..... I would have upgraded to 2000 first then set my AD compenents and then ran a forest prep etc.... also when you hit F9 does it tak a while to sync??? if so there may be a time out somewhrere.

hope this helps


Doug Green


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## bobbi (Dec 21, 2000)

greendo said:


> I up here looking for some Outlook compatibilty stuff and saw your post. I figured since I am a fellow Westminster resident I would lend a hand. Lets see from the post I got that you did an upgrade to 2003 for the server and you are using xp with office 2003. It sounds like a local config problem but if your admins can get the GAL resolution than its a permissions issue.
> 
> Here is what I would do first. Take the laptop you had and log into it. Open Outlook and go to the address book. Make sure that now your are using a Outlook data file "contacts" versus a PAB personal address book. Then make sure the GAL is the first checked under the tools/options for the address book. then make sure its top of your list. Now depending on the size of your network and how efficient it is determines the speed at which its will autocomplete. I have 4000+ nodes here so it takes 5+ seconds but on my closed area networks its instant. If that doesn't do it then I would suspect a process during the upgrade was missed thus allowing domain admins the only right to see it. There is a ton of steps in an upgrade so..... I would have upgraded to 2000 first then set my AD compenents and then ran a forest prep etc.... also when you hit F9 does it tak a while to sync??? if so there may be a time out somewhrere.
> 
> ...


Hey, you're in Westminster too huh? I work for the local County government.

Thanks for the info. All of the steps you suggested I've already done.

As you said, it's most likely a permissions thing. I can get it to resolve last name only and I've switched to doing that. There is a particular person I was trying to email...her last name starts with Oei and her first name is Mary. So I enter oei,m on the To line. Prior to the upgrade it would resolve this. Now, I just enter oei and leave it at that. It's doable...just different then what my previous habit was!

Yes, believe me we would have done our server upgrade differently had we known more. We hired a contractor who apparently gave us a song and dance routine and then came in and royally screwed stuff up. We had to clean up that mess and at the same time keep users happy and the network functioning.

No one else really complains about the resolution thing. I think most of the users click on the To box and then select their recipient from the list. It only bothers me, but it's certainly not crucial to my job or anything. Just annoying.

Thanks for your help!


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## greendo (Oct 23, 2006)

sorry I couldn't help, I agree its most likely an effect of going from 5.5 to 2003. I work for Johns Hopkins APL in Howard and commute down our lovely Route 32 woo hooo traffic is great especially in the morning..... We upgraded here a year ago. Microsoft highly recommended going to outlook 2000 first then to 2003 so I guess there is some validity to that. Though the back end is integrated into AD and it makes everything very easy to maintain. Looks like you will have to grin and bear through it I will see if I can find you a quick fix when I get a chance to speak with one our rep to MS from reston when we meet next month.


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