In Outlook 2002, 2003, or 2007, how do I change the way Contacts are displayed and filed?

In Outlook, Contacts are entries for people that you contact on a regular basis. Outlook allows you to keep and organize information for each Contact, ranging from phone numbers and multiple email addresses to a Contact's birthday or spouse's name.

Viewing Contacts

To see a list of your Contacts:

• In Outlook 2003 and 2007, click the Contacts icon in the Outlook Navigation Pane.
• In Outlook 2002, click the Contacts icon on the Outlook Shortcut Bar.

To view the complete information for a Contact, double-click the name of the Contact. From there, you can click the Details tab to add further information, such as a spouse's name or an anniversary.

Changing the display order

You can change the display order of your Contacts by alphabetizing them by first name, last name, or even the name of the company for which each person works.

The Default view for Contacts shows the Address Cards sorted as "File As", in Ascending order.

To change the default for how new entries are added to and filed in your Contacts folder:

1. From the Tools menu, select Options... .
   
   
2. Select Contact Options... .
   
   
3. Use the 'Default "Full Name" order' drop-down box to select the order you would like Outlook to use for new names. You can choose First (Middle) Last, Last First, or First Last1 Last2.
   
   
4. Use the "Default 'File As" order' drop-down box to select the order you would like Outlook to use for filing new contacts. You can choose Last, First, First Last, or either of those preceded or followed by the company name.
   
   
5. Click OK in the Contact Options window, then OK again in the Options window.

To further organize the way your existing Contacts are displayed, open a particular Contact from the Contacts folder and click the arrow next to "File As:". This will allow you to override the default settings you created by following the steps above.

Additional display options

You can also display your Contacts in any of the following ways.

Outlook 2003 and 2007

1. Use the categories in the Navigation Pane, under Current View.

   Alternatively, from the Tools menu, select Current View. Choose one of the following:

   • Address Cards
   • Detailed Address Cards
   • Phone List
   • By Category
   • By Company
   • By Location
   • By Follow-up Flag
   • Customize Current View
   • Business Cards
   • Outlook Data Files

Outlook 2002

1. From the Tools menu, select Current View.
   
   
2. Choose one of the following:
   
   
   • Address Cards
   • Detailed Address Cards
   • Phone List
   • By Category
   • By Company
   • By Location
   • By Follow-up Flag
   • Customize Current View

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