How can I eliminate addresses

[FONT= "Times New Roman"]Hi
For some reason anyone who ever wrote an email to me has been added to my Outlook drop down list so when I go to write an email there are many, many names listed that I would like to delete.
I have tried every way I could to eliminate the names from my drop down list but I can't find them in the contact list or the address book so I can figure out a way to do that. How can they appear when I write an email but not be on any list I can access or have anyway to delete them.

Also, is there a setting somewhere that has allowed my Outlook to automatically add these names to my drop down list without my authorizing it somehow? And how can I turn it off?[/FONT]

 

Hi blakston6286...

I believe that you are talking about the Auto-Complete or "Nickname" feature of MS Outlook. What version is your Outlook?

For the first part...
If you have an older MS Outlook (97, 98, & 2000) then there are tools that you can use to edit your "Nickname" list...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/242074

For Outlook 2002, 2003, 2007...
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;287623

You can also just delete\clear the Auto-Complete E-mail addresses for Outook...the link below works for Outlook 2003 but I have used this method also in Outlook 2007...
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/wind...auto-complete-email-address-cache-in-outlook/

For the 2nd part...
For Outlook 2002 (XP), 2003, and 2007 you can turn this feature on or off. In Outlook ...
- Click on Tools
- Under the "Preferences" tab... "E-Mail" section click on the "E-Mail Options" button
- In the "E-Mail Options" window click on the "Advanced E-Mail Options" button
- Near the bottom of the Window select or deselect (depending if yo want this feature on or off) the "Suggest names while completing To, Cc, and Bcc fields "

For Outlook Express...
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/web/autocomplete.mspx

 

Hey dohbar,
I did forget to mention I was using Outlook 2003. .
Thank you for all the links. I will check them all out and hopefully return soon with successful results

 

OK....I opened my Outlook and clicked on New. When the new stationary appeared all I had to do was chose the letter A thru Z and left click once and hold on the address I wanted to delete and it was eliminated.
I also did not let up my left click and kept highlighting every address in the particular letter I wanted to eliminate and when I pressed delete it eliminated the highlighted name.
So at least I know how I can finally clean up my drop down list...Thank you very much for the information and guidance to the correct process.
You're the best.
Aryan

 

Hi Aryan...Glad it all worked out. Have a good one...

 

Thanks Kent...you have provided a solution for an ongoing irritation since I first used Outlook. Iam in your debt.

Hey Tony T,
Thank you for your information. Logic would dictate that would be the case. However,
I looked everywhere in my Outlook and could not find any thing even remotely related to the option you mentioned.
I am currently scouring the links dohbar included to see if there is any information as to where this setting is.
Thanks for your help,
Aryan

 

Hi Tony and Aryan...

In the full Outlook there is no option to automatically add a contact to "Contacts" when you reply to an e-mail.

If you do want to add a contact you just open their e-mail to you then right-click on their address and choose "Add to Contacts ".

 

Thanks Kent,

I kind of surmised that because your link for turning off auto add referred to Outlook Express. And there was no such option available in Outlook. Microsoft certainly seems to have overlooked that feature in Outlook.
Which makes me wonder how these addresses automatically added themselves to my drop down list because I certainly did not right click and choose to add them.

 

The list of names are not from your contacts...they are stored in the "Nick" file. Every "addressee" that you manually type into the "To" is added whether you typed it correctly or incorrectly.

For example, if you sent an e-mail to joeATsomeemailaddress.com, Outlook stores that address in the "Nick" file so the next time you were typing in a name and it started with a "j" joe@someemailaddress.com would be in the list of names you could choose from.