Change Contact's File As format

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Change Contact's File As format

Outlook's Contact's offer a number of File As formats and this format can be used for the contact's name display in the Address Book. However changing the File As format on a large number of contact's is time consuming.

After you use either of the following methods to change the sort order, the option to change the sort order in Tools, Email Accounts, View or change existing address books, Outlook Address Book properties my not work.

Change the File As field on each Contact

Get the FileAs VBA Code sample from Slovaktech. Paste it into the VBA Editor and edit the following section to reflect your preferred File As order. Run it on your Contacts folder.

            With objContact
                strFirstName = .FirstName
                strLastName = .LastName
                strFileAs = strLastName & ", " & strFirstName
                .FileAs = strFileAs
                .Save
            End With

Change the order of strLastName and strFirstName to change the File As. You can either use ", " or just a space: " " between the names.

Note: This code works only on the default contacts folder.

Change only the 'subject' field used by the Address book

Use the Outlook File As Order custom form to change just the display in the Address book, from Last name first, to First name first or use the File As entry.

Notes:

Form must be published to work.

This method will not change the actual sort order in the Contacts folder or format used on the File As field.

Will return an error if there are distribution lists in the Contacts folder.

This has the same options as you'll find in Tools, E-mail Accounts, View or change existing Address books, Outlook Address book properties, but also adds Last name first option and full File As format, including the Company name.

Works on any contact folder - select the folder before clicking one of the buttons on the form. Leave the form open and select another folder to use it on additional folders.

Updated Apr 09 2008