This has always annoyed me. maybe someone on Google can assist. in
short, when using Outlook (the client), and you need to get to your
contact list (or smart names when entering the names in the TO:
section), it defaults to "Global Address List" (where i have no
names). in the Select Names window, if you choose Outlook Address Book
/ Contacts, then all of my names appear. How can i get it to default
to this? or can i delete the "global address list"? help greatly
appreciated.

boardman27-ga:

Thank you for your question.

When you click on any of the address select buttons (To:, CC:, BCC:)
in a new message compose window, MS Outlook will default to the
address book that you have defined in your settings.

To confirm or change this setting, go to:

Tools > Address Book...

then within the Address Book window, go to:

Tools > Options...

then for the pulldown "Show this address list first:", select the
Contacts under the Outlook Address Book,

and using the arrow buttons to the right hand side of the 'order'
list, move 'Contacts' to the top (you will need to click on 'Contacts'
in the list to highlight it first).

Here is a website that shows this:

http://www.tc.columbia.edu/cis/helpdesk/Exchange/exchange_pab.htm


Regards,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

Thank you!!

I had the same situation.  The above instructions did not help me;
however, another procedure is what did the trick:

Go to the Properties dialog box for the Contacts folder (by
right-clicking the Contacts button in the Outlook Shortcuts pane). On
the Outlook Address Book tab, select the "Show this folder as an
e-mail Address Book" check box.  Voila!

Same situation here - but that procedure works on a per-user basis.. I
am looking for a way to change this for everyone all at once.. nobody
here likes the GAL coming up first.  Does anyone know if there is a
setting in exchange, or maybe group policy that I can use to make
everyone default to their OAB Contacts instead of the GAL?

Thanks very much