Software

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Outlook XP Auto complete

0 helpful
8 replies

by john.m1

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

Hi chaps, one of our users has an intermittent problem.

when composing a new mail he types the recipient name and,, mostly,, after 3 letters it will auto complete (display a list) but sometime it doesn't.

and i mean even using the same 3 letters it sometimes completes and sometimes just sits looking dumb?? Most of us could live with this but this user is our CEO and he aint got time to s"!7 - so please help.

8 replies

by ann777

If it's set to auto-complete it will do so as soon as it can determine what it can auto complete with...

For instance, if you type:

abcd@xyz.com one time, then the next time you type abc -- Outlook will fill in the rest.

However, if you type:
abccdd@whereever.com then it will put the second address in auto-complete as well.

The next time you type "abc", Outlook will "sit there and look dumb" because it needs that next letter in order to determine which of the above two addresses it needs to auto-complete with.

It's got two listings that (so far) match -- it's waiting for a forth letter to fill in the rest or a new forth letter that is not already in the auto-complete list (to create yet another abcx entry).

by ann777

In other words, if Outlook gets three unique letters to make a perfect beginning match, then it will auto-complete. If Outlook has two or more listings will the same beginning three letters, then it will wait for the next letter before trying to auto-complete.

by sgt_shultz

well, if you are using the same three letters that autocomplete one time and don't another, that is a weird one.
i would ask *exactly* how to reproduce this problem. you are sitting there, on the network, and you type in abc, it autocompletes, you type in abc again, no autocomplete???? even after waiting several seconds?
how is outlook looking up the addresses. locally? on server? could you need to run a mailbox repair?
in this case i would tshoot by 'retreating to a working position' that is, if it won't work on the network, take it off the network. if it works that way, you got something going on with the network connection. what if you set up his mail temporairly on another pc. still have the problem?
any body else having this problem? got service packs? did it ever work right?

by john.m1

Thank you Anna777
the auto complete actually produces a drop down with all option that start with 'abc'.
The intermittent part of the problem is that sometimes it doesn't drop down.

by john.m1

Thank you sgt_schultz
please check my comment to Anna777
i will go away and experiment as you suggest.
will come back and rate your answer.

This discussion is closed to new replies.