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In his article Tracey said: Looking at build 101652, I think Windows 10 is shaping up well. My one standing complaint, however, is the start-menu box for Universal (Metro) apps. When open, it still takes up a good portion of the screen. Would it be that difficult to have it automatically shrink to fit the number of displayed tiles? Perhaps I’m missing something. If so, I’m sure I’ll hear about it.

My main complaint with Windows since before I can remember is its ability to remember a window has been restored DOWN but for some reason cannot remember when a window has been restored up (maximized). I know this has been an annoyance with many users but MS has never seen fit to fix it. I can deal with an oversized app menu if the restored size of a window can be remembered. If I am missing something I hope someone will point it out to me.

Don

One good thing in Office is that you can customize the interface to show only the features you want. It’s a one time effort and after that there is no need to search for anything.

The problem with that is the hours and hours and bookshelves of books to figure out how to customize the ribbons in all the programs and pray real hard that you don’t hide, delete or not install something in one program that will negatively impact a needed feature in another program. Microsoft Works was a perfect suite.

These stories from the Dottech newsletter have more on the story:

http://newsletter.dottech.org/g/a28d6b9-6663f04d34-98ad891958-d4e492f88263ce5ektKeiH8Bespek31C

http://newsletter.dottech.org/g/a28d6b9-6663f04d34-98ad891958-d4e492f88263ce5ektKeiH8Bespek31D

Be aware: Mozilla changed its default search engine from Google to Yahoo (powered by Bing). Search results look almost exactly like Google search results so don’t be fooled. This happens whether you upgrade from an older version or download and install fresh. Simply go into to the options and reset it to Google or whatever you had before. Also, you can use the search picklist and select a different search engine for every search if you want to.

How could your computer be sending them details of problems? Windows just doesn’t do that.

Oh yes they do! And so do other software publishers. It’s usually called something like Customer Experience Improvement Program or similar and allows the publisher to collect certain information about your computer and installed software. You can opt out (usually) but Windows (and others) do indeed do that.

Don

I would suspect a patch or update of some sort but there is no record of anything being done between the time it worked and the time it went wrong. Just another one of those anomalies that Microsoft software is so famous for.

Thanks again for the help.

See if Outlook 2010: How to change your default Contacts Address Book helps.

Joe

I use Outlook 2007 so I went looking for the same instructions for it. I followed the instructions and that has fixed the problem. My only question now now is how did it get changed? The steps necessary to change it are unique enough that I know I did not change it.

jwitalka: Just ran diagnostics. Do not trust the results. Found errors in every single diagnostic. Files are corrupt, hard drive is going bad, RAM is going bad, Outlook is not up to date (yes it is according to MS Updates), I am not an administrator (yes I am). etc etc etc

mrjimphelps: Autocomplete is working just fine.

jwitalka: When I click on addressbook icon or on TO, CC or BCC the address book search window opens with the Names Only radio button set and Outlook address book” selected by default and No entries in this addressbook” error appears. Change to “More Columns” set and “Type your search keywords . . . “.

If I change Outlook Address Book to Contacts the list appears as expected (with Name Only set). However, the next time I click on TO CC or BCC I have to reset to Contacts again to get the list. This is NOT how it was working before.

It seems to me that before the problem Outlook was using the contacts list to populate the addressbook and then something changed and it quit populating it. What could have changed and how do I change it back?

Note: I checked System Restore but there were no restore points that indicated any changes or updates to Office or Outlook. I did NOT try a restore anyway because restore does not change data and I think contacts and address books are data. Correct me if I am wrong?

Thanks,
Don

Yes. And checked a few other things that I saw in other threads with similar problem. The problem is, in my case the contents disappeared. Not that they were never there.

Another question…. I may end up doing a clean install of Office/Outlook to fix this problem. What do I need to do during installation to insure the contacts and address book function properly? If I use a third party Outlook backup utility would that make a difference?

Thanks for your help,

Don

Yes, I read it. Until I got to this part:

Step 2: Mark your contact folder for use with your address book

[*]On the File menu, point to Folder, and then click Properties for your folder name.
[*]On the Outlook Address Book tab, click to select the Show this folder as an e-mail address book check box, type a descriptive name, and then click OK.

(copied from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287563)

When I click File>Folder the properties option is for what ever email folder was last selected. If I choose that anyway there is no Outlook Address Book tab to select. Obviously the your folder name refers to something else or the File menu referred to is not the File menu in the Outlook Menu toolbar.

Note: In step 1 different sections were marked for 2002/2003, 2007 and 2010 versions. In Step 2 there was no indication of applicability to 2002/2003 or 2007. There IS a section marked for 2010 though so I assume that the first section was for all versions before 2010.

From what I’ve read about dragging and dropping between pst files it sounds as if IMAP folders are in use instead POP3 folder. If I create a second pst I assume it will appear in the Nav Pane just like an IMAP folder would with multiple IMAP accounts. I took a chance and did it. Thats exactly what it did. Now I have to go back and re-read previous messages to see why I wanted a second pst.

Thanks for your attempt to help with this but this is getting so complicated and confusing that I can’t even think straight now. I can’t find the reason why I would want a second pst file and I am not going to worry about it or go looking any deeper. I don’t care anymore. Dealing with the problem I have is far easier and less frustrating than dealing with the fix. I have found that to be typical in Microsoft products in general and Office particularly.

If Windows Mail, or any other email client could perform functions that I need (or have addons/extensions that could) I would have changed years ago. Its too bad that everything Microsoft does anymore is getting so complicated. Outlook Express was such an easy and simple email program I have no idea why they had to make it “better” and rename it to Windows Mail. I tried using Thunderbird for a while but it wasn’t any better than Outlook. When I tried to switch back to Outlook I could not import my messages and other account information into Outlook. I guess MS really wanted me to stay with Thunderbird but I persisted and finally jury-rigged a way to get my address book and messages into Outlook. I have already dumped the rest of Office (except for Word since it is the editor for Outlook) in favor of Works and OpenOffice. And the way things are going it is likely I will end up switching to a MacBook or an iPad to complete my escape from Microsoft. Unless MS decides to resurrect MS-DOS (wishful thinking, I know).

How do I install the Address Book Service? Why isn’t it installed during installation? How do you create a .pst? It sounds simple but I bet it isn’t so I’ll ask: How do you drag and drop from one pst to another? :confused:
I can live with this minor problem as it is, though I don’t want to. I am not going to run scanpst unless I know for certain that no matter what it finds I can continue to use Outlook as it is with no more problems than I already have.

I remember seeing, on the old install an option to set Outlook to check the address book (or Contacts, not sure which) for names/addresses when typing an email address in a new message. Do you know where that setting is? Yes, I mentioned that in my last message but it wasn’t a question so you didn’t answer. So now it is a question.

If you don’t answer any other of my questions I’ll still be happy and grateful if you would please answer this one (or point me to someone who can):

Why does Microsoft peddle Office as suitable for normal consumers (home/student) but make it so only an IT professional with advanced degrees and advanced technical training can configure and maintain it for simple home/student use?

Yes I did. The box has a checkmark. My address book is still empty.

Also after reading the article at a link in your first reply the nickname list should NOT have been functional on the first use because I never did anything with the NK2 file referenced. I did not back it up or restore it during the clean install process. The OS clean install involved wiping the disk and using the factory recovery disc, not a normal install disc or upgrade disc and then using a retail install disc to install MS Office Standard 2007.

I remember seeing, on the old install an option to set Outlook to check the address book (or Contacts, not sure which) for names/addresses when typing an email address in a new message. Unfortunately, since the invention of the ribbon I can never find the same setting twice. I don’t think that was set as a default but it might be.

So, if I want some or all Contacts in the address book how is that done? Help says this:

Note By default, the Outlook Address Book contains all the contacts in your main Outlook Contacts folder. If your organization has a Global Address List (GAL) these contacts are also included. (The GAL is part of the Microsoft Exchange system, more commonly used in business environments and rarely in personal or home e-mail accounts.) If you have created any additional contacts folders, these can also be included.

Unfortunately that is not the case on my system. A clean install of Outlook, I copied data files back to C:users . . . Outlook. Selecting address book reveals it is empty.

I assume the autocomplete list is stored in the .pst file because it was functional with some errors when I started my first few messages. For some reason though, some that I expected to be in the picklist were not. These WEARE in the list prior to the clean install. After right clicking and adding to address book on 2 of the 3 names that were not listed, they started working. The third I had to type in manually befor it would work.

BOY! I wish they would bring back Outlook Express! That was so much simpler and easier to use.

If there is too many messages in the “Sent Items” folder it will cause messages in the outbox to become backlogged. Since this happens about once a month and then apparently goes away I would guess that Auto Archive is clearing messages from the Sent folder and fixes the problem. I simply move sent messages to a personal “saved sent” folder to fix it.

To remove a USB drive that Windows will no ‘let go of,’ install Unlocker: http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

Once installed, open “My computer” (“Computer in Vista and 7) and right click the USB drive. Choose Unlocker.

When Unlocker opens, click “Unlock All.” Now the “Safely Remove” utility will work.

Thanks. I had seen this before but all the details about it refers to files and folders not drives. I will install and try it the next time that problem occurs.

Don