Modifying Outlook 2010 Groups

[hlewton]

I have a lot of contact groups that I created in Outlook 2003 and do not recall having any problem modifying them to my needs. For instance I would start with a group named GroupN with certain contacts inside it. After saving it as GroupN I then would modify it either adding or deleting members and wanting to keep the original group in tact I would then save the modified list to a new name like GroupN1. I just tried that in Outlook 2010. I removed a couple members from the group, went to the File Tab, clicked Save As, added the 1 to the GroupN name inside the dialog box that popped up, and tried to save it. The dialog box was asking me the Save as type with Outlook Message Format – Unicode (*.msg) as the default choice. I assumed that is what I wanted and went ahead and saved it. The new GroupN1 name does not appear in my list of contacts as does all the other groups I created in the past. I tried the same thing again and when I tried to save it it said the GroupN1 name already existed and did I want to over write it. I did and still it does not appear in the list of contacts. Should I have made some other choice at the Save as type dialog box? This used to be so easy now I can’t seem to make adjustments and create new groups from existing groups as I did in the past.

Also since the GroupN1.msg name exists somewhere, where would I find it to delete it?

[HansV]

File > Save As will save the selected item as a file on disk, outside Outlook. Your .msg file can be found somewhere on your hard disk, probably in My Documents.

To create a new distribution list from an existing one, you must first duplicate it.

Method 1: Hold down Ctrl and drag the distribution list to an empty spot in the same Contacts folder.
When you release the mouse button, you'll get a copy of the original distribution list.

Method 2: Select the distribution list.
In the Actions group of the Home tab of the ribbon, click Move > Copy to Folder... (or select Move > Copy to Folder... from the right-click menu).
Select the folder that contains the distribution list, then click OK.

Whichever method you chose:
Double-click the copy to change its name and edit its member list.

[hlewton]

File > Save As will save the selected item as a file on disk, outside Outlook. Your .msg file can be found somewhere on your hard disk, probably in My Documents.

To create a new distribution list from an existing one, you must first duplicate it.

Method 1: Hold down Ctrl and drag the distribution list to an empty spot in the same Contacts folder.
When you release the mouse button, you'll get a copy of the original distribution list.

Method 2: Select the distribution list.
In the Actions group of the Home tab of the ribbon, click Move > Copy to Folder... (or select Move > Copy to Folder... from the right-click menu).
Select the folder that contains the distribution list, then click OK.

Whichever method you chose:
Double-click the copy to change its name and edit its member list.

Thanks

WOW I must be getting old. I do not remember doing anything like that in the past. As you know it did work as you said it would but I would like to ask a question about Method 2. The folder that I believe contains the distribution list is "Contacts" so is the folder I'd choose. I ask because I understand if I chose Copy that it would create another copy of it as did Method 1 but if I chose Move does it still create a copy of it in the Contacts folder?

I have to also ask because this may have been the way I did it years ago when I created all these groups. If I had just opened GroupN, modified it, changed the name to GroupN1, saved it would I have ended up with both GroupN and GroupN1 listed in my contacts?

I did find the msg file in My Documents as you said.

Thanks.

[hlewton]

I have to also ask because this may have been the way I did it years ago when I created all these groups. If I had just opened GroupN, modified it, changed the name to GroupN1, saved it would I have ended up with both GroupN and GroupN1 listed in my contacts?

I just tested this and it does not work so I still don't know how I did it years ago. Maybe I just added all the contacts manually.

Hans I'm sorry I thought your post said to Move or Copy. It says copy so that answers my first question also.

[HansV]

If you move a contact or distribution list to its own folder (instead of copying it), nothing will happen.

If you edit a distribution list, change its name, then save it, you will have modified the original list. You won't have created a new list.

As far as I know, this isn't different from Outlook 2003 and before.

[hlewton]

I believe you. I just don't recall what I did before but I must have known more about it then than I remember now.

Again, thanks.