Formatting phone numbers in contacts?

  • Thread starter Thread starter John Salerno
  • Start date Start date
J

John Salerno

Hi everyone. Is it possible to change the way Outlook formats phone
numbers from (123) 456-7890 to 123-456-7890?

Outlook does the former, but when I import contacts from my phone (or
add contacts directly to my phone then sync with Outlook), it's in the
latter format, and I'd prefer not to mix formats.

Thanks.
 
Diane said:
no, its not configurable.
Click to expand...

Quick follow up: since Outlook does one thing and my phone does another
(unless I manually enter numbers with the area code in parentheses), is
it possible to automatically convert all of Outlook's phone numbers into
the single format, in the event that they happen to be in various
formats from various sources? (The only way I see to do it is to
manually click on the "Business" button for the business phone, then
click OK; then do the same for "Home", etc. etc.)
 
John said:
Quick follow up: since Outlook does one thing and my phone does another
(unless I manually enter numbers with the area code in parentheses), is
it possible to automatically convert all of Outlook's phone numbers into
the single format, in the event that they happen to be in various
formats from various sources? (The only way I see to do it is to
manually click on the "Business" button for the business phone, then
click OK; then do the same for "Home", etc. etc.)
Click to expand...

While I'm at it, one more question: is it possible to at least prevent
that insufferable +1 from appearing before the phone number?
 
AFAIK, no. You need to open the phone # dialog as you've discovered.

If you don't dial from outlook, test this: Add an ' (apostrophe) to the
beginning of a number in outlook that is formatted in the format the device
uses. Sync it and see if you can dial it from the device. While the numbers
will have a leading ', its small and unobtrusive.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/



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It's added by dialing rules, I think (maybe the rules just tell the computer
whether to ignore it when dialing). Mine only get the +1 if I click on the
phone #, so I try to avoid it. They also only get the () if I use 10 digits,
not 11. The phone system only 'hears' the first 10.

FWIW, the reason it adds the +1 is the same reason its highly recommended
cell phone users use 10 digit dialing - so the call goes through correctly
when you are outside of the area code. The only difference is the windows
setting is so the number dials when you are outside of your country or when
you send your contact to someone in another country.

I wonder... if the country code is a registry entry, could we create a fake
country who doesn't use a country code.


--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/



EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)




You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.
 
Diane said:
It's added by dialing rules, I think (maybe the rules just tell the
computer whether to ignore it when dialing). Mine only get the +1 if I
click on the phone #, so I try to avoid it. They also only get the () if
I use 10 digits, not 11. The phone system only 'hears' the first 10.
Click to expand...

I always enter my numbers as 10 digits, I just don't like using
parentheses around the area code, since the area code is basically a
part of the number anyway for the reason you mention. I like it just
look like 123-456-7890, but I guess I can't have that.
 
Not natively. I gave up caring what the number look like - some have (),
some don't. A few have ' or an 11th digit to force no formatting, some have
for extensions (those don't dial, not that I dial from outlook anymore).


--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/



EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)




You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.
 
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