How to Reset Autofill in Your Email Drop Down List
Microsoft Outlook has a feature called AutoComplete which can improve productivity by streamlining the process of addressing email messages. As you type names or addresses into the "To:", "CC:", and "BCC:" fields of an email message, Outlook presents you with a list of potential matches based on a combination of your Address Book and your most frequently typed names and addresses. These frequently typed names and addresses are stored in a special file that AutoComplete constantly updates based on your emailing habits. However, on occasion this file can become corrupt or inaccurate and must be reset.
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Instructions
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Instructions
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1
Close Outlook.
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2
Click "Start," then "Search." Click "All Files and Folders." In the field labeled "All or part of the file name," type "*.NK2". In the field labeled "Look in," select "Local Hard Drives" from the drop down list. Click "More advanced options," and place a checkmark next to "Search hidden files and folders." Click "Search."
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3
In the "Search Results" window, locate the "username.NK2" file you want to reset, where "username" is the name of your Outlook profile (if you are using a shared computer there may be several .NK2 files listed in the search results). Right-click this file, and select "Rename" from the menu that appears. Rename it to "username.bak", and press Enter.
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4
Restart Outlook. At this point Outlook will create a new file to store your AutoComplete entries.
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Tips & Warnings
It is possible to remove an individual entry from the AutoComplete list. When Outlook suggests the entry, scroll down to it using your arrow keys, then press Delete.
It is always good practice to rename a program file (instead of deleting it) until you are absolutely sure you no longer need the old file. Renaming a file extention to ".bak" or ".bk1" is an easy way to both remove the file from use and flag it as a "backup" file.
These instructions work for computers running Windows XP.
