I have been unsuccessful at importing my contacts from excel. I have named
the range i want to import. I select the range (one column is 317 entries
long, I have about 7 fields across for name, etc)

I enter the name in the name box to the left of the function thing. I press
enter. I have done this numerous times. When I come back and highlight the
range, it does not show the name in the name box, it shows the cell #'s.
Should it retain that name? The names appear in the drop down list,. i can
reselect it. But it does not seem to retain it.

Then when I go into outlook to import., it shows every possible name, even
ones i mistyped and corrected when first entering the name in excel.

It shows all the names in a list. I click on one and it goes immediately to
mapping. I drag it over. I can not use next or previous to get the next
name. I hit OK and return to the list. I do this for each name. It lists
all the names, even those that are not in the worksheet anh longer (ie I
fixed a typo). I only do it for the names that I know are being used
currently in the worksheet.

then when i import, it takes a long time. sometimes hangs up. If I stick
it through, it makes 65,000 new BLANK entries in my contacts.

what am i doing wrong and is there a way to delete 65,000 entries without
holding teh delete button down for an hour?

when I name the ranges, I am careful to only highlight the 316 entries, not
the entire length of the infinitie worksheet..

Thanks for any help you can give.

The behavior you describe indicates that the named range doesn't match the cells you want to import. Select the cells, then recreate the named range using the Insert | Name | Define command, then save the file and all should work fine.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx


"LSChaefer33" wrote in message ...
I have been unsuccessful at importing my contacts from excel. I have named
the range i want to import. I select the range (one column is 317 entries
long, I have about 7 fields across for name, etc)

I enter the name in the name box to the left of the function thing. I press
enter. I have done this numerous times. When I come back and highlight the
range, it does not show the name in the name box, it shows the cell #'s.
Should it retain that name? The names appear in the drop down list,. i can
reselect it. But it does not seem to retain it.

Then when I go into outlook to import., it shows every possible name, even
ones i mistyped and corrected when first entering the name in excel.

It shows all the names in a list. I click on one and it goes immediately to
mapping. I drag it over. I can not use next or previous to get the next
name. I hit OK and return to the list. I do this for each name. It lists
all the names, even those that are not in the worksheet anh longer (ie I
fixed a typo). I only do it for the names that I know are being used
currently in the worksheet.

then when i import, it takes a long time. sometimes hangs up. If I stick
it through, it makes 65,000 new BLANK entries in my contacts.

what am i doing wrong and is there a way to delete 65,000 entries without
holding teh delete button down for an hour?

when I name the ranges, I am careful to only highlight the 316 entries, not
the entire length of the infinitie worksheet..

Thanks for any help you can give.