I am trying to use an SMS program that will allow me to send SMS messages
from my Outlook Contacts. However, when Outlook saves a phone number, it
automatically puts parenthesis around the area code and a hyphen between the
prefix and suffix. These characters are not read by the SMS plugin and
causes the numbers to be invalid. How can I get Outlook to save the numbers
just the way I type them in, I.E. 1234567890? Thanks

The parentheses and dash should not be a problem for most dialers, which are
designed to ignore non-numeric characters. I suspect there is some other
issue with the way you have your phone numbers formatted. If you state how
you have your numbers formatted, with examples, there's probably a solution.



"jeep137" wrote:

I am trying to use an SMS program that will allow me to send SMS messages
from my Outlook Contacts. However, when Outlook saves a phone number, it
automatically puts parenthesis around the area code and a hyphen between the
prefix and suffix. These characters are not read by the SMS plugin and
causes the numbers to be invalid. How can I get Outlook to save the numbers
just the way I type them in, I.E. 1234567890? Thanks

I have it formatted as text but can't find a way to format the blank as
anything else.

"homeLAN" wrote:

The parentheses and dash should not be a problem for most dialers, which are
designed to ignore non-numeric characters. I suspect there is some other
issue with the way you have your phone numbers formatted. If you state how
you have your numbers formatted, with examples, there's probably a solution.



"jeep137" wrote:

I am trying to use an SMS program that will allow me to send SMS messages
from my Outlook Contacts. However, when Outlook saves a phone number, it
automatically puts parenthesis around the area code and a hyphen between the
prefix and suffix. These characters are not read by the SMS plugin and
causes the numbers to be invalid. How can I get Outlook to save the numbers
just the way I type them in, I.E. 1234567890? Thanks

You can't. Outlook must present a consistent, standard format, which it
does. Your phone's plugin should have been developed correctly if it was to
interface with Outlook.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"jeep137" wrote in message
...
I am trying to use an SMS program that will allow me to send SMS messages
from my Outlook Contacts. However, when Outlook saves a phone number, it
automatically puts parenthesis around the area code and a hyphen between
the
prefix and suffix. These characters are not read by the SMS plugin and
causes the numbers to be invalid. How can I get Outlook to save the
numbers
just the way I type them in, I.E. 1234567890? Thanks

Not whether they're text or not, but whether you've entered your phone
numbers in correct international format, like this:
+ccc (aaa) nn...nn
where ccc is the country code, aaa is the area code and nn...nn is the
subscriber number.

Give an example of how you have entered your numbers in Outlook.


"jeep137" wrote:

I have it formatted as text but can't find a way to format the blank as
anything else.

"homeLAN" wrote:

The parentheses and dash should not be a problem for most dialers, which are
designed to ignore non-numeric characters. I suspect there is some other
issue with the way you have your phone numbers formatted. If you state how
you have your numbers formatted, with examples, there's probably a solution.



"jeep137" wrote:

I am trying to use an SMS program that will allow me to send SMS messages
from my Outlook Contacts. However, when Outlook saves a phone number, it
automatically puts parenthesis around the area code and a hyphen between the
prefix and suffix. These characters are not read by the SMS plugin and
causes the numbers to be invalid. How can I get Outlook to save the numbers
just the way I type them in, I.E. 1234567890? Thanks

i enter them by typing them straight in, IE 1234567890 (10 digit numbers).
once I save it, Outlook adds these characters to make it look like this:
(123) 456-7890. I never set Outlook to do that, it just does on it's own. I
want it to just be the numbers because that's what the plug in I am trying to
use needs in order for me to send a text message from my computer to one of
my contact's mobile phones.

"homeLAN" wrote:

Not whether they're text or not, but whether you've entered your phone
numbers in correct international format, like this:
+ccc (aaa) nn...nn
where ccc is the country code, aaa is the area code and nn...nn is the
subscriber number.

Give an example of how you have entered your numbers in Outlook.


"jeep137" wrote:

I have it formatted as text but can't find a way to format the blank as
anything else.

"homeLAN" wrote:

The parentheses and dash should not be a problem for most dialers, which are
designed to ignore non-numeric characters. I suspect there is some other
issue with the way you have your phone numbers formatted. If you state how
you have your numbers formatted, with examples, there's probably a solution.



"jeep137" wrote:

I am trying to use an SMS program that will allow me to send SMS messages
from my Outlook Contacts. However, when Outlook saves a phone number, it
automatically puts parenthesis around the area code and a hyphen between the
prefix and suffix. These characters are not read by the SMS plugin and
causes the numbers to be invalid. How can I get Outlook to save the numbers
just the way I type them in, I.E. 1234567890? Thanks

Well, then you haven't entered your phone numbers in the correct format - no
"+" and no country code. Look at my previous post again for the proper format.

Also, set your dialing properties correctly for your location - country and
area code.



"jeep137" wrote:

i enter them by typing them straight in, IE 1234567890 (10 digit numbers).
once I save it, Outlook adds these characters to make it look like this:
(123) 456-7890. I never set Outlook to do that, it just does on it's own. I
want it to just be the numbers because that's what the plug in I am trying to
use needs in order for me to send a text message from my computer to one of
my contact's mobile phones.

"homeLAN" wrote:

Not whether they're text or not, but whether you've entered your phone
numbers in correct international format, like this:
+ccc (aaa) nn...nn
where ccc is the country code, aaa is the area code and nn...nn is the
subscriber number.

Give an example of how you have entered your numbers in Outlook.


"jeep137" wrote:

I have it formatted as text but can't find a way to format the blank as
anything else.

"homeLAN" wrote:

The parentheses and dash should not be a problem for most dialers, which are
designed to ignore non-numeric characters. I suspect there is some other
issue with the way you have your phone numbers formatted. If you state how
you have your numbers formatted, with examples, there's probably a solution.



"jeep137" wrote:

I am trying to use an SMS program that will allow me to send SMS messages
from my Outlook Contacts. However, when Outlook saves a phone number, it
automatically puts parenthesis around the area code and a hyphen between the
prefix and suffix. These characters are not read by the SMS plugin and
causes the numbers to be invalid. How can I get Outlook to save the numbers
just the way I type them in, I.E. 1234567890? Thanks