I have about 1000 contacts in my Outlook address book, all separated out into various regional categories. I want to add a whole category to a distribution list for various emails to be sent out. How can I do this? I need different distribution lists because the contacts in the different categories receive different news emails. I can't think of how to do this at all.

"markyoung1984" wrote in message
...

I have about 1000 contacts in my Outlook address book, all separated out
into various regional categories. I want to add a whole category to a
distribution list for various emails to be sent out. How can I do
this? I need different distribution lists because the contacts in the
different categories receive different news emails. I can't think of
how to do this at all.


You can assign two or more categories to one contact - create a category for
each type of news email and then do mail to category...

Why create distribution lists when you have categories already? Select the
category and use the Actions menu to create a new mail to all those persons
at once.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

http://www.msoutlook.info/
Real World Questions, Real World Answers

-----

"markyoung1984" wrote in message
...

I have about 1000 contacts in my Outlook address book, all separated out
into various regional categories. I want to add a whole category to a
distribution list for various emails to be sent out. How can I do
this? I need different distribution lists because the contacts in the
different categories receive different news emails. I can't think of
how to do this at all.




--
markyoung1984

[quote='Roady [MVP];249220']Why create distribution lists when you have categories already? Select the
category and use the Actions menu to create a new mail to all those persons
at once.

--

The reason I can't do that is because I don't want the addresses of recipients in the address bar. This does not appear on distribution lists.

"markyoung1984" wrote in message
...

'Roady [MVP Wrote:
;249220']Why create distribution lists when you have categories already?
Select the
category and use the Actions menu to create a new mail to all those
persons
at once.

--

The reason I can't do that is because I don't want the addresses of
recipients in the address bar. This does not appear on distribution
lists.


Yes they do - when you send the message the DL expands to show all the
recipients......
What you need to do is to do a new message to category then cut and paste to
the BCC field....

I know they do, I have already copied contacts to the BCC field. I can't create message to category in Outlook 2003, I don't know how to do it. Instead I'm doing the following:
- Create a category and add email recipients to it
- Select all members in that category and under the Actions menu, select New Message to Contact. This then copies all the email addresses within that category into the To field of the email.
- I then select all these and copy them.
- I create a new distribution list, click Select Members and then paste into the Members field. I save my distribution list.
- I then create my email and put the distribution list into BCC.

I know thats a long winded way of doing things but thats the only way I can think of. If you can provide me with instructions of a better way in Outlook 2003 then I would greatly appreciate it.

markyoung1984 wrote:

I know they do, I have already copied contacts to the BCC field. I
can't create message to category in Outlook 2003, I don't know how to
do it. Instead I'm doing the following:
- Create a category and add email recipients to it
- Select all members in that category and under the Actions menu,
select New Message to Contact. This then copies all the email
addresses within that category into the To field of the email.

Apparently you DO know how because you just described the method Gordon
mentioned.

- I then select all these and copy them.
- I create a new distribution list, click Select Members and then
paste into the Members field. I save my distribution list.
- I then create my email and put the distribution list into BCC.

Why are you doing that? You already have your messages addressed to the
people you want to receive it. If yo want to hide their address at this
point, right-click the To field, choose Select All, then click and drag the
list to the Bcc field. All done.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]