Tech help - MS Outlook/Exchange eliminates "distribution lists" and ruins my life

QuikSand · 11-25-2015, 11:45 AM

Since this site has been so helpful with all manner of tech issues, I'm dipping in again for free advice.

My office has been using the MS suite for some time, and was very comfortable using "distribution lists" as a principal means to send out emails. We were frequently sending out messages to entire groups, or to individual members from within the groups, and life was fine.

A recent upgrade (not sure if it was recent for the world, or just for us) appears to have wiped out distribution lists and replaced them with "contact groups." And much of their former functionality seems to be gone.

Some online notes on how they work:
Create and edit a Contact Group (formerly distribution lists) - Outlook

Here's the situation that irks me the most. I need to send an email to a set of 6 people from my Board and their support staff. I used to have two nice distribution lists - one for my Board and one for Board Assistants. It took me 45 seconds to click the right people from those two lists, put them into the right recipient fields, and my email was prepped to go. Now, as nearly as I/we can tell, I just have to search for each name individually in one master pool of addresses, meaning I have to remember or look up all the names of the assistants, and so forth. It's ridiculous, and I can't imagine ours is the only office suffering from this change.

Other than DUMP MICROSOFT, any hints? Does this problem ring a bell with anyone? Anyone know of a workaround?

flere-imsaho · 11-25-2015, 11:55 AM

I'm not sure if this helps, but:

1. Create a Contact Group (you can use and reuse this).
2. Start an email.
3. Add that Group to the email
4. Back in the email itself, click the plus sign to the left of the Contact Group's name - this will expand it to include everyone (including other groups) in that Contact Group
5. Delete anyone you don't want.

cartman · 11-25-2015, 11:59 AM

Do you know if the distribution lists you were using were defined on the server, or on your own Outlook installation? As far as I know, the Exchange based distribution lists shouldn't have changed.

Balldog · 11-25-2015, 10:20 PM

I think you can save as a draft or worst case copy & paste the list of contacts from a previous email.
Neither option is perfect but it's a work around

11-25-2015, 11:59 AM	#3
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	Do you know if the distribution lists you were using were defined on the server, or on your own Outlook installation? As far as I know, the Exchange based distribution lists shouldn't have changed. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

11-25-2015, 11:55 AM	#2
flere-imsaho Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicagoland	I'm not sure if this helps, but: 1. Create a Contact Group (you can use and reuse this). 2. Start an email. 3. Add that Group to the email 4. Back in the email itself, click the plus sign to the left of the Contact Group's name - this will expand it to include everyone (including other groups) in that Contact Group 5. Delete anyone you don't want.

11-25-2015, 10:20 PM	#4
Balldog Pro Rookie Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Macomb, MI	I think you can save as a draft or worst case copy & paste the list of contacts from a previous email. Neither option is perfect but it's a work around

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