Permanently delete incorrect cached "To" email address from autocomplete

Question

_{Monday, October 8, 2012 4:12 PM | 1 vote}

Outlook 2010 auto-completes the "To:"  address with an incorrect, previously cached address.  I can delete in one-time by selecting the "X."

This is somewhat pointless however as it keeps suggesting the same incorrect address for each new email I start for the same recipient

1) How do I permanently delete an incorrect cached address?

2) Is there a way to insert (or get Outlook to retain) a suggested cached name/address?

Thanks.

All replies (4)

_{Monday, October 8, 2012 6:52 PM ✅Answered}

If all is working right, clicking that X in the autocomplete address should delete it from the autocomplete cache. You could try exiting Outlook and restarting it immediately after deleting the bad address, as Outlook doesn't make the change back to your mailbox until you exit out of Outlook. If that doesn't help have a look at this thread..

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/outlook/thread/a678606b-5082-42fe-ad74-ef9df289927b

-Peter

_{Monday, October 8, 2012 8:35 PM ✅Answered}

You will likely not want to remove the cached mode setting, however the X on the particular address will only remove it from the type ahead cache used for that field, but as mentioned above there are other sections within Outlook that can hold this information.  The two ways to completely remove these is:

1)  Open options, mail, and scroll down to the Send messages section, where you will see "Empty Auto-complete list" which will remove all stored contacts.  This is not always desirable as it really will remove all cached contact data. 

2) You can also download and install a utility called NK2Edit, which will allow you to edit the stored info on your computer.  In the console you can edit and remove entries as necessary. 

This is an annoying "feature" in Outlook 2010, and as others have outlined here, there are several places this information is stored, to "Help" you with often used contacts.  I have also had this cause users to not be able to view free/busy information for other users sense the address/pointers are incorrect.  I have likewise had situations where an email to a DL with bad info, will propagate to several users mailboxes and so they all have to go through this process of cleaning out the bad info, and even deleting the email that started it.  It actually works just like a virus!

Anyway, Hope this is helpful!

_{Monday, October 8, 2012 5:43 PM}

Option1:

Uncheck your cached mode in your outlook profile 

1. Click the File tab.
2. Click Account Settings, and then click Account Settings.
   
3. On the E-mail tab, click the Exchange account, and then click Change.
4. Under Microsoft Exchange server, select or clear the Use Cached Exchange Mode check box.
   
5. Exit and then restart Microsoft Outlook 2010.

Option 2:

Rename .ost and .nk2 file for your Outlook profile

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_{Monday, October 8, 2012 5:45 PM}

In Outlook 2010 you can find folder "Suggested contacts". They are contacts used with Outlook to auto-complete. In earlier versions the same mechanism replace with NK2 file.

New solution is more flexible. You can delete more then one contact or add some to hint

Oskar Shon, Office System MVP

Press if Helpful; Answer when a problem solved