Hello Jim,
In addition to changing each individual contact, you can set the default for the "file as" order for new contacts. If you have a long contact list you can run a macro to set the "file as" order to first name followed by last name for existing items. Do the following to set the default "file as" order for new contacts: 1. Move to the Outlook contacts list by using CTRL+3 if focus is in the inbox or calendar. 2. Press Alt+T to move to the tools menu, use up arrow key to the options choice and press enter key. 3. Focus should now be in the preferences page of the dialog so tab to the "contact options" button and press enter key. 4. Use tab key to the "default file as order" combo box and use down arrow until at the choice for first name and then last name. 5. Use tab key to the OK button and press enter key. 6. Use tab key to the OK button again and press enter key. The above will change the file as order for new contacts that you add to the list. In order to change the "file as" for all existing contacts you can use code I have shown below. The code changes all "file as" settings in the normal Outlook 2007 contacts to first name followed by last name, but this can be changed quite easily. If you want to proceed with this then copy the following code to the clipboard and then I will show steps after showing the code for entering it and running the macro that will be created. Select and copy the code below starting with the line that begins with "private sub" down to and including the last line that says "end sub." Private Sub ReFileContacts() Dim items As items, folder As folder Dim contactItems As Outlook.items Dim itemContact As Outlook.ContactItem Set folder = Session.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderContacts) Set items = folder.items Count = items.Count If Count = 0 Then MsgBox "Nothing to do!" Exit Sub End If ' Filter on the message class to obtain only contact items in the folder. Set contactItems = items.Restrict("[MessageClass]='IPM.Contact'") For Each itemContact In contactItems itemContact.FileAs = itemContact.FirstName + " " + itemContact.LastName itemContact.Save Next MsgBox "Your contacts have been refiled." End Sub Before working with the above code you will need to temporarily change the security settings while in Contacts. 1. Press Alt+T to bring up the tools menu, use up arrow key to the "trust center" and press enter key. 2. Use down arrow key to the macros security category. 3. Tab to a group of radio buttons and use down arrow to the choice for warning for all macros. 4. Tab to the OK button and press enter key. Here are the steps for pasting the code and running the macro: 1. While in the contacts list press Alt+F11 to bring up the Visual Basic Editor. 2. If you get a warning about a macro wanting to run use tab to the choice for enabling the macro and press enter key. 3. Press CTRL+R to bring up the project explorer. 4. Expand the Microsoft Office Outlook Objects choice by using right arrow key and then use down arrow key. 5. Press enter key on "ThisOutlookSession." 6. Press Alt+T to bring up the tools menu, use up or down arrow keys to the "Reference" menu item and press enter key. 7. Use first letter navigation to first find Microsoft Outlook 12.0 Object Library and then Visual Basic for Applications and use spacebar to check each of those entries if JAWS says they are not selected. You can use first letter navigation and then use up and down arrow keys or page up and page down keys to find these items in the list. 8. Tab to the OK button and press enter to close the references dialog box. 9. Use CTRL+V to paste the code from the clipboard. 10. Press function key 5 to start the macro running. 11. Use Alt+F4 to close the visual basic editor. You can then reset the security settings in Outlook by doing the following: 1. Open the tools menu in Outlook 2007 by using Alt+T, use up arrow to the "trust center" choice and press enter key. 2. Use down arrow key to the "macro security" category. 3. Use tab key to the list of radio buttons and select the "Warnings for signed macros; all unsigned macros are disabled" if you want the default security settings restored. 4. Use tab key to the OK button and press enter key. 5. Close your session of Outlook 2007 and then restart Outlook for the changes to be in effect. If you want to change back to the LastName FirstName layout then you can do the following: 1. First change security settings in the trust center under the tools menu while focus is in the Outlook contacts. Use the radio button for being warned for all macros. 2. Open Visual Basic Editor by using Alt+F11 when in Outlook Contacts. 3. Go to the bottom of the window by using CTRL+end key. 4. Use up arrow key until you find the line: ItemContact.FileAs = itemContact.FirstName + " " + itemContact.LastName. You might only hear the first part of the line but if you press the end key and then read the current line you will hear the part of the line omitted from the first time you read current line. 5. Use arrow keys to find the .LastName choice and change the "Last" part of the string to "First." Also find the ".FirstName" entry on the same line and change the "First" part of the string to "Last." The leading period needs to stay in place and the words must be combined with capital letters on each word such as .FirstName and .LastName. Don't use the quotes that I have used in this writing. 6. Press F5 to run the macro. 7. Press Alt+F4 to close the editor. Reset your macro security settings in the trust center under tools is you want to. You might also want to consider adding the sort command to the view menu in contacts. 1. While in the contacts window use Alt+T to bring up the tools menu, and then use up arrow to the "customize" menu choice and press enter key. 2. Use CTRL+tab until focus is in the commands page. 3. Use tab key to the "rearrange" button and press enter key. 4. In the group of radio buttons that determine whether you are changing for the menu bar or toolbar the menu bar should be the selected radio button. 5. Tab to the menu bar combo box and arrow all the way down to the "view" choice. There will be a few selections that start with the word file but you will get to the view choice by continuing to use down arrow. 6. Tab to the add button and press enter key. 7. In the category list use down arrow to the "view" choice. 8. In the commands list box use down arrow until you get to the "sort" choice. Tab to the OK button and press enter key. 9. Tab to the list of controls and the "sort" entry should now bew in it. If it is at the top of the list and you want it further down in the list then use the "move down" button after selecting "sort" in the list. 10.Tab to the "close" button and press enter. If necessary then tab again to the "close" button and press enter key. You can then use the sort dialog box under the view menu to make sorting choices and to sort in either ascending or descending order. Take care. Brian Lee brianl...@charter.net -----Original Message----- From: jaws-users-list-boun...@jaws-users.com [mailto:jaws-users-list-boun...@jaws-users.com] On Behalf Of Jim Rawls Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 5:57 AM To: jaws-users-list@jaws-users.com Subject: [JAWS-Users] How do I get outlook 2007 to set my contacts so they read first, last name? Right now, when I want to send an email, I get this type of contact selection. Insgtead of saying, billjohn...@verizon.net, I hear, .net, Johnson b...@verizon.net. It's annoying, because it's hard to pick out the correct contact that way when sending an email. I'm using windows 7, outlook 2007, and jaws 11. Jim For answers to frequently asked questions about this list visit: http://www.jaws-users.com/help/ For answers to frequently asked questions about this list visit: http://www.jaws-users.com/help/