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How Outlook works there is a cache file, but until it is populated with an address as you stated the name will not appear.<br />
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If you start to type a name and it does not exist in this cache file Outlook starts to look at your AD GAL (Active Directory Global Address List), but this takes a few or more seconds to query and show you a selection.<br />
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From my experience you only have two other options press the TO: button and your address book comes up or start to type the name and press the Check Name in the Ribbon <br />
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<a href="https://filedb.experts-exchange.com/incoming/2015/12_w49/1050103/Checkname.png" target="_blank" title="checkName1 (20 KB)"><img alt="checkName1" class="file-block lazyload" style="max-width: 800px;" data-src="https://filedb.experts-exchange.com/incoming/2015/12_w49/800_1050103/Checkname.png" /></a>
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Checkname.png

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If you fill in your global contacts list in Outlook, then it will pick from Contacts whether you had emailed them or not.<br />
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Best to use a Contacts list in Outlook. Type ahead works but it is subject to going away if something happens to the operating system.
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The simplest action to test auto complete for email addresses:<br />
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CTRL+K
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yo_bee -- If I type in part of a name for a contact that isn't in my cache, it never shows anything. I've left part of a name types in, went and made coffee, came back and nothing. Are you saying that if the environment is configured properly it should show a section based on what I'm typing eventually? I've been stuck in a Domino/Notes environment for way too long, but I don't remember having this issue back in the day when I did use Outlook.
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I am pretty sure if it is setup it should work, <br />
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Did you try the check name option?
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I guess it does not work. <br />
I just tested, but the check name feature works.
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Well that's unfortunate. It doesn't bother me, but our end users are spoiled and this complaint is coming from the CIO. God forbid they click a button or two.
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Perhaps my article on the new Auto Complete feature will help answer some questions. <br />
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<a href="http://rdsrc.us/8k26Pj" rel="ugc">Auto Complete Article on Experts Exchange</a>
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Machienet - Good article. I understand how Outlook handles the local cache, but what I don't understand is why we don't have the option to force AutoComplete to query the GAL. That list will always have the most updated information. Again, I don't really have an issue with the way it works but some users have only ever used Notes and trying to retrain them is going to be such a waste of time. Almost every other email client I have ever used had this functionality. I mean, if I use OWA it uses the GAL for autocomplete. At one point there was an add-in that would index the GAL for AutoComplete. Frustrating.
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You are coming from Lotus Notes, so you do need to set up global Contact list to get started (and indeed to use). Autocomplete otherwise has to populate somehow. <br />
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Although I am not sure about modern Notes, it is dangerous to live on autocomplete to the exclusion of Contacts.
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John, maybe I'm missing something. We use a tool that syncs the Domino address book to a GAL in Exchange (EWS) daily. All of the data is there and Check Name does display relevant contacts. Is there a different kind of GAL you are talking about? We use cached mode and it appears that it downloads a copy locally.
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Notes has a contact list. Try exporting that to Exchange contacts. Does the GAL in Exchange have your Contacts? &nbsp;And then, when you do New Message, can you not use this from the To button?<br />
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Autocomplete is a convenience - not a long term solution. It never was.
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Yea, using the To button lists everyone in the GAL. I'm pretty sure at this point I'm just going to collect everything I've found showing that it's not possible to duplicate the Notes TypeAhead functionality in Outlook and present it to the CIO. It won't go over well but there's nothing I can do. Thanks.
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We do not use the GAL but a LDAP server replicating with our CRM. Even that works if just typing e. g. part of the last name, and wait for resolution in background (or forcing with Ctrl-K).
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Crazy thing I found today is that Mac Outlook 2016 does exactly what you are looking for. <br />
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Not sure why Windows version cannot.
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<div class="content wysiwyg-content">
We are currently migrating from Lotus Notes to Office 365. One of the biggest issues we have is the AutoComplete feature when composing an email. In Notes, this was called TypeAhead and when a user would begin typing the name of the user in the &quot;To:&quot; field, it would immediately show users in our company address book that matched the letter and narrow down for each character imputed so the user could quickly select the recipient. It didn't matter if they had previously sent or received an email from them before. In Outlook 2013, unless the user had sent/received an email to the recipient, there is no pop-up window or whatever showing users matching what they are typing like Notes does. It works great after they've sent or received an email. I've researched this for a few days and have been unable to find a solution. Is there no way to do this?
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We are currently migrating from Lotus Notes to Office 365. One of the biggest issues we have is the AutoComplete feature when composing an email. In Notes, this was called TypeAhead and when a user would begin typing the name of the user in the "To:" field, it would immediately show users in our company address book that matched the letter and narrow down for each character imputed so the user could quickly select the recipient. It didn't matter if they had previously sent or received an email from them before. In Outlook 2013, unless the user had sent/received an email to the recipient, there is no pop-up window or whatever showing users matching what they are typing like Notes does. It works great after they've sent or received an email. I've researched this for a few days and have been unable to find a solution. Is there no way to do this?

Outlook 2013 AutoComplete Issue

Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available as a part of the Microsoft Office suite. Although often used mainly as an email application, it also includes a calendar, task manager, contact manager, note-taker, journal, and web browser.

Outlook

Office 365 is a group of software plus services subscriptions that provides productivity software and related services to its subscribers. Office 365 allows the use of Microsoft Office apps on Windows and OS X, provides storage space on Microsoft's cloud storage service OneDrive, and grants 60 Skype minutes per month. Office 365 includes e-mail and social networking services through hosted versions of Exchange Server, Skype for Business Server, SharePoint and Office Online, integration with Yammer, as well as access to the Office software. All of Office 365's components can be managed and configured through an online portal; users can be added manually, imported from a CSV file, or Office 365 can be set up for single sign-on with a local Active Directory using Active Directory Federation Services.