How to Delete an Address from the Outlook Auto-Complete List

Outlook remembers every address you have typed in a To:, Cc: or Bcc: field. This is really good feature because when you start keying in a name or address, Outlook automatically suggest the contact in its entirety. Many of my clients rely on this and I have to admit, so do I.

Unfortunately, Outlook remembers all the mistyped and old emails as well as the correct and current ones.  At times it can be difficult to know which one is the right one. Fortunately, getting rid of entries you no longer want to appear in the auto-complete list is easy.

Delete an Address from the Outlook Auto-Complete List

To remove a name or email address from Outlook’s auto-complete list:

• Create a new email message in Outlook.
• Start typing the name or address you want to remove.
• Use the down arrow key to highlight the desired (undesired) entry.
• Press Del.

Prevent Outlook Address Auto-Completion Altogether

You can also stop Outlook from suggesting email addresses as you type:

• Select Tools | Options… from the menu.
• Go to the Preferences tab.
• Click E-mail Options….
• Now click Advanced E-mail Options….
• Make sure Suggest names while completing To, Cc, and Bcc fields is not checked.
• Click OK.
• Click OK again.
• Click OK once more.