Jim In the address book click on the contat then right click choose properties that page where you in put the mane of the contact and email address there is a check box which when checked Always prefer display name over message header Try this and let me know if it works

Stewart, I had already tried checking and un-checking that box. What I think that 'option' seems to 'control' is the 'display name' that is shown in the message. I did not find that it controlled the list of names or the sequence that shows up as I type in the characters of the name (e.g. entering 'j' then 'o' then 'e' would show a list of names first starting with 'j', then those with just 'jo', then those with 'joe'. Part of the problem is that the 'captured' name shows up at the top of the list! I looked inside the files with extension '.mab' (using Windows NotePad). What seems to be the case is that a 'captured' display name shows up 'whole' (e.g. something like: (23C=John Doe)) while a name entered when creating a contact show up as two parts (e.g. something similar to (23B=Doe) and (23A=John)).

Jim

Stewart, Some additional info. I have several address lists (each being a '.mab' file). In one list there are only email IDs I stored without subsequently entering the individual's name in each entry. Hence, when I look at the list via TBird, what is displayed in the 'Name' column is the email ID (without domain) - the full email ID is in the 'EMail' column. When I look at that '.mab' file using Notepad, there is a full display name (first and last name)!! I can find no way in TBird to see that full name (and to subsequently change it, if I wanted to).

Jim

I think I have figured it out. You have opened Tbird and you have chosen to write a message and You are typing the recipients name into the to box when a list appears and you are trying to edit that list. But you can't. Do you have the contacts side bar open?

I do not usually have the contacts side-bar open. I just tried the process with the side-bar open and am not sure how that helps or makes a difference. The solution that I want is to allow me to change (or remove) the 'captured' display name so it does not even appear in the list - or at least that I cause it to appear further down in the list (i.e so the names I most frequently want show up at the top).

I'd like to send a 'screenshot' but haven't figures out how to do that.

Bottom line on this topic/item, if there is no way to edit 'captured names', then I'll just have to find a work-around. Alternatively, the ability to view and edit 'captured names' should be added to the 'futures list' for TBird.

Jim

To create a screen shot use alt+ print screen open a word processor paste using ctrl+ v , save the image and attach or insert it into the thread

Attached are a '.png' version of the same screen snapshot. I've previously done what you suggested. I was not able to save the file as a 'jpeg'. 'prn' or other 'picture' file types. I did so as a '.pdf' and '.doc' file type, but the Forum won't allow those types to be attached. I finally saved the file as a '.html' and then discovered several files were created including the '.png' that is attached.

Referencing the screen snapshot, the following is description: FYI there is an address list entry for 'Gordon Bennett' and 'Terry Gordon'. However, for 'Gordon Bennett', that is a 'captured' display name. The actual address list entry for that person does NOT have his name listed (the info in the 'name' field is his email address). I've found that if I add a 'real' name for 'Gordon Bennett' (even make the first and last name 'XXX, YYY'), an entry will still show up as I type because the 'captured name' is a match for 'gord'!!

So, here’s what I think is the likely sequence of events: - I get an email for a new person and I save the email ID in my address book; it’s saved with no visible, actual name (the email address without domain is displayed in the 'name' column when I look at the address book), but a ‘captured’ name is saved and not visbile. - Whether or not I then create the first & last name, there is an entry that is the first chronological entry in my address book. Even if I change the display name in the address book entry, the original ('captured') one does not get changed!! - Then later, that person keeps the original email ID as a back-up and sends a message that s/he has a new primary email ID. - Then I’ll create a new address book entry for the person with the new email ID and leave the original alone (note: at a date/time later than the original entry was created). - Then, if I start to enter that person’s name, two entries show up – the first is the original (since it has the ‘captured’ name) and the second is the one I created later!! I want the first one displayed to be the second one!!

I came to this conclusion as a result of looking at the raw info in an address book (using Notepad on the ‘.mab’ file). The ‘captured' name shows up closer to the beginning of the file and any entry created later shows up further down in the file. Hence when the 'search' is done as I enter the characters of the name, the first in the list is always the 'captured' name.

Jim

I noticed from your screen shot that terry Gordon is listed like Terry Gordon<<xxx@xxx.xxx>> although I cant see the end of the address. I went to my address book and made a new contact

And then I made the card as it relates to your contact

The problem could be the "<<" between the name and the email address it should only be "<xxx@xxx.xxx>"

From what I've seen, the >> shows up when the characters entered end up referring to a last name (they don't appear if the 'recognized' name is the fist name). Those characters are not at all in or associated with the email address (sorry, I don't want to pass along the actual email ID of other people).

Bottom line, I don't think those characters have any bearing on the situation I've described. Jim

Ok, I have not read all this, it is just to verbose.

But my guess is the same person is entered in the list multiple times.

Once in the personal address book and again in the collected addresses. You have edited one, but the other is still there in it's original state.

Pressing reply adds an email that is not in the address book to collected addresses, this does not affect your later adding via personal Address book. It also uses the display name for that email as the display name in the address book.

The use display name setting as discussed earlier only relates to the lists of senders etc in Thunderbird only and has a global equivalent at Tools menu (Alt+T) > Options > Advanced > reading and display.

To help with the understanding of what is going on, here's more info.

I just added a new person to my address book - I received an email message from that person and it had a 'captured' name. When I looked at the address book via TBird the info in the 'name' field was the email ID (without the ISP URL) - I could not see the 'captured' name! When I looked at the 'raw' address book using NotePad, this is what I saw (I substituted '...' for the detail of the email ID): <(2A65=Krista F...r)(2A66=846)(2A67=kristaf...r@...)>

Hence, the name was 'captured' but is not visible when accessing the address book i nTBird. Here's what can subsequently happen:

If I explicitly add the (first and last) name, a separate entry is created for each the first and last name as follows (again substituting ...): <(2A6E=259)(2A6A=848)(2A6B=Krista)(2A6C=F...r)(2A6D=1400435041)>

If I subsequently keep that original entry with a slight change to the name (e.g. add 'old' to the last name) because the person changes email IDs, and then create a new entry in the address book with explicitly entering the person's first and last name, TBird now finds two entries with exactly the same name: one is the 'captured' one (with the full name in one field - as shown above - which is a field I cannot change via TBird), and the other is what I newly created (and consists of two fields).

What makes this more awkward is that the entries in the '.mab' are in chronological order. Hence, when I start to type a name, the first that shows up is the 'captured' name and the updated/added ones are lower on the list.

As I mentioned in an earlier posting, if there is no 'easy' way to edit 'captured names' (I am very hesitant to edit the '.mab' files), then I'll just have to find a work-around. If this is true, then I would hope the ability to view and edit 'captured names' should be added to the 'futures list' for TBird.

Jim