Outlook maintains the AutoComplete list. The list is used by both the automatic name-checking feature and the automatic completion feature. The AutoComplete list, also known as the nickname cache, is generated automatically when you send email messages from Outlook. The list contains SMTP addresses, LegacyExchangeDN entries, and display names for people to whom you have sent mail previously.
For more information, see End of support for Office 2016 for Mac. Microsoft Office 2016 - Unmistakably Office, designed for Mac. The new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote provide the best of both worlds for Mac users - the familiar Office experience paired with the best of Mac. If you already use Office on a PC or iPad. Outlook 2016 for Mac, Outlook for Mac for Office 365; In this article. Original KB number: 2800895. We do not recommend that you change the default location of your Profile folder for Microsoft Outlook 2016 for Mac, or your Identity folder for Microsoft Outlook for Mac 2011 to an external hard disk or to a network. Outlook for Mac is in Offline Mode Resolution. If Outlook for Mac is offline then, you cannot. Switch between working offline and working online. Click Send / Receive Work Offline. When Outlook switches between working online and offline, all email accounts are changed. You know you’re working offline when Work Offline is highlighted on the ribbon or Working Offline appears on the status bar at the bottom of the Outlook window. On the Outlook menu, make sure that Work Offline is not checked. If it is, click Work Offline to remove the check mark and work online. Cause: Your network connection is unavailable. Solution: Make sure your computer is connected to the network. For instructions on checking the status of your network connections, see Mac OS Help, or contact.
The following sections provide information about the AutoComplete feature.
Limit to the number of entries
Outlook limits the number of entries that you can save in the AutoComplete list. After you reach this limit, Outlook uses an internal algorithm to determine the best names to remove from the list. It does this based on a usage weighting. Therefore, you may find some names unexpectedly removed from your nickname cache. There are two general approaches that you can use to avoid this situation:
- You can proactively remove AutoComplete list entries that you no longer need. This is the preferred approach. For more information about how to do this, see the section titled “How to remove AutoComplete list entries one at a time.”
- You can increase the limit for the nickname cache. If you have a larger nickname cache, you could also lose a larger number of cached entries if your nickname cache becomes unusable because of corruption.
The limits are as follows:
- Outlook 2016: 1,000 entries
- Outlook 2013: 1,000 entries
- Outlook 2010: 1,000 entries
- Outlook 2007: 2,000 entries
- Outlook 2003: 1,000 entries
How to enable the AutoComplete feature
Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, and Outlook 2016
To access the AutoComplete setting, follow these steps:
- On the File menu, click Options.
- Select the Mail tab.
- Scroll approximately halfway down until you see Send messages. Make sure that the Use Auto-Complete List to suggest names when typing in the To, Cc, and Bcc lines box is checked. If you need to disable Auto-Complete uncheck the box.
How to import .nk2 files into Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, and Outlook 2016
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 and earlier versions store the AutoComplete list in an nickname (.nk2) file on the disk. Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, and Outlook 2016 store the AutoComplete list as a hidden message in your primary message store. Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, and Outlook 2016 let you import the older .nk2 files.
For more information about how to import .nk2 files in Outlook 2010, go to the following Microsoft website:
How to import .nk2 files into Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016
When you start Microsoft Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016 for the first time, your nickname cache (stored in the profilename.nk2 file) is imported into a hidden message in your default message store.
For example, if you are using a Microsoft Exchange account, the nickname cache is imported into a hidden message in the Exchange mailbox.
Note Outlook 2007 and earlier versions store the nickname cache .nk2 file in the following folder.
- Windows XP
Drive:Documents and SettingsUsernameApplication DataMicrosoftOutlook - Windows Vista and later versions
Drive:UsersUsernameAppDataRoamingMicrosoftOutlook
After the nickname cache is imported, the
profilename.nk2 file is renamed to
profilename.nk2.old. On the next start of Outlook, your nickname cache is not imported. Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016 do not use the .nk2 file for maintaining your nickname cache. All updates to your nickname cache in Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016 are made to the hidden message in your default message store.
Note If you have multiple Outlook profiles, the nickname cache from each profile is merged into your new Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016 nickname cache on the first start of Outlook by using that profile. Therefore, you may find more than one .nk2 file renamed to .nk2.old.
However, there may be situations where you have to import a nickname cache file after this first-run nickname cache import process has finished. For example, a colleague wants to share their nickname cache with you and you want to update your existing nickname cache with your colleague’s data.
To import .nk2 files into Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016, follow these steps:
- Make sure that the .nk2 file is in the following folder:
%appdata%MicrosoftOutlookNote The .nk2 file must have the same name as your current Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016 profile. By default, the profile name is “Outlook.” To check the profile name, follow these steps:
- Click Start, and then click
Control Panel. - Double-click Mail.
- In the Mail Setup dialog box, click
Show Profiles.
- Click Start, and then click
- Click Start, and then click
Run. - In the Open box, type
outlook.exe/importnk2 , and then click
OK. This should import the .nk2 file into the Outlook profile.
Outlook 2016 Mac Work Offline
How to copy the AutoComplete list
The steps to export and import the AutoComplete list are different, depending on the version of Outlook that you are using.
Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, and Outlook 2016
To copy the AutoComplete list in Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, and Outlook 2016, follow these steps:
Step 1
To export the AutoComplete mailbox message, follow these steps:
- Exit Outlook, and then close Outlook Web Access or Outlook Web App (OWA) on all workstations that are connected to your mailbox.
- Download and install MFCMAPI from http://mfcmapi.codeplex.com.
- Run mfcmapi.exe.
- On the Session menu, click Logon.
- If you are prompted for a profile, select the desired profile name, and then click OK.
- In the top pane, locate the line that corresponds to your mailbox, and then double-click it.
- In the left-side navigation pane, expand Root Container, and then expand Top of Information Store or IPM_SUBTREE.
- Right-click the Inbox folder, and then click Open Associated Content Table. This action opens a new MFCMAPI window that contains various properties.
- Under the Subject column, right-click the item that has the subject IPM.Configuration.Autocomplete,
and then click Export Message. This action opens the Save Message To File window. - In the drop-down list, select MSG file (UNICODE), and then click OK.
- Select a folder location to which you want to save the message, and then click Save. Note this location.
Step 2
To import the AutoComplete mailbox message, follow these steps.
- Exit Outlook, and then close Outlook Web Access or Outlook Web App (OWA) on all workstations that are connected to your mailbox.
- Download and install MFCMAPI from http://mfcmapi.codeplex.com
- Run mfcmapi.exe.
- On the Session menu, click Logon.
- If you are prompted for a profile, select the desired profile name, and then click OK.
- In the top pane, locate the line that corresponds to your mailbox, and then double-click it.
- In the left-side navigation pane, expand Root – Mailbox, and then expand Top of Information Store or IPM_SUBTREE.
- Right-click the Inbox folder, and then click Open Associated Content Table. This action opens a new MFCMAPI window that contains various properties.
- To avoid duplicate entries, you must delete the existing AutoComplete message.Note: Before you delete the IPM.Configuration.Autocomplete message, you must export the message.
To delete the existing AutoComplete message, follow these steps:
- In the Subject column, locate the item that has the subject IPM.Configuration.Autocomplete.
- Right-click the item, and then click Delete message. This opens the Delete Item window.
- In the drop-down list, select Permanent deletion (deletes to deleted item retention if supported), and then click OK.
- On the Folder menu, click Import, and then click From MSG.
- Locate the .msg file that you created in step 11 of the “How to Export the Auto-Complete List” section, and then click OK.
- In the Load MSG window that appears, select Load message into current folder in the Load style list, and then click OK.
The AutoComplete information is imported from theIPM.Configuration.Autocomplete_<hexadecimal code>.msg , where the placeholder<hexadecimal code> represents a long string of numbers and letters.
How to remove AutoComplete list entries one at a time
To remove entries from the AutoComplete cache one entry at a time, follow these steps:
- Open a new email message.
- Type the first few characters of the AutoComplete entry that you want to remove.
- When the entry appears in the list of suggested names, move your mouse pointer over the name until it becomes highlighted, but do not click the name.
- When the “X” icon appears next to the highlighted name, click X to remove the name from the list, or press the Delete key on the keyboard.
How to clear the whole AutoComplete list
This section explains how to delete the AutoComplete list.
Outlook 2016 For Mac Work Offline
Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, and Outlook 2016
Use one of the following two methods to delete the AutoComplete list in Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, and Outlook 2016.
Method 1
- Open Outlook.
- On the File tab, click Options.
- Click the Mail tab.
- Under Send Messages, click Empty Auto-Complete List.
- Click Yes.
Method 2
Start Outlook by using the /CleanAutoCompleteCache switch. To do this, follow these steps:
- Click Start, and then click Run.
- TypeOutlook.exe/CleanAutoCompleteCache .
Note If Outlook is not installed in the default location, you must point to the path of Outlook.exe.
Filling the Auto-Complete list with Contact addresses
You can directly fill the list again by creating a new message addressed to all your contacts at once.
- Place Outlook in ‘Work Offline’ mode (see instructions below)
- Create a new message.
- Press the To… button.
- Select the contact list in the right top corner from which you would like to add the contacts from.
Examples; Contacts folder, Global Address List (GAL) or a contacts folder in a Public folder. - Select the first contact.
- Scroll all the way down to your last contact.
- Hold the SHIFT button on your keyboard while clicking on the last contact to select them all.
- Press the To –> button to add them all to the To… field.
- Repeat step 3 to 7 if you have contacts in additional lists that you would like to add.
- Press OK to close the dialog and to return to the newly created message.
- Now when you address a new message the AutoSuggest/Auto-Complete feature will pop-up again.
For Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016, you must send the message to actually store these addresses in the AutoSuggest cache. However, by placing Outlook in Offline Mode first via the Send/Receive tab, you can easily prevent it from actually being sent by removing it from the Outbox and then place Outlook back online mode.
Working in Offline Mode
This is fairly simple for folks that dont know.
The main confusion is about Work Offline icon which is being displayed on the Send/Receive tab in the Ribbon in Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2013; you’ll find a globe with a red cross in front of it. This doesn’t mean you are in Offline Mode as the icon is always like this. The icon doesn’t change to for instance a globe without a red cross when you are Online
When you actually are in Offline Mode, the icon will show highlighted (as see below, when using a black color theme for Office 2016) and your Status Bar will also show “Working Offline”. Clicking on the icon then will bring you back to Online Mode.
Status Bar:
POP3 Accounts:
When you are using a POP3 account, you can reuse your original pst-file on another computer or when reconfiguring the account without losing your AutoComplete cache. However, it is important that you do this in the correct way or the list will still be lost.
-->Applies to:Office for Mac, Office 2019 for Mac
To use Office for Mac in your organization, it needs to be activated. How you activate Office for Mac depends on whether your organization has an Office 365 (or Microsoft 365) plan or has a volume license agreement. But in both cases your users won't have to enter any product keys.
Note
If you're an Office user trying to activate a personal copy of Office for Mac, follow these instructions instead of reading this article.
Activate Office 365 versions of Office for Mac
If your organization has an Office 365 (or Microsoft 365) plan, make sure you assign each user a license for Office before you deploy Office for Mac to your users. If you don't assign a user a license, you can still deploy Office for Mac to that user, but the user won't be able to activate and use Office.
For Office 365 (and Microsoft 365) customers, Office for Mac activates by contacting the Office Licensing Service on the internet. The Office Licensing Service keeps track of which users are licensed and how many computers they've installed Office on.
After you deploy Office for Mac, your users are prompted to activate Office the first time they use it. Make sure users are connected to the internet when they activate Office.
On the Sign in to Activate Office screen, users should select Sign In, and then enter their email address and password. After they sign in, users may see an alert asking for permission to access the Microsoft identity stored in their keychain. They should select Allow or Always Allow to continue.
While you can deploy Office for Mac for your users, your users need to sign in and activate Office for Mac for themselves. That's to ensure that the Office Licensing Service properly associates Office for Mac with the correct licensed user.
A program on the Mac, the Office365ServiceV2 daemon, runs once a day to check the user's subscription status. The computer must be connected to the internet to contact the Office Licensing Service. If the computer can't contact the Office Licensing Service after nine days, the user sees a warning message when working in an app.
If the computer can't contact the Office Licensing Service after 30 days, Office goes into reduced functionality mode. This means that the user can open, view, and print existing documents in an Office app, but can't create or edit documents. The user also sees a message in the app that most features aren't available. After the user connects to the internet and the subscription status is verified, all the features of Office are available again.
For each user that you've assigned a license to, you can deploy and activate Office for Mac on up to five Macs for the user. If you need to provide Office for Mac on a sixth computer for a user, you need to deactivate an existing installation first. Deactivating an installation doesn't remove Office for Mac from the computer. Instead, the installation goes into reduced functionality mode.
Users can sign into the Office 365 portal to deactivate an existing installation by going to My account > Install status > Manage installs. Or, you can deactivate an installation as an Office 365 administrator. Sign into the Office 365 portal, go to the admin center, and then go to Users > Active Users. Select the user, and then choose Edit for the Office installs property of the user.
Activate volume licensed versions of Office for Mac
To activate a volume licensed version of Office 2019 for Mac, use the Volume License (VL) Serializer. You can download the VL Serializer by signing into the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC). You run the VL Serializer on each computer. By doing this, your users won't see any activation prompts when they first open Office 2019 for Mac.
For more information, see Overview of the Volume License (VL) Serializer.