How do I get Outlook to stop adding a "+1" in front of a telephone number that has an extension.

[abc-sol]

How do I get Outlook to stop adding a " +1" in front of a telephone number that has an extension. It does not do this for phone numbers added that have no extension.

When I synch Outlook to my HTC Ozone Mobile, look up a contact and press enter to dial a phone number the HTC is interpreting the " +1" as country code 011 and dialing that before the telephone number.

I.e. if the phone number represented in Outlook is

+1 (401) 270-1099 x 405

My mobile is dialing: 0114012701099405

 

[Russ Valentine]

At what point do you think Outlook is adding the country code? When you create a new Contact? When you sync? Some other time? The option to add the country code automatically to local numbers is controlled in the Contacts Folder > Actions > Call Contact... > New call... > Dialing Options...Russ Valentine

 

[abc-sol]

Hi Russ,

Thanks for the reply. FYI I'm running Windows XP PRO Service Pack 3 and Outlook 2007 (12.0.6514.5000) SP2 MSO (12.2.6535.5002).

I think the country code is being added when I look up a contact on my cell and press enter. I think the phone is interpreting the +1 as an area code. For example...

When I add a new contact to Outlook that does not have an extension the number stays exactly as entered.

I.e. (555) 222-1212. And when I look up the contact on my phone and then press enter the phone inserts the 1 and dials the number. )15552221212

When I add a new contact that has an extension, Outlook adds a +1 before the number entered. I.e. + 1 (555) 222-1212 X 202. When I look up the contact on my phone the number is represented just as you'd see it in Outlook but when you press dial button the phone interprets the +1 as an area code. and enters and dials the country code (011), the telephone number and the extension. I.e. 0115552221212202.

What I would like to know is why does Outlook add a +1 when you enter an extension but does not enter it when you don't have an extension? Can I change a setting so that Outlook will stop entering the +1?

Thanks again Russ, I appreciate the assistance!

 

[Russ Valentine]

The only time Outlook would be in play here is if you are creating a new Contact yourself within Outlook. Anything else is within the purview of your sync software, not Outlook.

FWIW, adding the country code is correct, standard formatting. If that causes a problem with your phone, that is their problem, too. If their dialer worked correctly, the country code would create no problem.

Russ Valentine

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Are you hitting the button (Busines..., Home... ) in Outlook to open the check number dialog? Don't! The +1 should not be added if you just type 2025551212x1234 but as soon as you use the check phone number dialog, it will be added.

 

[abc-sol]

Thanks Diane, that did it. When I've entered a new contacts information I've been entering the phone number (2025551212), clicked anywhere else on the contact form and then double clicked the phone number so that it opened the " check phone number box" and then I would enter the extension and click ok. This is when it was adding the +1 to the begining of the phone number.

I did not know you could enter the phone # and then x and extension and it would all be placed properly into the correct fields. Mystery and problem solved.

Can't thank you enough! And thank you as well Russ.

Rob Armstrong

 

[Diane Poremsky]

You're welcome... and not alone. A lot of people do the very same thing.

 

[Russ Valentine]

So have you seen Outlook add the country code to the number even if the option to do so is disabled in Outlook's Dialing Options? I haven't seen that yet. Must be a new " feature." Russ Valentine

 

[Diane Poremsky]

So have you seen Outlook add the country code to the number even if the option to do so is disabled in Outlook's Dialing Options? I haven't seen that yet. Must be a new " feature." Russ Valentine

Yes, I get the +1 everytime I *hit the check number button*, regardless of the dialog options. Even if i create a rule for the area code and not use +1, it still adds it (plus, if it worked, it would be stupid to need to create rules for EVERY area code).

If the option to use +1 is enabled in the dialer, then it adds it as soon as you tab out of the field, but check numbers will always add it too.

 

[Russ Valentine]

Yeah. I can repro in Outlook 2007 and 2010 now. I don't remember it doing that in 2003 and earlier, but I'll check the next time I'm on one of my dusty partitions. Not sure why " Dialing options" even exists if Outlook ignores it. It's so rare to find something inconsistent and inexplicable in Outlook.Russ Valentine

 

[Diane Poremsky]

It works the same in 2003 (i checked your steps in 2003 because that was the VM i had open). I'm too lazy to open a VM with an older version to check.

To be clear - that option controls what happens when you type into the number field. It has no effect when you hit the Business... or Home... buttons to check the phone number.

 

[Russ Valentine]

Yes, I know. But it's a useless option since it's overridden behind the scenes. I suspect more experienced users open the dialog to enter phone numbers anyway since we learned long ago never to trust Outlook to parse name and number elements on its own.Russ Valentine

 

[John Leh]

John here. every time I add a new phone numbers to a new outlook 2007 it automatically adds a +1 to the field when I leave the field. even if i save it before the check number box ever opens. I running Windows Vista
Is there a way I can avoid this unnecessary step. I can't make calls with my verizon iphone 5S with the +1

 

[Diane Poremsky]

1. Don't ever click on the number button to bring up the check # dialog.
2. Go into Outlook's dialog properties and make sure its not set to add a 1 - http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/config/dialing-outlook-phone-numbers/