Change the Outlook.com "from" address for calendar event invites

[parryjm]

When a calendar invite gets sent from my Outlook.com Calendar, the "from" address looks very strange (outlook_5ede29700dfe3529@outlook.com on behalf of James).

Some where I remember seeing instructions by Diane Poremshy on how to make a Windows register change so that the "from" e-mail address will be my Google/Microsoft Account e-mail address, so that the invite looks like it is coming from me, and not this strange address like. Can anyone point me to where these instructions reside?

 

[Diane Poremsky]

I don't recall any registry hacks that can fix it, especially ones that work at this time. (Outlook.com changed their configuration a year or two ago and now everything uses the outlook.com address.) The only way to send it from your google or non-outlook.com account is to sent it through the account directly. Well, maybe the key to set the default account as the default for everything might work (aka Outlook 2007 and earlier behavior) - the reg key is here - http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/outlook-2010/multiple-accounts-and-the-default-account/

If this is a gmail account, I'd recommend seriously considering using a utility to sync gmail calendar and contacts to outlook and not use Outlook.com.

If you need the Calendar only: http://www.slipstick.com/tutorial/connect-gmail-calendar-outlook/
Or calendar & contacts: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync-outlook/synchronizing-outlook-google-accounts/#tools - gsyncit is popular.

 

[parryjm]

Diane,

I think the Registry Key for Outlook 2013 were the instructions you had provided me earlier which worked. Since I just had to reinstall Outlook 2013, I lost this Registry edit, so I was looking to simply apply it again.

When I go to the location in the registry where you say to add the new entry "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Options\Mail", I do not see the "Mail" sub-folder under the "Options" sub-folder. The only sub-folders that I see are ""Calendar" and "MSHTML".

I don't recall exactly how I added this last time. I thought the "Mail" sub-folder already existed, but I could be wrong.
Do I need to add the sub-folder "Mail" first? If so, how do I do this? I realize care should be taken when doing registry updates. Can you tell me exactly the steps to add this new key?

Under the "Edit" drop-down menu, I see there is an option to add a key. If I highlight the "Option" sub-folder and right-click, I see where I can add a key. Will this allow me to create the sub-folder "Mail" and then the associated "Name" (NewItemsUseDefaultSendingAccount); "Type" (REG_DWORD) and "Data" (1)?

I see there is a choice to use either "DWORD (32-bit) value" or "QWORD (64-bit) value". Do I still select DWORD even though I am running Windows 8.1 64-bit O/S?

 

[Diane Poremsky]

If the key (folder) does not exist, you'll need to create it - if you didn't change some mail options yet, then the key won't exist, as outlook doesn't add keys if you use the default settings.

Yes, use DWORD, not QWORD. Or use the reg file I have - http://www.slipstick.com/doit/NewItemsUseDefaultSendingAccount-2013.reg

 

[parryjm]

I ran the reg edit file and I still have an issue.

On April 18th, I encountered a problem with my Outlook 2013. The technical Support person ended up uninstalling and re-installing Office 2013, as well as creating a new user account on my computer called “James Parry1”. The previous user account was called “james_000”. He had to re-create my Outlook profile, which uses Outlook.com for my calendaring.

In the past when I e-mailed a calendar invite to my wife, the “from” address in her Inbox would look like the address in example #1 below.

After my Outlook profile got recreated, a test e-mail was sent to my own e-mail address and the “from” address looked similar to example #2 below.

Now all calendar invites e-mailed to my wife look like example #3 below. I have no idea what this person did for this to now appear this way.

1. outlook_5ede29700dfe3529@outlook.com on behalf of James Parry <JamesParry@gmail.com>

2. hotmail_5ede29700dfe3529@live.com on behalf of Microsoft Outlook <JamesParry@gmail.com>

3. outlook_5ede29700dfe3529@outlook.com on behalf of james <JamesParry@gmail.com>

My question is – what do I need to do so that calendar invites people receive look like the way they were in example #1?

 

[Diane Poremsky]

It looks like the difference is the display name? In Outlook, go to file, account settings and double click on your accounts and check the display name at the top of the dialog. The account says james, not James Parry.

 

[parryjm]

When I checked the Display Name for my two accounts, they both only had “James”, so I changed them both to “James Parry”. Sent a test e-mail and the “From” showed “James Parry”. However, when I sent a meeting request, it still shows it is from “James”. Is there somewhere else that I need to change the display name from “James” to “James Parry”?

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Log into outlook.com and check the display name for your account there - i can't imagine that it was changed but since I don't know what was done to change the account to hotmail/live servers and back to outlook.com, it's possible something changed online.

Log in online - is your name shown on the right as james or as your full name? If james, click on it and then Account Settings.

 

[parryjm]

I had already done this. My name is displayed as "James Parry". Under Account Summary it shows the Display name as "James Parry". If I click on "edit", it shows a field for my first name and last name. Both are filled in correctly, so it is as if it's only using my first name.

 

[parryjm]

I went back a tried sending another meeting request and this time it has "James Parry" for the "from" address. I'm wondering if I had to first close and restart Outlook. In any event, looks it's working. Thanks.