Miscellaneous Debris

Avner Kashtan's Frustrations and Exultations
Outlook Miscellany: Erasing a name from the Autocomplete Cache

The drop-down list of names that Outlook gives us to auto-complete a name or address being written is stored in a file called <ProfileName>.NK2 in our Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook directory. This file is stored in a proprietary binary format, and there's no known documentation for it as far as I know. There seems to be a company that (apparently) reverse-engineered the format and are selling a cache-editing tool, but it's pricey - the basic desktop version can edit, import/export and print for $35. The network/helpdesk editions can do remote NK2 editing for all computer on the network, but gets really pricy with per-seat licenses and so forth.
(They're called Ingressor, if anyone needs those tools)

It turns out, however, that the most common usage for such an editor isn't necessary. If we just want to remove an item from the cache we can do it from within Outlook itself - simply navigate the drop-down options using the arrow keys and press Del on the one we want to erase - and away it goes.

Very simple, and even logical when you think about it. We're just not used to live editing of an auto-complete list.

Published Monday, November 14, 2005 9:35 AM by AvnerK

Comments

# re: Outlook Miscellany: Erasing a name from the Autocomplete Cache@ Friday, September 01, 2006 2:12 PM

How to transfer/copy my autocomplete cache to a new computer

please email what you can find

Karstan

# re: Outlook Miscellany: Erasing a name from the Autocomplete Cache@ Friday, September 01, 2006 2:20 PM

I haven't tried it, but I would assume that copying the .NK2 file in the user profile folder to a new computer will copy the autocomplete cache. Stands to reason.

AvnerK

# re: Outlook Miscellany: Erasing a name from the Autocomplete Cache@ Wednesday, October 03, 2007 1:37 PM

Thank you for this help.  It is really a logical and simple fix... which I could not figure out!

GREAT!  

Antoinette McPherson

# re: Outlook Miscellany: Erasing a name from the Autocomplete Cache@ Wednesday, May 14, 2008 11:36 AM

I want to erase my name or unpublish it on the net.

randy revilloza

Leave a Comment

(required) 
(required) 
(optional)
(required)