By default, when you’re sending an email and click the “To:” button, your address book will show your Exchange servers Global Address list which lists all of the people in your company that use the Exchange server. Many people prefer to have their private Contacts folder show up first and this is how you can change that setting in Outlook.

There are two seperate controls that must be configured to make your Contacts get listed first. The first sets which address book is displayed when you open your Address Book.

Click Tools->Address Book

In Address Book, click Tools->Options

In the Show this address list first list, click Contacts (or whatever contact list you’d like to use). Click OK

The second option allows you to quickly change to show another address book without changing the default you just set.

Click Tools->Address Book.

In the Address Book dialog box, click the Show names from the list to pick an additional address book.

Look up the name you need, and then close the Address Book dialog box.

If you open the Address Book again, the Address Book displays Contact as the default setting