OL98: (CW) How to Simulate a Distribution List Without a PAB

In Microsoft Outlook 98, a personal distribution list is a collection of e- mail addresses that you create and add to your Personal Address Book (PAB) as a single address. When you address a message to a personal distribution list, a message is sent to each e-mail address in the list.

A personal distribution list requires that you have a PAB, and each person you want to include in the distribution list must be included in the PAB. If you have a list of e-mail addresses in a document, but do not make entries for each in your PAB, you cannot create a personal distribution list.

This article explains how you can create a template to simulate a distribution list.

To create an Outlook template to use as a distribution list, follow these steps:

1. On the Actions menu, click New Mail Message.
2. Type the e-mail addresses, or copy and paste the addresses from a document, into the To, Cc, or Bcc box.
3. On the File menu, click Save As.
4. Click Outlook Template (*.oft) in the Save As Type list, type a unique name in the File Name box, and click Save. The default location for Outlook templates is:
   \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates\Outlook
5. Close your open message without saving changes.

To use the template, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, point to Forms, and click Choose Form.
2. In the Look In box, Click "Templates in File System."
3. Click the template you created and click Open.

For more information about Personal Address Books, type "personal address books" in the Office Assistant, click Search, and then click to view "Add a Personal Address Book to a user profile."

For more information about using distribution lists, type "personal distribution list" in the Office Assistant, click Search, and then click to view each of the topics.