Outlook doesn't change a column's position just because you sort by it, just as Excel doesn't change the position of columns in a worksheet if you sort by one column.

If you're seeing company names in File As, that's because you chose to put them here. Full Name is the contact's First and Last name, by default (although you can make it be anything else).

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx

"om" wrote in message ...
Hi Sue,

I did that, and it helped. I guess what I didn't realize is that when you
double click on "company"--the company names show up under the "File As"
column in the middle, instead of the "Full Name" column at the beginning,
right? Which I think is weird, b/c why doesn't Outlook just keep it all under
the heading "Company," I mean that's what it is, right?? and move it to the
FIRST column--because after all, that's what I'm sorting by. Unless there is
something I don't understand...

"Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

Display the phone list view and click on the Company column heading.

"om" wrote in message ...
I know how to do it in theory, I've followed the instructions, but it comes
out chaotic looking and on 2 lines and not alphabetical. I just want a
straightforward, one-line/person, list of my contacts alphabetized by company
that looks like the phone list.
Help!