2000: Unicode characters in Access don't transfer to Word

[Jay]

I am trying to mail merge an Access 2000 database into
Word 2000 to make a catalogue. The Access 2000 database
has Cyrillic, Greek, and even a couple of Arabic entries.
(I have the proper fonts installed, so I can see them in
Access) However, when I mail merge, the Cyrillic and Greek
letters get transformed into question marks, which is
annoying.

What can I do? Is there something else I need?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

As far as I know, this simply will not work in Word 2000 - neither of the
connection methods supported in Word 2000 (DDE and ODBC) lets these
charcters through, despite the fact that both applications are
Unicode-enabled in other areas. What probably will work is the following:
a. open the table (or query results) you are using as your data source in
Access, in the plain "spreadsheet view"
b. Select the entire table (click on the top left corner
c. Edit|Copy
d. Open a new blank Word document
e. Edit|Paste (or if there are more than the maximum number of columns,
Edit|Paste Special and use "Unformatted Unicode text"
f. close the Word document and use it as your data source for the merge.

 

[Jay]

I will try this. Would the transfer work in Word 2003 a)
from Access 2000 b) from Access 2003? i.e. in order not to
have this will I have to get a whole new Office or can I
just update Word? (Though maybe that is not possible.)

 

[Jay]

I just read the Tips from MVPS, so I should say I also
posted the question in International Features.

 

[Jay]

This worked. Thank you!

This may be an installation question, but my next question
is, what happened to the actual Mail Merge? It seems to
have disappeared.

1. I originally had MS Works with Word 2000.
2. Because I found the interface between the database I
was working with in Works and Word 2000 was slow (to say
nothing of the fact I could not have Unicode characters in
Works) I installed Office 2000 Professional (and created
an Access database). (I got it from work [a university] as
an academic user, if that makes any difference.)
3. Because the Unicode characters were not transferring, I
thought the problem might be that Word was somehow still
connected with Works, so I deleted both Office 2000 and
Works to start anew.
4. I fully re-installed Office 2000 Professional (i.e. had
it install *everything*).
5. Then I installed MS Works without installing the Word
2000 that came with it.
6. Then I did all the upgrades to Office 2000.

The result is that somehow the Mail Merge function has
disappeared from Word. It is not available in the Tools
menu, nor can I find a Mail Merge toolbar. However, I
still see both in older Mail Merge documents that I
created before I did all this. I have tried "detect and
repair" but Mail Merge hasn't re-appeared.

Should I re-install the whole thing, or is there something
less drastic that I can do?

-----Original Message-----

What probably will work is the following:

a. open the table (or query results) you are using as your data source in
Access, in the plain "spreadsheet view"

[etc.]

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Word + Works configuration isn't something I know a lot about, but
a. Works Suite comes with an add-in that controls the merge process when
you are using Word from the main Works menu - for example, it can convert
Works databases into a format (.mdb these days) that Word knows how to read.
b. It sounds as if this is one of the things that is missing from your
installation. I would uess that installing Works without its WOrd component
may be the problem. Unfortunately I don't know what you can do about that -
worth looking to see if the addin can be installed separately and if
necessary, if it can be downloaded from the MS web site.

As for the Mailmerge option within Word, go to Tools|Customize|Commands,
select category All Commands, locate MailMerge in the list of commands and
drag it to your Tools menu.
--
Peter Jamieson - Word MVP
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org/

This worked. Thank you!

This may be an installation question, but my next question
is, what happened to the actual Mail Merge? It seems to
have disappeared.

1. I originally had MS Works with Word 2000.
2. Because I found the interface between the database I
was working with in Works and Word 2000 was slow (to say
nothing of the fact I could not have Unicode characters in
Works) I installed Office 2000 Professional (and created
an Access database). (I got it from work [a university] as
an academic user, if that makes any difference.)
3. Because the Unicode characters were not transferring, I
thought the problem might be that Word was somehow still
connected with Works, so I deleted both Office 2000 and
Works to start anew.
4. I fully re-installed Office 2000 Professional (i.e. had
it install *everything*).
5. Then I installed MS Works without installing the Word
2000 that came with it.
6. Then I did all the upgrades to Office 2000.

The result is that somehow the Mail Merge function has
disappeared from Word. It is not available in the Tools
menu, nor can I find a Mail Merge toolbar. However, I
still see both in older Mail Merge documents that I
created before I did all this. I have tried "detect and
repair" but Mail Merge hasn't re-appeared.

Should I re-install the whole thing, or is there something
less drastic that I can do?

-----Original Message-----

What probably will work is the following:

a. open the table (or query results) you are using as your data source in
Access, in the plain "spreadsheet view"

[etc.]