Access Query Perplexes Word Email Merge

J

Jeff

Thanks to anyone that can shed some light on this. I am
using Word, Access & Outlook 2002 along with Exchange
Server 2003:

I have a query in Access that locates individuals in the
database that wish to receive a monthly e-newsletter. The
fields used in the query are FirstName (text field), Last
Name (text field), email address (text field) and
ENewsletter (a Yes/No field). The criteria in the query
is "Yes" in the Yes/No field. The query runs fine and
produces the desired results (215 records).

Here is where it gets weird.

In Word I created an Email merge based on this query. In
step 6 of the Mail Merge task pane I accidently select the
E-newsletter field (which is a Yes/No field and contains
no email address)in the To: drop-down list of the Merge to
E-mail dialog box. I click on OK and Word performs the
Email merge.

What should have happened is an error message saying it
can't send the email or at the very least I should have
received 215 error messages from the Exchange Server
stating an undeliverable message. Instead, I had 215
email messages sent to someone from our Global Address
book. This person is not in the query results, nor is
there a name that even closely resembles theirs. When I
corrected the problem and sent the Email based on the
Email Address field, it worked properly.

Does anyone have any idea why 215 emails were sent to
someone from our Global Address List when (A) I selected a
Yes/No field as the email address and (B) The person
receiving the emails was not in the Access database???

Thanks for any insight you can pass along my way!

Clueless in Columbus, OH!

Jeff
 
P

Peter Jamieson

A long shot, but...

Are you seeing the usual Outlook security prompts when you try to merge each
record? If not, are you using an extra bit of software that dismisses the
prompts? If so, I'm just wondering whether it is also accepting the "Check
Names" dialog box that Outlook usually displays when it cannot find the
specified e-mail address.

BTW if you are connecting to the Access database using the default method
(OLEDB) then the value of a YesNo type field will probably appear as "True"
or "False" - I don't know whether that shes any light on anything.
 

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