Can I merge labels in Word, Office X?

[Harvey Waxman]

I'm trying to create labels with Word Office X in OS 10.3.9. Word freezes
every time when I open the data file. It says it is 'analyzing'.

I've tried importing Excel, Word and plain text files. Each record has three
fields separated by tabs and ending in returns.

Shouldn't this be able to work?

Is there a bug somewhere or is it me?

 

[CyberTaz]

Labels should not be a problem if the record source ("data file") is set up
correctly. What concerns me - and it may simply be a matter of semantics,
but a very important one - is your use of the terms "open" and "importing"
relevant to your data file. Technically you should do *neither* - the label
doc gets linked or connected to the record source, but you don't actually
open the data file in Word to do the merge.

Please provide specific detail on how you are attempting to do the merge -
steb-by-step - if these articles don't resolve the issue for you.

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/produc...IBRARY/how_to_articles/officex/wd_catalog.xml

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/275015

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/275013

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/275014

 

[Harvey Waxman]

thanks for offering to help.

My data source looks like this:

name <tab> address <tab> city <cr>
Smith, Joe <tab> 1 Main St. <tab> Boston, MA <cr>

etc. Saved as a text file

1. Open blank document in Word
2. Data Merge Manager > Create > labels choose the appropriate label from
the list.
3. Document shows the labels as chosen
4. Data Merge Manager > Data Source browse to and select above file
5. This is when Word freezes and I have to force quite. (Spinning rainbow
wheel)

 

[CyberTaz]

I think Word may be having trouble recognizing the combination of tabs &
commas in the text file as to what constitutes a "field"... Both are used as
field delimiters & the combination creates havoc. You could take the time to
put quotation marks around the content of each field ("Smith, Joe","2 Elm
St.","Boston, MA") but...

I'd suggest setting your data source up in Excel. Further, put each data
item in a separate field (column) so you'd have:

LastName FirstName Address City State (Zip)?

That will give you much more flexibility in sorting, record selection, data
placement/arrangement, etc. Just start in cell A1 with no separation between
columns & in consecutive rows beginning with the field names.

Follow the model you'll find here:

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/word2004/using.aspx?pid=usingword2004&
type=howto&article=/mac/LIBRARY/how_to_articles/officex/wd_catalog.xml#Excel
X

(assuming the long link doesn't break)

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Harvey Waxman]

I'll read the link. I quickly made your suggestions, eliminating the commas,
etc. Still got the error when choosing the xls file as the data source.

Thanks for the help (and I'll watch the split subject in the future. I got no
response at first so I tried a second post. Sorry)

 

[Harvey Waxman]

It seems impossible for me to place 100 records into the label document. I migh
have to cut/paste each one separately. ugh

I have followed the directions. When I 'get data' Word freezes.
If I first 'open header source' and arrange the headers that show up (the ones
that are in my data document) the labels document displays the headers in
their appropriate places on each label. Progress? Not really.

When I then 'get the data' Word freezes as before.

How I can merge these documents?

 

[Harvey Waxman]

Many thanks. I've come to the same conclusion. Office X just won't let me do
it even after reinstall from original CD. Fortunately on the Mac I can open
the Word template and the source file side by side and simply drag each record
(once I reformatted them into address format) and drop it on the template.
Sure beats copy/paste or retyping.

Thanks for the help. Funny that this hasn't cropped up before but maybe it has
to do with the wider gap between Office X and my OS than when it first appeared.

I am up to date with Office btw.

Thanks again.

 

[CyberTaz]

I can certainly understand how you might get that impression, but there's no
doubt in my mind that this is *not* a universal problem with Data Merge in
Word X. That version has been around too long & the feature is too widely
relied upon for such a serious malady to persist. Further, I've not seen any
similar post in the nearly 3 years I've been monitoring the group.

There is definitely something specific to your situation upon which we have
yet to stumble. I'm also not certain that reinstalling would have corrected
the problem unless you ran the Remove Office utility *first* - otherwise the
original culprit remains at large. I'm pretty sure there must be a
preference file or some such involved, but as previously noted I don't have
X available. We may still get some input from others who are familiar with
X.

 

[Harvey Waxman]

There is definitely something specific to your situation upon which we have
yet to stumble. I'm also not certain that reinstalling would have corrected
the problem unless you ran the Remove Office utility *first* - otherwise the
original culprit remains at large. I'm pretty sure there must be a
preference file or some such involved, but as previously noted I don't have
X available.

I did remove Office first.

 

[Harvey Waxman]

I logged in as a different user. It worked fine! I trashed all my MS user
preferences and copied the ones from the other user to my user preferences,
restarted Word but it did the same thing. I'll try a permissions fix and
restart next but I'm not too optimistic.

Perhaps this gives some direction to you.

 

[Harvey Waxman]

I logged out and logged back in. Still didn't work. The preferences are the
identical and the application is the same. Does this make any sense at all?

 

[Harvey Waxman]

I think you're right.

Thanks

Yes- It indicates that there is a problem with that user account, but
exactly what I'm not sure. You might get some relief from the Apple
Discussons support forum, but the easiest & fastest remedy is to just create
a new user account.

 

[CyberTaz]

Yes- It indicates that there is a problem with that user account, but
exactly what I'm not sure. You might get some relief from the Apple
Discussons support forum, but the easiest & fastest remedy is to just create
a new user account.