Data Source Not Found

[Sandra]

I'm using Word 2002. I'm using a mail merge file. I have
moved my data file (an excel file)to another directory.
Now when I open the document file in Word, it gives me
the message, "file not found." I find the file, then
save the Word file, hoping it will also save the
information of which data file I'm using. But it does
not. The next time I open the Word file, I have to find
the data file again. This also occurs if I
choose "Options" and "Remove Data/Header source". After
I get the data file again, save the Word file, close and
reopen, I have to do it ALL OVER AGAIN! Surely there is
a way.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Fellow MVP Cindy Meister posted this in response to another post about a
similar problem:

Quote

I'd try:
- create a new document
- copy all but the last paragraph mark of an existing
main merge doc to the new doc
- link back up to the datasource (Outlook contacts)
- merge
- save, close, re-open

If this works, then this is what you'll have to do for each
main merge document. Note that you'll need to watch out for
things like margins, headers, footers...

Unquote

--
Please post any further questions or followup to the newsgroups for the
benefit of others who may be interested. Unsolicited questions forwarded
directly to me will only be answered on a paid consulting basis.

Hope this helps
Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Azi]

Yes, that reply was posted to a similar problem I had. The problem is the workaround, while greatly appreciated, doesn't work. there must be a way to prevent that temp file (as described in KB article 275934) from being deleted or at least a way to change the path statement. I'm not a developer, so Word path statements are foreign to me. If anyone finds a good work around, please post it.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Try this:

From the View menu, select Toolbars and then turn on the mailmerge toolbar.

With the mailmerge main document, active, click on the leftmost button on
the mailmerge toolbar and select "Normal Word Document", Save the Document,
then click on the second toolbar button (Open Data Source) and navigate to
the new location of the data source and open it. Now save the document and
then close it and re-open it and see if the data source remains attached.

Please post back with the result so that we will know if this works.

--
Please post any further questions or followup to the newsgroups for the
benefit of others who may be interested. Unsolicited questions forwarded
directly to me will only be answered on a paid consulting basis.

Hope this helps
Doug Robbins - Word MVP

Yes, that reply was posted to a similar problem I had. The problem is the

workaround, while greatly appreciated, doesn't work. there must be a way to
prevent that temp file (as described in KB article 275934) from being
deleted or at least a way to change the path statement. I'm not a developer,
so Word path statements are foreign to me. If anyone finds a good work
around, please post it.

 

[Azi]

Hi Doug
Thanks for your help. This doesn't work either way. What I do is

1. open the mail merge do
2. at this point there is no mail merge info, it's all been strippe
3. i run the mail merge wizard again to include my outlook contacts and then add address block information to the letter and a greeting line
4. next i follow your directions and save the documen
5. when i click the data source button, this is where i get lost because Word cannot recognize an Outlook address book as a valid data source.
6. I can save the document and re-open it but all of the mail merge data is stripped again. No error this time though.

Is it possible that Outlook (*.pab) is not a valid data source

Thanks

Try this

From the View menu, select Toolbars and then turn on the mailmerge toolbar

With the mailmerge main document, active, click on the leftmost button o
the mailmerge toolbar and select "Normal Word Document", Save the Document
then click on the second toolbar button (Open Data Source) and navigate t
the new location of the data source and open it. Now save the document an
then close it and re-open it and see if the data source remains attached

Please post back with the result so that we will know if this works