How contact Microsoft to tell them of NEXTIF problem?

[Paul Brady]

Dear folks in the mailmerge group:
For 2+ months I have been scanning this group, the Microsoft bulletin
boards, Google, etc and have been unable to get my NEXTIF problem
resolved, or even find anyone else that has experienced it. I would
like to submit this to Microsoft to at least let them know that a
formerly useful, even necessary feature of mailmerge no longer works
in versions of Word beyhond Word 2000. My main question to this
newsgroup is, how do I do this? I have struggled with the Microsoft
web site and have found no way of penetrating their shield.
Up to and including Word 2000, I can test my data file
(produced by Access) to see if there is yet another record that has to
be displayed in my merged letter. I use the NEXT_RECORD_IF test, and
if there is a next record, the pointer bumps to it and puts the record
in my letter. If not, it finishes the letter and then goes on to the
next letter.
And, Access is working just fine. The problem I am having is
with Word, not Access.
This works just fine with Word 2000. But in later versions,
namely Word 2002, 2003, and 2007, tested on five computers, the
pointer does indeed bump to the next record, but after correctly
finishing my letter, the pointer is bumped back to the record
following the first record, and I get another letter addressed to the
first recipient. That is, the pointer has been bumped only one place,
as if all the NEXT_RECORD commands never happened.
My "solution" has been to install Word 2000 on all computers
in which this test must work properly. Word 2000 resides along with
whatever later version they had, and when my letters must get
generated, I have instructed the users to use Word 2000. Not an
elegant solution, but it does work.
I've already posted this problem. Peter Jamieson in England
was most helpful in making suggestions, and he even used my files on
his computer and he states that it DID work with Word 2002. Maybe a
different version of Word is sold in England.
Anyway, I am asking this group for a method to tell someone in
Microsoft that there is a problem with Word. How do I do this?
Thanks. Pete Brady

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

You could send an email message to (e-mail address removed). However, being
realistic, it would take thousands of people to indicate that they had the
same problem for something to be likely to be done about it.

As your data is in Access, I would use a report in Access to create the
letters. You group the data on the individual and put their address details
and any standard introductory wording in a group header, the schedule for
them in the detail section of the report and any standard ending wording in
the group footer.

There are other ways as well, see
http://cornell.veplan.net/article.aspx?&a=3815, but I would suggest that
Access is the best way to do it.

And if Peter Jamieson says it works in Word XP, then I would believe him and
there would be no difference between the version of Word that he might be
using in the UK and any other English Version that would affect the
behviour.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Paul/Pete,

I see where Peter asked for you to send the file back in Feb, and your postings of the mergefield and sample data lines, but that
was the last entry set I see in those threads. Do you have a link where you can post a sample data file and merge letter that
shows this happening?

What version of Access is used to create the merge letter and the data file when you're not working with Word 2000? (you mentioned
Word 2003 and Word 2007) and the steps you're using, especially in 2007.

==============
Dear folks in the mailmerge group:
For 2+ months I have been scanning this group, the Microsoft bulletin
boards, Google, etc and have been unable to get my NEXTIF problem
resolved, or even find anyone else that has experienced it. I would
like to submit this to Microsoft to at least let them know that a
formerly useful, even necessary feature of mailmerge no longer works
in versions of Word beyhond Word 2000. My main question to this
newsgroup is, how do I do this? I have struggled with the Microsoft
web site and have found no way of penetrating their shield.
Up to and including Word 2000, I can test my data file
(produced by Access) to see if there is yet another record that has to
be displayed in my merged letter. I use the NEXT_RECORD_IF test, and
if there is a next record, the pointer bumps to it and puts the record
in my letter. If not, it finishes the letter and then goes on to the
next letter.
And, Access is working just fine. The problem I am having is
with Word, not Access.
This works just fine with Word 2000. But in later versions,
namely Word 2002, 2003, and 2007, tested on five computers, the
pointer does indeed bump to the next record, but after correctly
finishing my letter, the pointer is bumped back to the record
following the first record, and I get another letter addressed to the
first recipient. That is, the pointer has been bumped only one place,
as if all the NEXT_RECORD commands never happened.
My "solution" has been to install Word 2000 on all computers
in which this test must work properly. Word 2000 resides along with
whatever later version they had, and when my letters must get
generated, I have instructed the users to use Word 2000. Not an
elegant solution, but it does work.
I've already posted this problem. Peter Jamieson in England
was most helpful in making suggestions, and he even used my files on
his computer and he states that it DID work with Word 2002. Maybe a
different version of Word is sold in England.
Anyway, I am asking this group for a method to tell someone in
Microsoft that there is a problem with Word. How do I do this?
Thanks. Pete Brady >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Paul Brady]

I see where Peter asked for you to send the file back in Feb, and your postings of the mergefield and sample data lines, but that
was the last entry set I see in those threads. Do you have a link where you can post a sample data file and merge letter that
shows this happening?

Bob Buckland: If you send me an email address, I will send you the
data file produced by Access 2000, and the Word file produced by Word
2000 that correctly reads the data file and produces merged letters.
Thanks. Pete Brady (e-mail address removed)