Mail Merge Auto-Update

[Paulie]

We have a contract document in Word 2007 that contains merged fields from an
Access database. On one user's computer, any formatting that is applied to
the merged fields (i.e. inserting carraige returns in a text field for
formatting purposes) are lost every time the document is printed. It looks
like it is simply refreshing all the merged fields in the document and
therefore losing the formatting changes.

I'm sure this is a simple setting somewhere, but somehow I have not been
able to find it. Does anyone know how this setting can be updated?

Thanks

 

[macropod]

Hi Paulie,

It might be worth checking what data connection methods the different PCs are using. Some don't preserve the source data's
formatting.

 

[Paulie]

Thanks for the response, I hadn't considered that other users' programs might
be posting back to the database (although I am not convinced this is the
case). I am at home at the moment, so I can't check the computers themselves,
but here is a bit more specific detail on the situation:

All users:
--A record is opened in Access
--A link from Access is opened that pulls the record's data into a pre-built
word document with a mail merge
--Some of the data fields that are imported are too long for the formatting,
and, within the merged fields, have to be reformatted to match the contract
format.

Most users:
--The fomrmatting changes are made and saved.

Problem user:
--The formatting changes are made, but as soon as the Print button is hit,
all the formatting changes on-screen are lost.

I assumed that this was a situation where, for the other users, the mail
merge option was pulling the information once, and then not updating again
until it was told, but I have been unable to find an options setting that
would change this behavior. Basically, what is needed here is to click within
a merged field, add some text (line feed and tab), and not have that
disapppear as soon as the print button is pressed.

I'm only asking here because I work primarily on SQL, and I do badly with
finding 'small' setting changes in their locations in the GUI (I still hope
thats what this problem is). If I've completely missed the mark and deserve
to be put out of my misery, just let me know.

Hi Paulie,

It might be worth checking what data connection methods the different PCs are using. Some don't preserve the source data's
formatting.

--
Cheers
macropod
[Microsoft MVP - Word]

We have a contract document in Word 2007 that contains merged fields from an
Access database. On one user's computer, any formatting that is applied to
the merged fields (i.e. inserting carraige returns in a text field for
formatting purposes) are lost every time the document is printed. It looks
like it is simply refreshing all the merged fields in the document and
therefore losing the formatting changes.

I'm sure this is a simple setting somewhere, but somehow I have not been
able to find it. Does anyone know how this setting can be updated?

Thanks

 

[macropod]

Hi Paulie,

I think you've misunderstood - it's not that " other users' programs might be posting back to the database" but that setting up a
mailmerge from Word allows the user to choose from a variety of connection methods that determine how the data are retrieved. This
is done via the mailmerge wizard in Word.

However, what you're now describing suggests something else -either:
1. All users except the 'problem user' are executing the merge then editing the merged output, whereas the 'problem user' is editing
the content of the mergefield previews and are trying to print those previews; or, possibly
2. All users are editing the content of the mergefield previews and are printing the edited previews rather than executing the merge
and the user whose edits are being lost probably has the 'update fields' option checked under Tools|Options|Print.

What should occur is for all users to execute the merge then edit the merged output.

--
Cheers
macropod
[Microsoft MVP - Word]

Thanks for the response, I hadn't considered that other users' programs might
be posting back to the database (although I am not convinced this is the
case). I am at home at the moment, so I can't check the computers themselves,
but here is a bit more specific detail on the situation:

All users:
--A record is opened in Access
--A link from Access is opened that pulls the record's data into a pre-built
word document with a mail merge
--Some of the data fields that are imported are too long for the formatting,
and, within the merged fields, have to be reformatted to match the contract
format.

Most users:
--The fomrmatting changes are made and saved.

Problem user:
--The formatting changes are made, but as soon as the Print button is hit,
all the formatting changes on-screen are lost.

I assumed that this was a situation where, for the other users, the mail
merge option was pulling the information once, and then not updating again
until it was told, but I have been unable to find an options setting that
would change this behavior. Basically, what is needed here is to click within
a merged field, add some text (line feed and tab), and not have that
disapppear as soon as the print button is pressed.

I'm only asking here because I work primarily on SQL, and I do badly with
finding 'small' setting changes in their locations in the GUI (I still hope
thats what this problem is). If I've completely missed the mark and deserve
to be put out of my misery, just let me know.

Hi Paulie,

It might be worth checking what data connection methods the different PCs are using. Some don't preserve the source data's
formatting.

--
Cheers
macropod
[Microsoft MVP - Word]

We have a contract document in Word 2007 that contains merged fields from an
Access database. On one user's computer, any formatting that is applied to
the merged fields (i.e. inserting carraige returns in a text field for
formatting purposes) are lost every time the document is printed. It looks
like it is simply refreshing all the merged fields in the document and
therefore losing the formatting changes.

I'm sure this is a simple setting somewhere, but somehow I have not been
able to find it. Does anyone know how this setting can be updated?

Thanks