Mail merge data form problem after installing IE7

[Stew]

Since upgrading to IE7 on a number of PCs, we are now unable to move a Word
Mail Merge data form independently over a browser screen so that it can be
completed with data directly copied form another window.

This is the same for both Office XP and 2003 and the PCs are Windows XP SP2
but fully patched for office and windows.

I have uninstalled IE7 on one of the PCs and the function still does not
work but on an identical PC that I have not yet upgraded to IE7 the function
still works fine.

When you are on the browser page and you click on Word from the taskbar, the
Word window including the document itself, the mail merge recipients form and
the top level data form appear. These 3 all seem to be treated as one now but
before the upgrade, I could select just the top level data form and place it
over a browser window.

I hope this makes sense and any help or guidance will be greatly received.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

I assume that you are talking about some custom designed browser page. If
it is available over the internet, please provide a link to it. However,
you may need to throw this back into the hands of the person who designed
the page.

--
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

 

[Stew]

Doug,

many thanks for your reply. It doesn't mater what browser page you pop the
window over, it is more of a case of not being able to take the top level
word window (mail merge data form) and have that displayed over any other
window. In our case yes, we do use an intranet page displayed via IE7 and we
used to be able to view the word form over this with IE6. I cannot actually
view the word data form over any window now (explorer etc.) as clicking on
the word data form from the taskbar maximises the whole of the Word window,
not just the top level data form.

The strange thing is that this only stopped working immediately after
installing IE7 on quite a number of PCs. I am not sure if upgrading from IE6
to IE7 changes some other global windows explorer viewing type setting but I
have compared all of the Internet Options on a known working IE6 PC against
an upgraded one and cannot find any differences. I have also done the same
for all the Word settings. The Word mail merge does not use any code/VB etc.
it is a standard mail merge and to further test, I have created a new mail
merge via the wizard and this too does not allow the data form to be
positioned independently of the Word window.

I have also posted this on the internet explorer discussion pages as I am
not sure where the problem really stems from.

Many thanks.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Click on the button one to the left of the White X on a Red background in
the top right corner of the Word screen and reduce the size of the Word
window so that it is not maximised.

--
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

 

[Stew]

I have tried this and the Word window can be minimised, but in this case, the
3rd level window (the data form dialog box) is the only window that needs to
be viewed. Before upgrading to IE7, this window could be viewed and was
treated as its own window, without the rest of the Word windows (maximised or
minimised) and could therefore be selected simply by clicking on Word from
the taskbar. It was as if this was the only active window in Word and until
this form was completed and closed, the previous level form (mail merge
recipients) was not then shown again.

This made data entry perfect as you could type directly into the form from
what was displayed on your browser (intranet application).

I really don't know what has changed during the IE7 install but it seems to
have removed this function.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Click on the Office button, then on Word Options, then go to the Advanced
item and uncheck the box against the "Show all windows in the Taskbar" in
the display section of the dialog. For Word XP/2003, that setting is
somewhere under Tools>Options. Sorry I don't remember where and don't have
access to a machine running either of those versions at the moment.

--
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

 

[Stew]

Unfortunately I have tried that setting already.

As the dialog box (data form) is from the same Word session, this does not
seem to change anything.

I do appreciate your suggestions though.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

What exactly do you mean by data form?

--
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

 

[Stew]

From Word XP/2003 click on 'Mail Merge Recipients' and a window opens - as a
matter of interest this window can not be viewed independently either now as
clicking on the Word icon from the taskbar shows this as the active window
plus the Word document behind it. From this screen you then click on 'Edit'
and you have the 'Data Form'

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

I can view that form on top of a IE7 Web Page. Give me an email address and
I will send you a screen shot of it.

--
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

 

[Stew]

Doug,

(e-mail address removed)

Thanks.

- Stew