mail merge/locked fields

[Martine]

error message: "Word found locked fields during the update. Word cannot
update locked fields". How do you unlock fields? Contro+shift+F11 doesnot
work or I am not doing something correctly.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Are you aware of any locked fields? Could they be in the header/footer
rather than the main body of the document? If so, you would need to select
the correct part of the docment before using ctrl-shift-F11.

However, the chances are you are not aware of any locked field, in which
case...Do you have images or objects in your Mail Merge Main Document? If
so, is Tools|Options|General|"Automatically create drawing canvas when
inserting AutoShapes" checked? If so, I suspect this problem is related to
that, and that to avoid it you will need to uncheck this box and re-insert
your drawings (or whatever).

 

[Peter Jamieson]

There's a Knowledgebase article about this at

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/292155

 

[Martine]

Hi Peter,

Thanks so much for trying to help me with this problem. I am not aware of
any locked fields, therefore I did as you suggested since my letter includes
my logo at the top and still I get the same error message.

Do you think I can just select all and do control+shift+F11 and that might
work.

I'm completely stumped and very frustrated.

Martine :-(

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Have you tried:
a. ensure you have a copy of your logo somwehere
b. delete your logo from your document
c. ensure that option I mentioned is unchecked
d. re-insert the logo
e. try the merge again?

 

[Martine]

Peter,

The funny thing about this is that the emails are going (albeit without the
attachment, which isn't so good since my letter references an attachment)
even though they say that Word cannot update unlocked fields.

If it's not one thing it's another.....Help, I've been trying to get these
letter out for over a week now.

Thanks again for your help,
Martine

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Yes, they probably would go, and probably with the correct logo, because the
problem is not a showstopper and nothing is changing so no updates are
needed

But

<<
albeit without the attachment, which isn't so good since my letter
references an attachment)
To merge to email with attachments, you really need to look at Doug Robbins'
article at

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/MailMerge/MergeWithAttachments.htm

and follow the instructions very carefully.