Mail Merge Word 2003 Issue

C

cgorak

I am doing a mail merge with Word2003 - the database info is in an Excel 2003
spreadsheet. The mail merge works just like it always has - UNTIL I get to
the last step - Update All Labels. At that point only the first three labels
and the LAST two labels on the first page and miscellaneous labels on the
next page are populated with information. I do not have this problem on my
desktop but I do on my laptop and others here at the University have been
experiencing the same problem. 11.6359.6360 SP1 is the version of my Word2003
and 11.6355.6360 SP1 is the version of Excel2003. I have received emails
from others on the outside that are having this exact same problem. This
solution was sent to me also but does not work:
"go to options in Word and on the general tab you select the box confirm
conversion when opening document when you select this box you will have to
select your data file in excel again and you select the DDE option"
 
P

Peter Jamieson

So far, I have not been able to replicate this on my copy of Word
1.6359.6360 SP1, so have not bin able to pin down a likely problem area.
Because it worked before, I would be inclined to report this directly to
Microsoft (we are only volunteers). My guess is that it /might/ have
something to do with the data, which would at least provide an explanation
as to why some people are seeing this problem and others are not, and why
switching to DDE might improve things in some cases. All I can do is ask a
few questions and see if they lead anywhere useful, e.g.:
a. is the problem that the field /codes/ (Next Record and Addressblock) are
not replicated when you press Update all labels? Or do you see the field
codes but not the data when you press preview?
b. Does it make any difference if you choose a different type of label
layout?
c. Are there any "unusual" characters, e.g. double quote characters, in
your data source, or unusually large fields, around the point where things
go wrong?
d. Does it make any difference which version of /Excel/ was (last) used to
create/maintain the data? (My guess is that the problem is in Word, and not
in either Excel or the OLEDB provider used to get the data from the .xsl,
but it might be worth checking that.

Best I can do I'm afraid.

Peter Jamieson
 
C

cgorak

It looks to me that the AddressBlock is not being replicated across the
labels - only across the top (no matter which labels are chosen), the last
two at the bottom and randomly in the middle. I can copy the AddressBlock to
each of the blank labels and they look fine but that is an unnecessary extra
step that mail merge is suppose to elimate. It has nothing to do with the
info being imported either as I have tried several different databases from
Excel and all have the same problem.
At work we have installed the same version of Office2003 to all our
machines. Could it be something that is different between the way a laptop
installs as opposed to the way the desktop installs? I don't know if this is
consistant but it works on the desktops in my department but not on the
laptops. We have the Gateway Tablet M275. Could it possibly be a Tablet
issue? I don't know if the other people who have reported this to me have
Tablets or not... just a thought.
Thanks-Char Gorak


So far, I have not been able to replicate this on my copy of Word
1.6359.6360 SP1, so have not bin able to pin down a likely problem area.
Because it worked before, I would be inclined to report this directly to
Microsoft (we are only volunteers). My guess is that it /might/ have
something to do with the data, which would at least provide an explanation
as to why some people are seeing this problem and others are not, and why
switching to DDE might improve things in some cases. All I can do is ask a
few questions and see if they lead anywhere useful, e.g.:
a. is the problem that the field /codes/ (Next Record and Addressblock) are
not replicated when you press Update all labels? Or do you see the field
codes but not the data when you press preview?
b. Does it make any difference if you choose a different type of label
layout?
c. Are there any "unusual" characters, e.g. double quote characters, in
your data source, or unusually large fields, around the point where things
go wrong?
d. Does it make any difference which version of /Excel/ was (last) used to
create/maintain the data? (My guess is that the problem is in Word, and not
in either Excel or the OLEDB provider used to get the data from the .xsl,
but it might be worth checking that.

Best I can do I'm afraid.

Peter Jamieson
Click to expand...
 
G

Graham Mayor

What happens if you abandon the inflexible addressblock field and insert the
required fields individually and propagate those?
See http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_labels_with_word_xp.htm
If the same problem occurs with separate fields, then repairing Word might
be a useful next step (Help > detect & repair).
Next step after that would be to reset the data key in the registry
See http://www.gmayor.com/my_toolbars_are_missing.htm

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
 
P

Peter Jamieson

We have the Gateway Tablet M275. Could it possibly be a Tablet
issue? I don't know if the other people who have reported this to me have
Tablets or not... just a thought.
Click to expand...

Now that is an interesting thought.

When you described the problem I tested on Office 2003 SP1 on an XP SP2
desktop (well actually, it's on a VMware virtual machine running XP SP2,
hosted on a "real" XP SP2 desktop) and could not replicate the problem. But
I am in the middle of setting up an HP Tablet PC here (also Windows XP SP2)
and I do see the problem, exactly as you describe, on Word 2003 without SP1,
specifically Word version 11.5604.5606.

I also notice in response to Graham's question that it isn't just
Addressblock fields - ordinary Mergefields behave in a similar way.

Based on that info. I would guess it either has something to do with Tablet
or Windows XP SP2. If you are either using SP2 on all your systems or on
none of them, it looks as if "Tablet" is the problem.

i.e. it looks like an error to me, but I can only stress that I am not
currently in a position to do much about it.

Peter Jamieson


cgorak said:
It looks to me that the AddressBlock is not being replicated across the
labels - only across the top (no matter which labels are chosen), the last
two at the bottom and randomly in the middle. I can copy the AddressBlock
to
each of the blank labels and they look fine but that is an unnecessary
extra
step that mail merge is suppose to elimate. It has nothing to do with the
info being imported either as I have tried several different databases
from
Excel and all have the same problem.
At work we have installed the same version of Office2003 to all our
machines. Could it be something that is different between the way a
laptop
installs as opposed to the way the desktop installs? I don't know if this
is
consistant but it works on the desktops in my department but not on the
laptops. We have the Gateway Tablet M275. Could it possibly be a Tablet
issue? I don't know if the other people who have reported this to me have
Tablets or not... just a thought.
Thanks-Char Gorak
Click to expand...
 
C

cgorak

In answer to your questions -
Yes it still happens when I enter each field separately
I have already tried to repair and that did not help
I will try and reset the data key next but I suspect this is a Tablet issue.
I will let you know more a little later.
 
C

cgorak

Hi Peter -
Thanks so much for your reply - I am glad you could replicate!!! I DO have
SP1 on my Tablet and I STLL have the problem. This is really a problem for
our faculty. Please let me know if you figure out a fix. Thanks!
 
C

cgorak

"Next step after that would be to reset the data key in the registry"
Just tried this and it did not work.
 
P

Peter Jamieson

Yes, I had assumed from what you said that SP1 would not fix it. I have now
installed it and there has been no improvement.

Peter Jamieson
 
C

cgorak

I emailed the gentleman who was having the same problem and he also is using
a Tablet - an Acer Travelmate C300 so it is consistant with being a Tablet
issue. Now - where can I go to get this annoying issue fixed?? Thanks!
 
P

Peter Jamieson

FWIW I used one of my free "support incidents" to report it online.

Peter Jamieson
 
P

Peter Jamieson

No non-automated response so far (as far as I can tell there should have
been one by now), and eveb when (if?) there is one I do not know what MS
will actually do. So I wouldn't hold your breath!

Peter Jamieson
 
C

Cindy M -WordMVP-

Hi Peter,
No non-automated response so far (as far as I can tell there should have
been one by now), and eveb when (if?) there is one I do not know what MS
will actually do. So I wouldn't hold your breath!
Click to expand...
Do you want to try this via the route you used to take, through me?

Cindy
 
C

cgorak

This is VERY interesting. A gentleman with the same problem emailed this to
me today:
In relation to the mail merge issues on tablet pcs...If I set the document
up with the initial fields then update all labels the missing labels are
still there --- then if I add an image to the first label and then press
update all labels for the document the fields are in all the labels now.
Don't know if this helps but it might narrow the options down as to what is
wrong.
--Richard Pascoe

I tried this - I added a text box and put a *.jpg into it and then clicked
on "Update all Labels" and yup!!! the whole sheet filled. This is really
strange!!

Char Gorak
 
P

Peter Jamieson

Not much progress on my support incident so far, but I'm sure that will help
anyone investigating...

Peter Jamieson
 
S

S.Nicks

Mr. Mayor,
I went to your webiste and followed your directions and it worked. The last
time I performed a mail merge was about 1 year ago and it was very simple.
This new process is unbelieveable. I am by no means a computer guru and
figured out the mail merge last year without any help, but would have had no
idea of what the additional steps were without your website. Even the
Microsoft Online help features did not explain anything about "Insert Merge
Field" or "Propogating". That was absolutely ridiculous.
Thanks for your website, it was a life saver. I was almost to the point of
typing out each individual address again to make things work.
S.Nicks
 
G

Graham Mayor

I think many people preferred mail merge with Word 2000, but for those used
to the old ways, Word 2002/3 came as an unpleasant shock until they realise
that the older way of doing things remains largely intact - but hidden from
the user by default. I am pleased you found my web page useful.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
 
P

Peter Jamieson

Just to let you know, despite trying various avenues within Microsoft I have
had no response on the status of this problem. Although I know the essential
details reached an appropriate part of Microsoft I have no idea whether or
not they have even tried to replicate the problem on a tablet PC.

Peter Jamieson
 

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