What I would do is:
a. enable the MailMerge toolbar (e.g. View|Toolbars)
b. create new merges by starting with the lefthand button, then use button
2 to select the data source etc.
c. if you are seeing the list of connection methods when you select your
data source,
- if you were using Word 97/2000 before and never chose the connection
method, choose DDE in the first instance. That's what Word 97/2000 used.
- if you were using Word 97/2000 before and used ODBC, I'd probably
choose OLE DB, which is the default in Word 2003
The Word 2003 MailMerge toolbar behaves differently from the WOrd 97/2000
one - it doesn't disappear/reappear depending on whether the document is a
Mail merge Main document or not.
The advantage of using OLE DB is that it's the (relatively) up-to-date
method and does not have to start up a copy of Access each time it gets
data. If you have non-ANSI Unicode character data in your data source, it's
the only option that works. However,
a. it does not work with all types of query, particularly "Parameter
queries". With DDE, Access opens and asks for the parameters as necessary.
b. it's more difficult to set it up to work with databases secured by
passwords or using workgroup info. files (with DDE, Access just asks the
appropriate questions when it opens, and you answer them)
c. you are more likely to need "formatting switches" in your MERGEFIELD
fields in Word where the data is a date or amount.
The main advantage of using the Mail Merge Wizard, other than the fact that
it leads you through the process, is that it lets you connect to Outlook
Contacts data sources (you can't do that from the toolbar), andlets you set
up new data sources in "Office Address List" format, which you also can't do
from the toolbar. However, if you want to merge from Outlook COntacts, you
will probably be better off selecting your contacts in Outlook and using
Outlook Tools|Mail Merge... to do it.
Peter Jamieson