Outlook Contact and Word XP Mail Merge Freezes

[Amy Pasko]

We are using Word XP and Outlook 2002 with Exchange. We created a
number of Word Merge documents that we merge with Contacts in various
Contact folders in Outlook.

Below are our steps.
1. Choose the correct Contacts Folder (users have access to numerous
attorney contacts folders and may initiate the merge from any of them)
2. Highlight the contact and choose Tools, Mail Merge.
3. Click "Only Selected Contacts".
4. Click "Existing document:" and browse to the correct Word merge
form such as fax, memo, letter, etc. The forms are stored on the
user's local drive.
5. The Merge Options are "Forms Letters" and Merge to: "New
Document".

Seven out of ten times it works perfectly. It opens the form and the
user performs the merge.

However, sometimes it appears to freeze. Actually there is a prompt
on the status bar that says "Fax Cover Sheet.doc is a mail merge main
document. Word cannot find its data source,
c:\windows\temp\omm12.doc." This is not the correct merge file name
or location.

If Options is chosen the next prompt "If the mail merge data/header
source OMM12.doc no longer exists, choose Remove Data/Header Source to
remove its assocation with Fax Cover Sheet.DOC or choose Remove All
Merge Info to make Fax Cover Sheet.DOC a normal Word document."
appears.

Users are able to choose Remove Data/Header Source and resave the
file. The user can then re-merge and complete the merge.

Users are very frustrated with the inconsistant behavior. I don't
know if it has to do with switching between the different contact
folders. We will be able to do this or do I have to create a merge
fax cover for each contact folder?

Thanks.

Amy

 

[Peter Jamieson]

However, sometimes it appears to freeze. Actually there is a prompt

on the status bar that says "Fax Cover Sheet.doc is a mail merge main
document. Word cannot find its data source,
c:\windows\temp\omm12.doc." This is not the correct merge file name
or location.

Yes, in fact when you use this method to get your Outlook data, Outlook does
create a .doc file which Word then uses as the data source. So the message
makes sense i.e. it shouldn't be saying that it can't find Outlook or some
such).

When you select the file to use as the mail merge main document, are you
actually selecting Fax Cover Sheet.doc or are you selecting a .dot ? If it
is a .doc and the user saves that .doc at the end of the process, then it
will have the data source from the last merge attached. In that case, when
Outlook next tries to open the .doc you will see the message you quote /if/
the OMM12.DOC (or whatever) has been removed, because unfortunately this
message appears /before/ Outlook has an opportunity to disconnect from any
existing data source.

If that is what is happening, it may be better to make the Fax Cover Sheet a
..dot, which means that it should never accidentally acquire a data source in
this way.

If not, let us know and maybe that will give you a clue for the time being
anyway.