Recreate Mail Merge?

[wes]

I type in addresses, print labels and things are fine.
Then I go to enter addresses into the form letter and it
doesn't work properly.
FirstName become a name and address.
LastName becomes AutoMerge
Address become another name and address.
And so on. I'm trying to find a way to make these fields
FirstName, LastName etc. again.
Thanks

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Wes,

I'm confused about how you're working... Let's start with
which version of Word we're dealing with?

May we assume we're dealing with mail merge? And what is
your data source? Have you created it in Word, or somewhere
else?

Did you save it? If yes, are you sure you selected it as
the data source for the form letter?

I type in addresses, print labels and things are fine.
Then I go to enter addresses into the form letter and it
doesn't work properly.
FirstName become a name and address.
LastName becomes AutoMerge
Address become another name and address.
And so on. I'm trying to find a way to make these fields
FirstName, LastName etc. again.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update
Sep 30 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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[wes]

Cindy-

Let's see, I'm working with Windows 98, so whatever
version would have come with this computer, is the version
I'm using.
I created my main document as mailing labels in word,
under mail merge. I have saved it and it is the source I
use under my data source.
This is my example. In label under merge you would type as
the following:
FirstName - John
LastName - Doe
Address - 123 Street
City - Here
And so on, to continue out my data source.
Then in the form letter, I used to be able to enter
fields, "firstname" "lastname" and so on, having them
filled with appropriate text. However, now when I go to
merge, it's no longer "firstname" "lastname" and so on,
it's "John Doe 123 Street" under firstname.
I know this is confusing, but hopefully that clarifies
things a bit.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Wes,

Let's see, I'm working with Windows 98, so whatever
version would have come with this computer, is the version
I'm using.

Well, that could be two or three different versions, so how
about you go into Word and check in Help/About, then get back
to us?

I created my main document as mailing labels in word,
under mail merge. I have saved it and it is the source I
use under my data source.

Well, you don't want to use a main merge document (or the
result of such a merge) as a data source. Once I know which
version of Word we're dealing with, I can ask you more direct
questions about what you did, originally.

but assuming you used Word's tools to create a data source,
and you saved THAT when Word prompted you to do so, then THAT
is what you need to find. If you didn't save that, then
you're essentially going to have to start over, again.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep
30 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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[Guest]

Cindy-

I realize this is probably confusing for you. It's tough
enough to explain what's going on, much less understand it
from your side.

Word version is Word 2000 (9.0.2720).

Ok, I was in a new word document. Went to Tools, Mail
Merge. Under Main Document, I created Mailing Labels.
Under Get Data, I selected Create Data. Under Field Names
in Header Row, I only left in FirstName, LastName,
Address2, City, State, and PostalCode. Then, of course,
you have to save it, as I did.

I then began typing in appropriate info in the Data Form
fields. After which, I saved again.

I then created a new document, and repeated the steps.
Only this time, instead of mailing labels, I went with
Form Letters.
Now even as early as "Query Options," it no longer lists
FirstName, LastName and so on. It lists actual names and
addresses that I had typed into the Data Form.
I go to the form letter and in the upper left corner,
the "Insert Merge Field," is the same way, with Data Form
entries rather than FirstName, etc.

A computer programmer here suggested something about
recreating mail merge, or data forms or something to that
effect.

I've been working with this for nearly a week now, and
completely lost and frustrated.

Thanks

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Word version is Word 2000 (9.0.2720).OK, that tells me which interface, and data source type

Went to Tools, Mail
Merge. Under Main Document, I created Mailing Labels.
Under Get Data, I selected Create Data. Under Field Names
in Header Row, I only left in FirstName, LastName,
Address2, City, State, and PostalCode. Then, of course,
you have to save it, as I did.

Can you remember what file name you saved the data source
as? Keep in mind, at this point you have TWO Word documents
running, one of which is invisible to you. The main merge
document, and the data source document (invisible).

(Just for background information, Word sets up a table with
column headers as the field names.)

Can you find this file on your system and open it?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep
30 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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[Guest]

Yeah, I can find and open my saved file.
Here's the thing. I've used this exact technique several
times in the past month. It's worked rather well
everytime, except for this time. Some how, the data source
has become corrupted I guess.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Yeah, I can find and open my saved file.

Here's the thing. I've used this exact technique several
times in the past month. It's worked rather well
everytime, except for this time. Some how, the data source
has become corrupted I guess.

OK, so you open the file and you should see a table. The
first row should be the field names. If that row is missing,
insert a new row at the top of the table and type in the
field names that got lost...

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep
30 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Guest]

You're not following me here. I have explained it as best
I could, and quite accurately I think. However, we're
getting nowhere here and I can't wait two days in between
meaningless and directionaless responses. I've started an
entirely different program and it seems to be working
better. Most people use these programs for some kind of
business. I'd suggest coming up with a more efficient way
of helping people out. Or, like me, they'll just give up
and stop using Word all together. It's not worth it.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

First, I think I should remark that there is no Microsoft
presence in these newsgroups. They are Peer-to-Peer support,
which means anyone you encounter here is another end-user,
just like you are. The ones who answer questions likely have
quite a bit more experience than those doing the asking
But no one is from Microsoft and has no influence on how the
software works. If you want help from Microsoft, you need to
call an MS Support number. Or, if this support format doesn't
appeal to you, you can read tutorial information in the Help,
on mvps.org/word, search for information in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base, or buy a good beginner's level book.

You're not following me here. I have explained it as best
I could, and quite accurately I think.

Either I AM following you, and you aren't following me. Or
you haven't explained what you've done accurately. I think
it's the former...

I'm suggesting you locate the data source file (apparently,
a Word *.doc that should contain a table). Open it directly
so that you can see that table. Then check that the table
header row - which should contain the field names - is still
there. If it is not, you need to insert that row and type in
the field names.

FWIW, the original impression I got from your first messages
is that you executed a mail merge to a result document and
have been trying to use that result document as your data
source. That will NOT work. And I think that's what may be
confusing you.

However, we're
getting nowhere here and I can't wait two days in between
meaningless and directionaless responses. I've started an
entirely different program and it seems to be working
better. Most people use these programs for some kind of
business. I'd suggest coming up with a more efficient way
of helping people out. Or, like me, they'll just give up
and stop using Word all together. It's not worth it.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep
30 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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[Guest]

Again, it's not accurate information that you're telling
me here. I am following you quite well, against what
opinions you may have.
I don't need a "good beginners book," I'm not a beginner
and I've done this in the past with results. This problem
goes beyond beginner material, I'm sure.
I've already moved on to a better, more efficient program
anyway.