Trouble keeping records straight for a mail merge -data from Acces

[Nikki]

I am using Word and Access 2003. I set up a system towards the end of 2005
so it's been working flawlessly for me since then up until about a week ago.
I created a mail merge to send out placement letters. The document contains
3 pages (candidate ltr, client ltr and an invoice page); I set up templates
for all of our clients. When we place a new candidate I enter all of the
information into an Access database I set up and then go to the Word doc and
merge the info in. I have been saving each one with the appropriate
candidate information left checked in the mail merge and doing a save as with
all the candidates information saved in the letter so when I go back I can
just open the document and the correct information comes up already in the
letter so I don't have to go back through the data source. Well somehow
while I was on vacation and someone else was using the system they messed it
up. Now the changes don't stay put. I have to go back into the data source
every time and hunt for the correct candidate to merge into the letter again.
I can "redo them" but as soon as I log off my computer for the day all the
changes are lost.

I am not sure what happened but I'd really like to know I get it back to the
way it was. Please any feedback/suggestions/ solutions would be GREATLY
appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Peter Jamieson]

I am not sure what happened

Nor am I. I suppose it's also possible that an automated update changed the
behaviour of your system, but I think t would be rather a coincidence if
that occurred when you happened to be away for a week or so.

If you cannot go back to a full backup of your system from before you left
(and of course in that case you might lose emails received in the last week,
that kind of stuff), then maybe you could use Windows XP (if that is what
you are using) "System Restore" to try to get your system back to the state
you were in before you left - have a look at Windows Start Button|All
Programs|Accessories|System Tools|System Restore. The trouble with this
feature is that it isn't completely clear what exactly is "restored" and
what is not, so if you decide to try to use it, it's advisable to ensure
that your entire system is backed up so you can get back to where you are
right now.

Peter Jamieson

 

[Nikki]

Thank you but I don't think that is a choice for me. I am one of 8 computers
on a Small Business Network and to get permission to do something like that
would be a ton of trouble, plus it runs the risk of screwing up someone
else's machine. If there are any other suggestions I would really appreciate
them. Thanks!

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

It sounds like you have not actually been using mail merge as it is intended
to be used and have just been saving the main document (with another name)
when it is displaying a preview of the results of the mail merge.

You could probably continue to get away with doing this if after doing a
Save As, you used Ctrl+A to select everything in the document and then used
Ctrl+Shift+F9 to unlink the fields in the document, which will convert the
data from the data base into text. You would of course then have to re-save
the document.

Another thing that you might do is consider doing it by the method in the
database that you can down load by clicking on the
appropriate link in the Super Easy Word Merge item of fellow MVP Albert
Kallal's website at:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/msaccess.html


--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP