Why would opening a mail merge doc turn it in to a normal doc?

[jpreavis]

I've got a mail merge doc that links to a datasource. The doc and database
are on a server. I have several client machines that can open the doc and
use it as a merge doc. I have two clients who open the doc and see it
immediatey turn into a normal doc. If they save then everyone sees it as a
normal doc.

All are running the same version of Word/Office. All can use the datasource
to access the database.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Not sure, but...

Can we rule out:
- viruses?
- macros in either normal.dot or any other attached template?
- registry settings such as the one that suppresses the pop-up message
about SQL?

What is the data source and how is the document connected to it? (OLEDB? via
a .ODC or what?). Was the connection made as a one-off, or is it
re-established by an AutoOpen macro or some such each time the document is
opened?

Do the users have the same access permissions to each object involved in the
connection (e.g., any .odc file or .udl file, any network shares, the
database and/or its tables/views) ?

Peter Jamieson