Word Data Merge Query to Address Book Doesn't Display all Categories

[mlanger]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

When I attempt to do a mail merge to only some categories in my Entourage Address Book, the Query Options dialog doesn't always show ALL of the categories. For some categories, sometimes it just shows check boxes with nothing next to them. Why is this happening and how can I make it stop?

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

When I attempt to do a mail merge to only some categories in my Entourage Address Book, the Query Options dialog doesn't always show ALL of the categories. For some categories, sometimes it just shows check boxes with nothing next to them. Why is this happening and how can I make it stop?

Hi,

I think what you're looking for might be on the "More" tab of Step #3,
Insert Placeholders. Choose "Next Record If" or one of the other IF
conditional placeholders and configure it as desired.

-Jim

 

[mlanger]

I think what you're looking for might be on the "More" tab of Step #3,
Insert Placeholders. Choose "Next Record If" or one of the other IF
conditional placeholders and configure it as desired.

No, what I'm looking for is the dialog I specified in my original message. I'd like it to work the way it's supposed to every single time I want to use it. I don't want to use conditional statements. I want to simply use the Query feature built into the Mail Merge Manager dialog to filter contacts by Entourage category. I'm talking about Step 4 here.

I don't understand why Microsoft includes such a feature in their software when it WON'T WORK RELIABLY.

I am not the only user to have this problem and ask about it here. Someone else had the same problem in DECEMBER 2008. Why doesn't Microsoft FIX it?

I am NOT a novice user trying to figure out how to use Word. I know how to use it. I've been using it since 1989. I've written at least 10 books about it. I just don't understand how Microsoft can sell software that's so buggy and not provide a method for users to report bugs when found.

 

[CyberTaz]

Regrettably I don't have a solution for your problem & perhaps that's why
there hasn't been much response from anyone else. It isn't common for anyone
to reply with "I don't know.", especially if they also have no means or
opportunity to investigate before responding. But there are a few other
points that I'd like to clarify

This is not Microsoft Tech Support or Customer Service. Those who contribute
their time here are other users who do so voluntarily. Although the
'regulars' represent a wide range of knowledge & insight about the use of
the software nobody has *all* the answers. Occasionally there will be an
issue -- such as this one, perhaps -- where questioners will not get a
response because nobody knows the answer.

Secondly, even if someone does have a responsible suggestion, newsgroups are
not the venue from which to expect an timely response. Despite what many
people expect in this electronic age of enhanced immediate gratification it
may take as much as 24 hours before a post is even seen by someone with
insight on the issue. Not receiving a reply within a few hours is not at all
uncommon, especially if the intended responder has to investigate/recreate
the issue, formulate a suggestion and *test* it before offering it up.

Another factor -- about which you certainly can't be expected to know -- is
that there has been an ongoing issue with questions posted via the Mactopia
Forums web interface not being replicated to the NNTP (newsgroup) servers.
As a result, many of those questions have not even been seen by those who
use newsreader software... which is literally every one of us. The volume of
traffic we handle simply can't be effectively dealt with through that
interface. In fact, the time frame for the prior message you referred to
(Dec, '08) falls right in the heart of when that problem began & was at its
worst. MacBU has been fighting an uphill battle to have the website
developers correct the problem and although much progress has been made
there are still quite a few posts that don't make it through for some
reason. That isn't offered as an excuse but as an explanation -- it's as
frustrating for us & MacBU as it is for the questioners.

I'm afraid there's also the unfortunate but true axiom about the "squeaky
wheel" getting the oil You refer to the issue as a bug -- and I'm not
saying that it isn't -- but the one report was nearly a year ago & I have
not seen any reference from anyone else on the matter until your message
yesterday. Even if it is truly a bug & with all deference to how significant
it is to those affected by it, it apparently isn't widespread, so even if it
is on the radar it may be too costly to devote the necessary resources to
investigate and/or the fix may risk breaking something more significant
and/or may require measures that can't effectively be addressed by updates.

Again, I sincerely wish I had something more positive to offer. The best
suggestion I can provide is that you use the Help> Send Feedback feature in
Word to submit the problem directly to Microsoft. All I can assure you is
that they do pay attention to the data collected by that feature. Don't
expect a personally reply, but the matter will be looked at. Alternatively,
you can contact by email or phone using information available at:

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/contactus.mspx

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

No, what I'm looking for is the dialog I specified in my original message. I'd like it to work the way it's supposed to every single time I want to use it. I don't want to use conditional statements. I want to simply use the Query feature built into the Mail Merge Manager dialog to filter contacts by Entourage category. I'm talking about Step 4 here.

I don't understand why Microsoft includes such a feature in their software when it WON'T WORK RELIABLY.

I am not the only user to have this problem and ask about it here. Someone else had the same problem in DECEMBER 2008. Why doesn't Microsoft FIX it?

I am NOT a novice user trying to figure out how to use Word. I know how to use it. I've been using it since 1989. I've written at least 10 books about it. I just don't understand how Microsoft can sell software that's so buggy and not provide a method for users to report bugs when found.

Hi,

I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I think I know the problem that you
are referring to. I came across it while writing the Dummies book, and
remember mentioning the problem and offering a solution to it in the
Word mail merge chapter. However, I don't think that particular item
made the final cut. Spotlight finds that I used the expression
"Entourage contacts" in 159 different documents related to the new
Dummies book. I'm pretty sure the answer lies in one of them. I looked
at a few of the most likely candidates, but no luck.

I thought I offered a solution to this problem in a previous thread, but
searching groups.google.com did not result in the answer I was looking for.

The problem, if I remember correctly, involves an incomplete dialog box.
Doing something like clicking a pop-up menu or opening the dialog box a
second time temporarily fixes the problem. It's an every-other time sort
of thing. Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact steps that I took to
cause the problem in the first place, so I can't fiddle with it to try
to give you a more precise answer. If you can offer a step-by-step to
produce the errant dialog box, I might be able to remember what I did to
fix it.

-Jim

 

[stans]

I encountered the same problem. After contacting Microsoft support, they indicated it was a known issue with Word 2008 for Mac and only occurs if the combined number of contacts and categories in the Address Book exceeds 109.

To work around this issue, Microsoft Support suggested I follow these steps:
1. Start Microsoft Word 2008
2. Open Word 2008 to a blank document ("Document1"), in which the cursor is blinking - This indicates that Document1 is the active document
3. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge Manager - The Mail Merge Manager palette appears on the screen
4. In the Mail Merge Manager palette, click Create New, and then click Labels. Select label and click OK.
5. In the Mail Merge Manager palette, click Get List, and then click Office Address Book
a. Remove any fields that you do not want. To do this, select the field in Field names in the header row list, and then click Remove Field Name
b. To add a field, type the name of the field that you want in the Field name box, and then click Add Placeholder
6. When the Merge window opens, the only categories that are displayed by default are the "None" and "Junk" categories
a. In the filter recipients section, select Options
b. From the List mail merge recipients by drop-down menu, select Complete Record
c. Select the first entry, and then click OK
d. In the filter recipients section, select Options
e. From the List mail merge recipients by drop-down menu, select Category - All the categories will be displayed.
7. Under Filter Recipients, select Options. Under Options, select the categories that you want
8. When you have finished identifying the categories that you want, click OK
9. Next, select Merge to New Document under Complete Merge
10. In the Save box or in the Save As dialog box, type the name that you want to use for the data document, select the folder in which to store the document, and then click Save

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

I encountered the same problem. After contacting Microsoft support, they indicated it was a known issue with Word 2008 for Mac and only occurs if the combined number of contacts and categories in the Address Book exceeds 109.

To work around this issue, Microsoft Support suggested I follow these steps:
1. Start Microsoft Word 2008
2. Open Word 2008 to a blank document ("Document1"), in which the cursor is blinking - This indicates that Document1 is the active document
3. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge Manager - The Mail Merge Manager palette appears on the screen
4. In the Mail Merge Manager palette, click Create New, and then click Labels. Select label and click OK.
5. In the Mail Merge Manager palette, click Get List, and then click Office Address Book
a. Remove any fields that you do not want. To do this, select the field in Field names in the header row list, and then click Remove Field Name
b. To add a field, type the name of the field that you want in the Field name box, and then click Add Placeholder
6. When the Merge window opens, the only categories that are displayed by default are the "None" and "Junk" categories
a. In the filter recipients section, select Options
b. From the List mail merge recipients by drop-down menu, select Complete Record
c. Select the first entry, and then click OK
d. In the filter recipients section, select Options
e. From the List mail merge recipients by drop-down menu, select Category - All the categories will be displayed.
7. Under Filter Recipients, select Options. Under Options, select the categories that you want
8. When you have finished identifying the categories that you want, click OK
9. Next, select Merge to New Document under Complete Merge
10. In the Save box or in the Save As dialog box, type the name that you want to use for the data document, select the folder in which to store the document, and then click Save

I knew I saw this somewhere! It's here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971920

-Jim

 

[fposada]

Jim

I did follow the instruction but after step 4, Create Labels, I got different screens than the instructions.

Something is wrong in there. Step 5, Get List does not show what is said on the instructions.

Please advice,

regards

Francisco

 

[fposada]

Hi,

I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I think I know the problem that you
are referring to. I came across it while writing the Dummies book, and
remember mentioning the problem and offering a solution to it in the
Word mail merge chapter. However, I don't think that particular item
made the final cut. Spotlight finds that I used the expression
"Entourage contacts" in 159 different documents related to the new
Dummies book. I'm pretty sure the answer lies in one of them. I looked
at a few of the most likely candidates, but no luck.

I thought I offered a solution to this problem in a previous thread, but
searching groups.google.com did not result in the answer I was looking for.

The problem, if I remember correctly, involves an incomplete dialog box.
Doing something like clicking a pop-up menu or opening the dialog box a
second time temporarily fixes the problem. It's an every-other time sort
of thing. Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact steps that I took to
cause the problem in the first place, so I can't fiddle with it to try
to give you a more precise answer. If you can offer a step-by-step to
produce the errant dialog box, I might be able to remember what I did to
fix it.

-Jim

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP
Co-author of Office 2008 for Mac All-in-One For Dummies
<http://tinyurl.com/Office-2008-for-Dummies>

Hi Jim

I did follow the instruction but after step 4, Create Labels, I got different screens than the instructions.

Something is wrong in there. Step 5, Get List does not show what is said on the instructions.

Please advice,

regards

Francisco

 

[fposada]

I had the same problem. I tried Jim´s advice but I could get only until step 4, LABELS. When I get to step 5,. the instructions do not follow the screens.

please advice

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

I had the same problem. I tried Jim´s advice but I could get only until step 4, LABELS. When I get to step 5,. the instructions do not follow the screens.

please advice

OK OK. I have a lot more detail about making labels in the Dummies
book. You can read this for free on-line, but you need to sign into
Amazon.com in order to read the content.

1. Log into Amazon.com
2. Go to this URL
http://tinyurl.com/Office-2008-for-Dummies
3. About 1/3 the way down the page, look for the Inside This Book Learn
More section, and in the Search Inside this Book field type:
Mail Merge
4. Click the Go button
5. When the book opens, click on page 282 in the left panel.
6. Read the heading Making Labels

The section starts off explaining how to make a set of labels that has
identical labels. For merging from a database, click on page 285 and
start with the heading Making Labels from a Database.

Is this helpful?

-Jim