XP asks for database every time

[Rachael]

At work I just upgraded from Office 2000 to Office XP. In
2000 after using a file a couple of times with a mail
merge, it would stop asking me for the database (it would
know where it is automatically).

I assumed the same would be for XP. I've had Office XP
for about a month now and every time I open a mail merge
document, it asks me for the location of the database!!
It's driving me nuts!! It never opens to the right
directory, and I have to locate it each time!

Is there a way around this? 99% of my documents are mail
merged to this same database and I use it constantly
throughout the day. I need a solution.

If there isn't one, I will ask tech to downgrade me
again, because I can't do this every time!

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Rachael,

1. Is this an Access database, or something else?

2. Is the database on your machine, locally, or in the
network?

3. Are you making use of the Recipients dialog box to choose
records, or does also happen otherwise?

To get you going, you should look at the Word 2002 section
of my website's mail merge FAQ, most especially, the
information on connecting. Try using a DDE or ODBC
connection (if this is Access) and see if things don't
settle down a bit.

At work I just upgraded from Office 2000 to Office XP. In
2000 after using a file a couple of times with a mail
merge, it would stop asking me for the database (it would
know where it is automatically).

I assumed the same would be for XP. I've had Office XP
for about a month now and every time I open a mail merge
document, it asks me for the location of the database!!
It's driving me nuts!! It never opens to the right
directory, and I have to locate it each time!

Is there a way around this? 99% of my documents are mail
merged to this same database and I use it constantly
throughout the day. I need a solution.

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

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any
follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Guest]

I have no idea if it's an Access Database. It was already
set when I started here. How could I find that out?

The Database is locally on my machine.

I don't know what the recipients dialog box is, but I'm
doing files on an individual per recipient basis. I never
have to send the same letter to more than one person.

(I work in insurance, and these are the claimants who I
send benefits too)

any help would be great.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

I have no idea if it's an Access Database. It was already

set when I started here. How could I find that out?

OK, if you have to navigate to the database in order to
relink, then you do know the complete file name? What
extension does it use? *.xls, *.mdb, or something else?

I don't know what the recipients dialog box is, but I'm
doing files on an individual per recipient basis. I never
have to send the same letter to more than one person.

Ahhh. OK. This isn't really what mailmerge is meant for, but
people do use it like that So, in order to choose the
single recipient, what do you do, exactly?

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

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any
follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Sandy]

I had this exact same problem when our office converted
to XP professional. My system, is that I have a template
(source document) in Word, and it links to an Access
database. When you open your template or source document,
before you start the merge, go to "Tools" "Options" click
the "general tab" and click the box "confirm conversion
on open" Then re-save your template. When you start your
merge, it will prompt you to choose the link, since mine
is Access, I choose the "DDE" link. That seemed to solve
THAT problem. Now, I have another problem (which i'm sure
is as a result of converting to XP, but I'm going to post
it under a new heading.

Hope this helps. When I get back to work next week, I'll
look up the actual article I got from Microsoft, and post
the link.

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----
OK, if you have to navigate to the database in order to
relink, then you do know the complete file name? What
extension does it use? *.xls, *.mdb, or something else?

Ok, it's just a .doc file.

Ahhh. OK. This isn't really what mailmerge is meant for, but
people do use it like that So, in order to choose the
single recipient, what do you do, exactly?

OK. This is the process (sorry if it's long, but I need
to figure this out).

I open the template I want to use in the "open office
document". I open the file and a window pops open that
says: "filename.dot is a mail merge main document. Word
cannot find it's data source, C:\...\filename.doc" and I
get two options: "Find Data Source" and "Options". I
click on "Find Data Source" and manually go to the
location of my filename.doc data source file. Then my
word document opens. It asks this for EVERY WORD FILE
that has a mail merge.

Then, I click on the the button on my toolbar
for "dataform" which is a picture of table with a
pen/pencil and a screen opens up that has all my fields
in the body, "record" at the bottom left (to cycle
through all my records) and a bunch of buttons on the
right ("Add New" "Delete" "Restore" "Find" "View Source"
and "Close").

I click on "Find" (a screen opens) and search by one of
the fields (i.e. last name), by clicking on the "find
first" button in the find screen. When the right record
shows up in the "Data Form" in the background, I click
the close button in the "find" box. Now, because there is
no "OK" button on the "Data Form" if I click on "Close",
the record doesn't update to the document. I have to look
at the bottom of the "Data Form" Screen for the record
number (say #192), click "Close" and go to my record
number space in the toolbar, type in the corect one
(192), press enter, and then it updates to my document
after pressing the "<ABC>" button (Veiw Merged data).

I'm trying to figure out if there is a better way to do
this.

If I click on the "find" button in the toolbar (the
binoculars one) It doesn't find anything. Of course, that
is related to my other post. Essentially, they are a
related issue.

I don't know anything about Macros. All I did was
customize my toolbar from the Tools>Customize menu.

Any help would be apreciated. Our tech department doesn't
do Office help.

 

[Rachael]

I forgot to say the above message was from me. (forgot to
put my name!!)

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Rachel

Thanks for all the detailed information Now I know what
you're looking at, and I hope we can find a solution
together.

I'd like to pursue one problem at a time, if that's OK with
you. It's possible that solving one may clear up another...

So I'd like to start with the problem that occurs when you
open a mail merge document. First, an observation: *.dot
files are meant for creating new documents, and normally
shouldn't just be opened, as you describe you do. It's not
certain any problems stem from this, but I'd like you try
something, just so we can be certain:

1. Start Word

2. File/New. Probably, the "New Document" task pane will
open up. Click the "On my computer" link, if this is the
case. Is your .dot file in this list?

3. If it is, choose it. If it's not, skip down to * below
the numbered steps.

4. Do you get prompted for the data source? (Probably, but I
just want to make sure)

*If the template is not in your Templates or Workgroup
templates location, please navigate to it in Windows
Explorer, right-click, and choose the New command.
---
OK. If you did get prompted (which I expect, but I just want
to be sure):

- are these *.dot mail merge files saved in a network
location?

- are you able to SAVE changes to the files, or save new
files to this same location?

- if you
- Rename Normal.dot to NormalOLD.dot
- Start Word
- set up a test mail merge to your *.doc data source
- save and close the document, and Word (to a local
drive, not to the network)
- open this test merge document

Does you still get the prompt, or does it open cleanly, with
the data source attached? And if you repeat the above steps
and this time save the new document to the network location
(assuming you're working over a network when you get the
problems)?

Ok, it's just a .doc file.


OK. This is the process (sorry if it's long, but I need
to figure this out).

I open the template I want to use in the "open office
document". I open the file and a window pops open that
says: "filename.dot is a mail merge main document. Word
cannot find it's data source, C:\...\filename.doc" and I
get two options: "Find Data Source" and "Options". I
click on "Find Data Source" and manually go to the
location of my filename.doc data source file. Then my
word document opens. It asks this for EVERY WORD FILE
that has a mail merge.

Then, I click on the the button on my toolbar
for "dataform" which is a picture of table with a
pen/pencil and a screen opens up that has all my fields
in the body, "record" at the bottom left (to cycle
through all my records) and a bunch of buttons on the
right ("Add New" "Delete" "Restore" "Find" "View Source"
and "Close").

I click on "Find" (a screen opens) and search by one of
the fields (i.e. last name), by clicking on the "find
first" button in the find screen. When the right record
shows up in the "Data Form" in the background, I click
the close button in the "find" box. Now, because there is
no "OK" button on the "Data Form" if I click on "Close",
the record doesn't update to the document. I have to look
at the bottom of the "Data Form" Screen for the record
number (say #192), click "Close" and go to my record
number space in the toolbar, type in the corect one
(192), press enter, and then it updates to my document
after pressing the "<ABC>" button (Veiw Merged data).

I'm trying to figure out if there is a better way to do
this.

If I click on the "find" button in the toolbar (the
binoculars one) It doesn't find anything. Of course, that
is related to my other post. Essentially, they are a
related issue.

I don't know anything about Macros. All I did was
customize my toolbar from the Tools>Customize menu.

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

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any
follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail