You can still use the mail merge helper in the current version - see
http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_lab...th_word_xp.htm
and you can turn off the drawing canvas (Microsoft invariably activates new
functions by defaults, presumably so users are aware of them)

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Frustrated trainer wrote:
I train 250 teachers. I finally teach them how to use Mail Merge
(2000) to make class certificates and to query so they can make
different certificates for different students and MS changes to a
wizard that is impossible to use and it doesn't allow you to do a
query unless you do a select and deselect with the Recipient List.
The old helper worked so much better. Why does MS always fiddle with
what is working. It is frustrating. I have to constantly retrain
when new versions come out of so many things like I have to teach
everyone to deselect the annoying drawing canvas that everyone
hates. That thing should be deselected on default. I don't know
anyone at work or outside of work who likes the drawing canvas or the
mail merge wizard! I have now made a tutorial for the teachers to
use mail merge by the tool bar and not the Wizard. I did this
because suddenly teachers were making their certificates by hand
again. Every time MS makes drastic changes that make things that
work more complicated, they loose people who give up. I have to
continually help teachers to see that it is worth doing.

I also do large lists and really hate selecting because there is no
query, or is there and I just can't find it.