OK, I haven't been able to reproduce this here, but my data may be too
simple. I don't know if you are in a position to modify the data and
structures on your database, but a few questions/suggestions:
a. what is the data source exactly (a table, a view, does it involve a
Transact-SQL procedure).
b. how are you connecting to SQL Server? Are you using the same ODBC
connection as you would have used in Word 2000 (perhaps in conjunction with
MS Query), or an OLEDB connection? If you have not tried both already, try
the other method.
c. if possible, drop/recreate the table's indexes.
d. If you connect to other tables, do you see the same problem? In
particular, can you create a copy of the table you are using with a new name
and copy some (and/or all, although that may be asking rather a lot given
the table size you mention) of the data to that table, and use that as the
data source.
e. Can you provide a sample of the SQL Query code that Word is using? (to
find that out, you can open the mail merge main document, set up the filter
you want, start Word's VB editor, open the immediate window, and type

print ActiveDocument.MailMerge.DataSource.QueryString

and copy/paste the result into a message here.

(If you do that, it might also be useful to do

print ActiveDocument.MailMerge.DataSource.Name

and

print ActiveDocument.MailMerge.DataSource.ConnectString

as well)

Peter Jamieson

"RSMITH" wrote in message
news
Thanks Peter - it is a very frustrating glitch - I can't reproduce it in
W2000 and previous versions. Sometimes I can work round it by selecting
the
record before the one I need - it is more difficult when I am selecting by
postcode or county, etc.

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Sorry for the delayed response - I have been away. Nothing springs to
mind
but I will have a look.

Peter Jamieson
"RSMITH" wrote in message
...
Sorry - I could have made that clearer - the data is held in a SQL
Server
database and linked to Access 2000, I have tried taking the data
directly
from SQL Server with identical results, there are around 150k records.
From
that I merge into a Word 2003 document, I don't use the wizard in word
because that is too cumbersome so I use the query facility that was
standard
in Word 2000, the records are usually simply filtered to an account
number
and postcode.

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

How are you defining which records to merge? (e.g., are you checking
individual records in the Mail merge Recipients box, or specifying a
start
and end record number, or what?)

Also, what exactly is the data source? Are you using an Access table?
An
Access query? An Access table linked to a SQL Server database?
Directly
connecting to a SQL Server database? All of them?

Peter Jamieson

"RSMITH" wrote in message
...
I am merging a letter in Word that uses tables from Access and SQL -
the
fields are simple address and names. On each occasion Word imports
the
data
BUT - ignores the first requested record and inserts instead record
#1
of
the
whole database - therefore on each merge I need to insert the data
for
the
first required record separately. Otherwise the merge is perfect...
Any
ideas??