Peter --
More hurricane clean-up to delay matters. My apologies.
The below reference is of interest, because about a month ago I installed a
wireless HP printer/fax. I am having the same merge problem on a laptop,
which also uses the same printer/fax, but then I also update that computer
with files from the desktop. Other than the infrequent updates from Windows
Update, there have been no other system changes installed.
Since I am not versed on registry clean-ups/alterations, I will be content
for the time being to use a Word-based name and address source, since that
approach works, although that is not my preference. I might try an HP web
site to see if others have had a similar problem.
My special thanks for your interest, and time devoted to my problem.
Gordon Biggar
Houston, Texas
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
FWIW here's the only reference I've come across on the web to someone
fixing
this problem with a similar configuration to yours.
-----------------------------------------------------
Putting a simple DDE field to call Excel into Word also hangs it. I
think
the problem may be that DDE from Word has ceased working entirely.
I fixed this. Apparently the problem was that I had removed an old HP
OfficeJet printer driver (which was unused, and had not been selected
on either the word file or the the spreadsheet). To fix it, I removed
the application as well as the driver, cleaned the printer spooler (by
removing all drivers), and reinstalled them (which involved hacking
the registry around to reinstate the standard TCP/IP port monitor).
This appears to fix it. Therefore it seems one of the possible causes
of the DDE hang when mail-merging is to do with printer drivers.
-----------------------------------------------------
--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
OK, not sure where to go from here, but...
a. which version of Windows are you using? (I don't thin kthis is
particularly important but it may be useful to know)
b. can you remember installing anything - either new, or a "significant
upgrade" before the problem started occurring?
c. are you starting with a really clean system - nothing except
Word/Excel
running, for example?
d. assuming you're running a virus checker, can you try disonnecting
your
machine from any network, temporarily disabliing the checker, then try
again?
--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
"Gordon Biggar" wrote in message
...
Tried both Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer. Word hangs up
(freezes)
after pressing F9 key.
GB
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
OK, if you feel like it there's one other thing you could try, which
is
to
try to connect to an application that is neither Word nor Excel, using
DDE.
if that works, then there's probably a problem specifically with Excel
configuration - how to fix it, I do not know, but since re-installing
Office
does not typically destroy all configuration informatin for the
application,
it might be a question of removing a registry entry and letting Excel
rebuild it: it's probably a question for the Excel experts.
There are various programs that should respond to DDE requests. I make
all
the suggestions I can think of that involve common windows/office apps
below. When trying to connect to any of them (same with Excel) it's a
good
idea to ensure that the program is started and you have dismissed any
startup dialog boxes. In some case the "program" has probably already
been
started.
Then in Word, change the DDE field as follows:
Change
{ DDE WINWORD SYSTEM SYSITEMS }
to the following:
Some info. from Windows Explorer:
{ DDE FOLDERS APPPROPERTIES }
Info. from MS Access:
{ DDE MSACCESS SYSTEM SYSITEMS }
Info. from MS Query ((NB, if MS Query has been installed on your
system
it
will be in the appropriate office folder (same place as WINWORD.EXE)
and
will be called MSQRY32.EXE):
{ DDE MSQUERY SYSTEM SYSITEMS }
Info. from Internet Explorer:
{ DDE IEXPLORE WWW_OpenURL http://www.microsoft.com }
Info. from Frontpage:
{ DDE FRONTPAGE SYSTEM SYSITEMS }
--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
"Gordon Biggar" wrote in message
...
My error. I had typed the field into an Excel spreadsheet.
When executing {DDE Excel...., the hourglass appeared, yellow lights
flashed
on the desktop box, and I let it run for 20 minutes. Assuming that
it
was
in some sort of loop, I finally shut it down.
Gordon
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
BTW, I thought I had replied to this - the idea is that you change
the
field
code you had in Word, then re-execute it - ie.e. use
{ DDE Excel ... etc.
insead of
{ DDE Winword
(the only reason to have Excel open is that it makes it slightly
more
likely
that the DDE field will execute without problems)
Peter Jamieson
"Gordon Biggar" wrote in message
...
For Word, I obtained the results you showed in your message.
However,
in
Excel, control F-9 minimizes the window without producing the
brackets.
Again, this is Office 2000.
GB
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
On the DDE subject, because DDE is part of Windows rther than
Office,
I
doubt if doing an Office Check and Repair will work, but it may
be
worth
trying. Also, did you check the option in Excel-Tools-Options
has
not
changed to prevent DDE access to Excel?
There's one test it may be worth doing, which is to start Word,
then
insert
a { DDE } field into a blank Word document as follows:
{ DDE Winword System Sysitems }
(use ctrl-F9 to insert the special {} - everything else is text)
Select the field and use F9 to update it. The result should look
something
like the following . If necessary, use Alt-F9 to see the result.
SYSITEMS TOPICS FORMATS
If that works, it says that DdE is owrking well enough for Word
to
be
able
to communicate with itself. If not, DDE is definitely in trouble
on
your
system!
If it worked, you can try starting Excel, then using the same
approach
except:
{ DDE Excel System Sysitems }
The result will probably be a bit different in Word 2003, but
with
Office
2007 I get:
SysItems Topics Status Formats Selection
Protocols
EditEnvItems
Probably worth a shot just to see if it unblocks something for
you.
Peter Jamieson
On 01/10/2008 20:49, in article
,
"Gordon Biggar" wrote:
Since I have been unable to solve the DDE problem (refer to
Sept.
30
post
below), concerning the use of Excel name and address data
files
being
used
by Word merge files, I have created a name and address file
(Header
and
Data) in Word instead. For some reason, this works, whereas
attempts
to
use
an Excel data file does not.
However, two things arise. The Header file that I use is long
enough
that I
cannot view all of the fields on the monitor, and there is no
ability
to
scroll across the page.
Secondly, I do keep numeric information in some of the fields
in
the
Data
file, which is why I originally used an Excel-based data file.
Formerly, to
update any data in the Excel data file, I would simply copy
the
incoming
data from selected columns in incoming Excel spreadsheets, and
copy
the
data
into the appropriate fields in the name and address
spreadsheet.
Is
there a
way that I can take incoming data from Excel spreadsheets and
copy
it
into
the Word name and address file (i.e, the new data file)? Or,
will
I
have to
type it in manually, a laborious process?
Thanks in advance.
Gordon Biggar
Houston, Texas