Glad it's solved anyway!

Peter Jamieson
"Michael Koerner" wrote in message
...
I'm sorry, I knew that. It is not a .dot file. it is just a .doc file that
has all the merge information in it and when it opens up, the mailmerge
toolbar give me the option to complete the merge.

I think the problem may have evolved through different versions of Word
and
Excel I started this thing I think when I was using Office 97, and just
kept
opening the appropriate files with each new version of Office that came
along. I did something this morning (don't know what) which forced Word to
look for a new data source. When I selected the .XLS file, then saved the
document. I closed the document shut down Word reopened Word, the
document,
it opened without asking for the data source. Have done a number of warm,
cold boots (paranoia that it might revert back to the old display) and
tried
the merge with great success. Thanks again for all you help

--

Regards
Michael Koerner


"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
| I'm not sure (don't know). After clicking on the .XLS file and the
| template
| opens I have the option to "Merge to new document" which is what I
usually
| do to create the finished file.
|
| My question has really to do with how you are creating your Word
documents
| in the first place. "Template" has a specific meaning in Word. When you
| create a new document it's always based on a Word template (i.e. .dot
file).
| If you are not aware of using .dot files then the chances are that you
are
| always using the standard template, normal.dot. If you always start with
the
| blank document icon at the left hand end of the standard toolbar then
your
| document will be attached to the standard template, normal.dot. If you
| always start by copying an existing document then the new document will
| (probably) be attached to whatever template the old document was
attached
| to. You can find out which template a document is attached to by opening
the
| document and looking at Tools|Templates and Addins...|Templates|Document
| Template.
|
| By default, normal.dot is /not/ attached to a data source. It's possible
| that at some point you may have attached it to a data source but I
suspect
| you would know about it if you had. Ditto for any other use of
templates.
|
| So that's probably not the explanation in this case. But it's still
worth
| checking.
|
| Does anything else (e.g. Excel) have the data source open when you open
your
| Word document?
|
| How does one go about disconnecting a template from the data source? I
| believe if the template were attached to the data source, I would not
have
| to select it each time I open the template to run the merge.
|
| You would have to find the template, open it, then e.g. use the first
icon
| on the mail merge toolbar to set the thing back to being Normal Word
| Document (even though it isn't, it's a template), then save and close
it.
| You will probably find your templates in a folder with the following
name:
|
| C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application
Data\Microsoft\Templates
|
| where username is your Windows login name.
|
| I
| believe if the template were attached to the data source, I would not
have
| to select it each time I open the template to run the merge.
|
| That's how it should work, and how it used to work using Word 2000 I
think.
| But now the fact that the template has the data source open sometimes
means
| that the a document attached to the template cannot also open it.
|
| It's possible that you use the word template in the way many people do,
i.e.
| a document (.doc) that you copy and use as the basis of a new document.
In
| that case, you certainly should be able to open the data source in the
way
| that you suggest, unless something else also has the data source open.
|
| Peter Jamieson
|
| "Michael Koerner" wrote in message
| ...
| 1. Are you creating your mail merges from a template that's attached
to
| the
| data source?
|
| I'm not sure (don't know). After clicking on the .XLS file and the
| template
| opens I have the option to "Merge to new document" which is what I
usually
| do to create the finished file.
|
|
| if so, that could be the source of the problem, since Word seems to
keep
| the
| template's connection open (it didn't used to) and sometimes the
| connection
| is excusive. I haven't checked in this particular case, but maybe you
| could
| have a look, and if that's what you're doing, either disconnect the
| template
| from the data source or create a new template that's not connected to
a
| data
| source and try that.
|
| How does one go about disconnecting a template from the data source? I
| believe if the template were attached to the data source, I would not
have
| to select it each time I open the template to run the merge.
|
|
| 2. Are you applying any sorts, filters or selections to the Data
Source
| (via
| "Mail Merge Recipients") before closing your document?
|
| No.
|
|
| --
|
| Regards
| Michael Koerner
|
|
| "Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
| ...
| | document/template whatever opens
| |
| | 1. Are you creating your mail merges from a template that's attached
to
| the
| | data source?
| |
| | if so, that could be the source of the problem, since Word seems to
keep
| the
| | template's connection open (it didn't used to) and sometimes the
| connection
| | is excusive. I haven't checked in this particular case, but maybe
you
| could
| | have a look, and if that's what you're doing, either disconnect the
| template
| | from the data source or create a new template that's not connected
to
a
| data
| | source and try that.
| |
| | 2. Are you applying any sorts, filters or selections to the Data
Source
| (via
| | "Mail Merge Recipients") before closing your document?
| |
| | I'm about to sign off for today...
| |
| | Peter Jamieson
| | "Michael Koerner" wrote in message
| | ...
| | After changing the registry, I no longer see the question true.
But,
I
| | still
| | have to navigate to the data source and select it before the
| | document/template whatever opens
| |
| | --
| |
| | Regards
| | Michael Koerner
| |
| |
| | "Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
| | ...
| | | Here, once I have made the change to the registry in the article
I
| | referred
| | | to, I don't see the question again. If I don't make the change,
I
| always
| | see
| | | the question.
| | |
| | | I'm not sure exactly what you are doing but in an attempt to
| replicate
| | "ran
| | | the merge and save all the files" I ran a merge, outputting to a
new
| | | document, saved and closed the new document and the mail merge
main
| | | document, then re-opened the mail merge main document. No
questions,
| | | connection was fine. This is Word 2003, also up to date as far
as
I
| | know.
| | | What's happening with your copy of Word?
| | |
| | | Peter Jamieson
| | |
| | | "Michael Koerner" wrote in message
| | | ...
| | | Peter;
| | |
| | | Thanks very much. Now how do I make it stop asking me for the
| Excel
| | file
| | | after I have once ran the merge and saved all the files?
| | |
| | | --
| | |
| | | Regards
| | | Michael Koerner
| | |
| | |
| | | "Peter Jamieson" wrote in
message
| | | ...
| | | | You've probably seen the following article befo...
| | | |
| | | |
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;825765
| | | |
| | | | While there may be some other workaround for this problem, I
| suggest
| | you
| | | | e-mail and ask that they fix this,
saying
| that
| | from
| | | | your perspective,
| | | | a. all you are trying to do is use a simple data source
| | | | b. all that SQL command stuff is something Microsoft does
| internally
| | and
| | | | perhaps if that is the way they insist on doing it, they
could
| hide
| | it
| | | from
| | | | you more effectively, not least because you never actually
asked
| | their
| | | | software to "run an SQL command"
| | | | c. could they please fix it so that you can do what you want
| without
| | | facing
| | | | the kind of barrage of questions you usually only face when
| asking
| | about
| | | | software, trying to leave/enter the country, or at a
supermarket
| | | checkout
| | | | (sorry, I'm rambling:-))
| | | |
| | | | Peter Jamieson
| | | | "Michael Koerner" wrote in message
| | | | ...
| | | | Using Office 2003 all patches. I run a mailmerge using
Excel
| as
| | the
| | | data
| | | | source, and was wondering why every time I open my merge
| document
| | I
| | | | receive
| | | | the following message:
| | | |
| | | | Opening this document will run the following SQL
command:
| | | | SELECT * FROM `NominalRoll$`
| | | | Data from your database will be placed in the
document.
Do
| you
| | | want
| | | to
| | | | continue?
| | | |
| | | | When I select yes I still have to go looking for the
| | NominalRoll.xls
| | | file
| | | | You would think that once you did an initial merge it
would
| | remember
| | | where
| | | | the file was located.
| | | |
| | | | --
| | | |
| | | | Regards
| | | | Michael Koerner
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
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