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
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|