I finally had a chance to do a Mail Merge in 2003 and what happened? Even
though I think I'm in the wrong spot, I have to vent. I've been doing Mail
Merges since Word 6.0 and 2003's is awful. Why the change from 3 simple
steps to 5 non-simple steps? It's one of the reason of why the whole company
isn't being upgraded to the new version - the user's won't like it.

Any chance things will be back to normal (and functional) for the next
release?

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...merge.fi elds

I would suggest that you turn on the Mail Merge toolbar by selecting
Toolbars from the View menu and then checking the Mail Merge toolbar.

Alternatively, you can get the original Mail Merge Helper back by selecting
Customise from the Tools menu and then go to the Commands tab of the
Customise dialog and select the All Commands Category and then scroll down
through the list until you come to the Mail Merge Helper item and then click
and drag it onto the expanded Tools menu or a toolbar.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

"gkoval" wrote in message
...
I finally had a chance to do a Mail Merge in 2003 and what happened? Even
though I think I'm in the wrong spot, I have to vent. I've been doing
Mail
Merges since Word 6.0 and 2003's is awful. Why the change from 3 simple
steps to 5 non-simple steps? It's one of the reason of why the whole
company
isn't being upgraded to the new version - the user's won't like it.

Any chance things will be back to normal (and functional) for the next
release?

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow
this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...merge.fi elds

[lrose33]

I will not use Word 2002, 2003, or any newer version of Word until mail merge
is fixed. I use mail merge everyday and the newer version is truly awful. I
still use Word 2000 because the mail merge function is much simpler & faster.
I have read the comment about adding the old mail merge helper to the
toolbar (a very esoteric procedure - No one would ever find it on their own.
) I've experimented with this in Word 2003 and find it is a pain. It is
slightly better than than the idiot mail merge wizard in newer versions. In
Word 2000, you can set up the merge fields quickly and all at one time. Using
the helper or the wizard in the newer version for addresses, you have to
insert one merge field, close the box, insert a lline return, reopen the box,
insert the next merge field, close the box, etc. This was easy in the old
version. You have managed to take a simple procedure and make it insanely
complicated. If something's not broke, DON'T fix it. However, feel free to
fix this new "feature" asap.

"gkoval" wrote:

I finally had a chance to do a Mail Merge in 2003 and what happened? Even
though I think I'm in the wrong spot, I have to vent. I've been doing Mail
Merges since Word 6.0 and 2003's is awful. Why the change from 3 simple
steps to 5 non-simple steps? It's one of the reason of why the whole company
isn't being upgraded to the new version - the user's won't like it.

Any chance things will be back to normal (and functional) for the next
release?

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...merge.fi elds

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

No one will disagree with you on that point. Re the insertion of fields
issue however, take a look at fellow MVP Cindy Meister's website at
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindy...r/MergFram.htm

She has a utility that you can get there that will overcome that problem.


--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

"lrose33" wrote in message
...
I will not use Word 2002, 2003, or any newer version of Word until mail
merge
is fixed. I use mail merge everyday and the newer version is truly awful.
I
still use Word 2000 because the mail merge function is much simpler &
faster.
I have read the comment about adding the old mail merge helper to the
toolbar (a very esoteric procedure - No one would ever find it on their
own.
) I've experimented with this in Word 2003 and find it is a pain. It is
slightly better than than the idiot mail merge wizard in newer versions.
In
Word 2000, you can set up the merge fields quickly and all at one time.
Using
the helper or the wizard in the newer version for addresses, you have to
insert one merge field, close the box, insert a lline return, reopen the
box,
insert the next merge field, close the box, etc. This was easy in the old
version. You have managed to take a simple procedure and make it insanely
complicated. If something's not broke, DON'T fix it. However, feel free
to
fix this new "feature" asap.

"gkoval" wrote:

I finally had a chance to do a Mail Merge in 2003 and what happened?
Even
though I think I'm in the wrong spot, I have to vent. I've been doing
Mail
Merges since Word 6.0 and 2003's is awful. Why the change from 3 simple
steps to 5 non-simple steps? It's one of the reason of why the whole
company
isn't being upgraded to the new version - the user's won't like it.

Any chance things will be back to normal (and functional) for the next
release?

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the
"I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow
this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and
then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...merge.fi elds

[Graham Mayor]

1. Microsoft is not listening to your comments here - this is a peer group
forum.
2. Microsoft is not going to change mail merge back to the way it was done
in Word 2000.
3. The only thing that really changed with the later versions was the way
Word connects to its data and this was done to increase stability as much as
anything.
4. All the things that you complain about are easily resolved. See
http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_lab...th_word_xp.htm and for the
anomalies caused by changing the way Word connects to its data, see
http://www.gmayor.com/formatting_word_fields.htm

Yes it came as a shock when Microsoft introduced the new methods of working
in Word XP, but if you use the mailmerge toolbar, it is no more trouble than
it was in 2000.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

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



lrose33 wrote:
I will not use Word 2002, 2003, or any newer version of Word until
mail merge is fixed. I use mail merge everyday and the newer version
is truly awful. I still use Word 2000 because the mail merge function
is much simpler & faster. I have read the comment about adding the
old mail merge helper to the toolbar (a very esoteric procedure - No
one would ever find it on their own. ) I've experimented with this in
Word 2003 and find it is a pain. It is slightly better than than the
idiot mail merge wizard in newer versions. In Word 2000, you can set
up the merge fields quickly and all at one time. Using the helper or
the wizard in the newer version for addresses, you have to insert one
merge field, close the box, insert a lline return, reopen the box,
insert the next merge field, close the box, etc. This was easy in the
old version. You have managed to take a simple procedure and make it
insanely complicated. If something's not broke, DON'T fix it.
However, feel free to fix this new "feature" asap.

"gkoval" wrote:

I finally had a chance to do a Mail Merge in 2003 and what happened?
Even though I think I'm in the wrong spot, I have to vent. I've
been doing Mail Merges since Word 6.0 and 2003's is awful. Why the
change from 3 simple steps to 5 non-simple steps? It's one of the
reason of why the whole company isn't being upgraded to the new
version - the user's won't like it.

Any chance things will be back to normal (and functional) for the
next release?

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to
the suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion,
click the "I Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see
the button, follow this link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft
Web-based Newsreader and then click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...merge.fi elds