[John]

I have Word files in .doc format using an Excel .xls workbooks as the
datasource. Previously using Office 2000 on Windows XP Pro over Microsoft
Exchange Server

The folder on the server containing the word and excel files is marked as
read-only to protect editing by the many other persons who access these files.

The word files all have merge codes in them and I use the Excel.xls workbook
as the database.

The merging worked well before new server and New Office 2007 software.
Many persons could open word docs and perform merge process to create new
document and save as to various folders on the server.

Now with Office 2007 not only does the merge not work, but only one person
can access the word docs and/or the excel file at a time. We all need to do
so, expecially accessing the excel database. I have hundreds of forms with
the merge files relating to one excel file.

At first I opened the .doc file tried to merge, having to "find the
datasource". All worked well except when "editing the recipient" that dialog
box would be blank, not finding the recipient I had typed in to the query.
It does not "hold" the field query choices between opening of the document.

Next via a suggestion from a friend I opened the .doc file again, choose to
convert the file then ran through the find date source again. Selected a
recipient and this time at least it would find the individual recipient or I
would have to uncheck the complete listing and check only the recipient I
wanted. Choose to finish.

all went well until someone else in our office tried to open a different
..doc/docxs file which also accessed the excel database (which I had also
earlier converted as well and saved as the .docsx file) The person receives
the cannot open because file is read only.

What are we doing wrong?

Thank you,
--
John R.

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

The merge documents should be saved as templates and the users should access
them by using FileNew, not FileOpen.

--
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

"John" wrote in message
...
I have Word files in .doc format using an Excel .xls workbooks as the
datasource. Previously using Office 2000 on Windows XP Pro over Microsoft
Exchange Server

The folder on the server containing the word and excel files is marked as
read-only to protect editing by the many other persons who access these
files.

The word files all have merge codes in them and I use the Excel.xls
workbook
as the database.

The merging worked well before new server and New Office 2007 software.
Many persons could open word docs and perform merge process to create new
document and save as to various folders on the server.

Now with Office 2007 not only does the merge not work, but only one person
can access the word docs and/or the excel file at a time. We all need to
do
so, expecially accessing the excel database. I have hundreds of forms
with
the merge files relating to one excel file.

At first I opened the .doc file tried to merge, having to "find the
datasource". All worked well except when "editing the recipient" that
dialog
box would be blank, not finding the recipient I had typed in to the query.
It does not "hold" the field query choices between opening of the
document.

Next via a suggestion from a friend I opened the .doc file again, choose
to
convert the file then ran through the find date source again. Selected a
recipient and this time at least it would find the individual recipient or
I
would have to uncheck the complete listing and check only the recipient I
wanted. Choose to finish.

all went well until someone else in our office tried to open a different
.doc/docxs file which also accessed the excel database (which I had also
earlier converted as well and saved as the .docsx file) The person
receives
the cannot open because file is read only.

What are we doing wrong?

Thank you,
--
John R.