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#1
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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mailmerge out of Access 2003
I have an application that does a lot of mailmerges from Access 2003 direct
to Word 2003. I have used the SQLFix registry patch up to now to address the problem of the mailmerge not happening because it is waiting for an authorisation to run the SQL. My main client has now gone to a standard operating environment in which registry changes are not allowed. My program transfers a text file with the data for merging in it and that is set up as the data source in each word template. Does anyone know any other way of getting around this problem? dixie |
#2
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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mailmerge out of Access 2003
Hi Dixie,
I have an application that does a lot of mailmerges from Access 2003 direct to Word 2003. I have used the SQLFix registry patch up to now to address the problem of the mailmerge not happening because it is waiting for an authorisation to run the SQL. My main client has now gone to a standard operating environment in which registry changes are not allowed. My program transfers a text file with the data for merging in it and that is set up as the data source in each word template. Does anyone know any other way of getting around this problem? What, more exactly, is the problem? I understand the limitations of the environment you're describing, but it's unclear exactly what problem you're trying to work around. FWIW, the client's IT department should be able to change the Registry (using a Policy). If they don't want to, then they have to live with the prompt. Or they have to allow you to use automation code to link in the data source "behind the scenes" each time a mail merge is going to run. Or they have to be willing to pay for you to develop a new solution. Cindy Meister INTER-Solutions, Switzerland http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005) http://www.word.mvps.org This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-) |
#3
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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mailmerge out of Access 2003
My problem is that up until now, I have been able to write the key needed to
turn the message off that makes you authorise the SQL source of a mailmerge document. This key is: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\W ord\Options] "SQLSecurityCheck"=dword:00000000 My automation code runs out of a Microsoft Access mde file and without that key written in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry for any user, the mailmerge won't run as you can't see the authorisation message box. My client is a large government department and they are not going to take off their no changes to the registry policy for me. Is there a way around writting the key where I can still get my mailmerge to work properly. dixie "Cindy M." wrote in message news:VA.000000ec.01567261@speedy... Hi Dixie, I have an application that does a lot of mailmerges from Access 2003 direct to Word 2003. I have used the SQLFix registry patch up to now to address the problem of the mailmerge not happening because it is waiting for an authorisation to run the SQL. My main client has now gone to a standard operating environment in which registry changes are not allowed. My program transfers a text file with the data for merging in it and that is set up as the data source in each word template. Does anyone know any other way of getting around this problem? What, more exactly, is the problem? I understand the limitations of the environment you're describing, but it's unclear exactly what problem you're trying to work around. FWIW, the client's IT department should be able to change the Registry (using a Policy). If they don't want to, then they have to live with the prompt. Or they have to allow you to use automation code to link in the data source "behind the scenes" each time a mail merge is going to run. Or they have to be willing to pay for you to develop a new solution. Cindy Meister INTER-Solutions, Switzerland http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005) http://www.word.mvps.org This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-) |
#4
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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mailmerge out of Access 2003
My client is a large government department and they are not going to take
off their no changes to the registry policy for me. If I may butt in, it isn't for "you", it's for your "sponsor", i.e. whoever is commissioning your work. There is no way to avoid making this registry patch. I can understand why a support organisation would prefer not to make such a change at all, but either your software makes the change or they apply the change to their user systems, either globally or individually, or your sponsor has to get the work done another way. I expect that the systems administrators make other "changes" to the registry to make one thing or another on their systems work, and if I were them. If they are keeping as tight a rein over what software goes on their systems as their policy suggests, then there is really very little reason why they should not add and set this registry key. I do not work for Microsoft and was not involved in the design decisions that produced this particular "security prompt" and workaround, so can only guess why it was done. But it seems reasonable to assume that the prompt only exists because executing SQL can have side effects (e.g. executing SQL in Access can run a "user-defined function" which could do anything) and prompting the user is supposed to provide "security" because it allows them to prevent that happening. In practice, of course, only users who have built their own software have the faintest clue whether or not a particular piece of SQL might have damaging side effects: everyone else is just going to try to get on with their work and reply "Yes". That is worse than no "security" prompt at all because it does not solve the security problem, and helps encourage a knee-jerk response in which all such dialog boxes are dismissed as quickly as possible. Arguably, the increased complication of the system is in itself a security risk (more code, more to go wrong). It is doubtless there to allow legal people to claim that it is the user's "fault" if something goes wrong. The correct security option is that the system administrators ensure that SQL queries with damaging side effects are not put on the system or are not executable. I'd try to find out who you have to go through to have the system administrators make their change (and they have to be answerable to someone other than themselves, otherwise someone in your government is not doing their job). If necessary, have a word with your sponsor, explain the background and what needs to happen. It might be valuable to have a guesstimate to hand of how expensive it will be to do this some other way. Peter Jamieson "Dixie" wrote in message ... My problem is that up until now, I have been able to write the key needed to turn the message off that makes you authorise the SQL source of a mailmerge document. This key is: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\W ord\Options] "SQLSecurityCheck"=dword:00000000 My automation code runs out of a Microsoft Access mde file and without that key written in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry for any user, the mailmerge won't run as you can't see the authorisation message box. My client is a large government department and they are not going to take off their no changes to the registry policy for me. Is there a way around writting the key where I can still get my mailmerge to work properly. dixie "Cindy M." wrote in message news:VA.000000ec.01567261@speedy... Hi Dixie, I have an application that does a lot of mailmerges from Access 2003 direct to Word 2003. I have used the SQLFix registry patch up to now to address the problem of the mailmerge not happening because it is waiting for an authorisation to run the SQL. My main client has now gone to a standard operating environment in which registry changes are not allowed. My program transfers a text file with the data for merging in it and that is set up as the data source in each word template. Does anyone know any other way of getting around this problem? What, more exactly, is the problem? I understand the limitations of the environment you're describing, but it's unclear exactly what problem you're trying to work around. FWIW, the client's IT department should be able to change the Registry (using a Policy). If they don't want to, then they have to live with the prompt. Or they have to allow you to use automation code to link in the data source "behind the scenes" each time a mail merge is going to run. Or they have to be willing to pay for you to develop a new solution. Cindy Meister INTER-Solutions, Switzerland http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005) http://www.word.mvps.org This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-) |
#5
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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mailmerge out of Access 2003
I have been playing around with calling the mailmerge templates by using
Shell. The advantage seems to be that you are actually shelled out of Access when Word loads and I think it will work in as much as the user could see the SQL authorisation prompt. What I am not sure of however is what other side effects this will have on the functionality. I develop using Access 2000 and Word 2000, so can't actually test what I do in Office 2003 until I go on site and try it. Any comments on the pros and cons of shelling to Word? I have spoken to one of the people in charge of putting the "tied down" operating system in place and told him what it would do to this program. His reply was that his time was taken up making sure each site had the new network system in place and not in "sorting out problems for third party software developer." Would you believe it!!! Another question too. If I change the security of Access to 'low' via Tools Macros Security. How does the new security setting get stored? I would think it changes the registry key, which in theory could not be done on such a system? dixie "Peter Jamieson" wrote in message ... My client is a large government department and they are not going to take off their no changes to the registry policy for me. If I may butt in, it isn't for "you", it's for your "sponsor", i.e. whoever is commissioning your work. There is no way to avoid making this registry patch. I can understand why a support organisation would prefer not to make such a change at all, but either your software makes the change or they apply the change to their user systems, either globally or individually, or your sponsor has to get the work done another way. I expect that the systems administrators make other "changes" to the registry to make one thing or another on their systems work, and if I were them. If they are keeping as tight a rein over what software goes on their systems as their policy suggests, then there is really very little reason why they should not add and set this registry key. I do not work for Microsoft and was not involved in the design decisions that produced this particular "security prompt" and workaround, so can only guess why it was done. But it seems reasonable to assume that the prompt only exists because executing SQL can have side effects (e.g. executing SQL in Access can run a "user-defined function" which could do anything) and prompting the user is supposed to provide "security" because it allows them to prevent that happening. In practice, of course, only users who have built their own software have the faintest clue whether or not a particular piece of SQL might have damaging side effects: everyone else is just going to try to get on with their work and reply "Yes". That is worse than no "security" prompt at all because it does not solve the security problem, and helps encourage a knee-jerk response in which all such dialog boxes are dismissed as quickly as possible. Arguably, the increased complication of the system is in itself a security risk (more code, more to go wrong). It is doubtless there to allow legal people to claim that it is the user's "fault" if something goes wrong. The correct security option is that the system administrators ensure that SQL queries with damaging side effects are not put on the system or are not executable. I'd try to find out who you have to go through to have the system administrators make their change (and they have to be answerable to someone other than themselves, otherwise someone in your government is not doing their job). If necessary, have a word with your sponsor, explain the background and what needs to happen. It might be valuable to have a guesstimate to hand of how expensive it will be to do this some other way. Peter Jamieson "Dixie" wrote in message ... My problem is that up until now, I have been able to write the key needed to turn the message off that makes you authorise the SQL source of a mailmerge document. This key is: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\W ord\Options] "SQLSecurityCheck"=dword:00000000 My automation code runs out of a Microsoft Access mde file and without that key written in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry for any user, the mailmerge won't run as you can't see the authorisation message box. My client is a large government department and they are not going to take off their no changes to the registry policy for me. Is there a way around writting the key where I can still get my mailmerge to work properly. dixie "Cindy M." wrote in message news:VA.000000ec.01567261@speedy... Hi Dixie, I have an application that does a lot of mailmerges from Access 2003 direct to Word 2003. I have used the SQLFix registry patch up to now to address the problem of the mailmerge not happening because it is waiting for an authorisation to run the SQL. My main client has now gone to a standard operating environment in which registry changes are not allowed. My program transfers a text file with the data for merging in it and that is set up as the data source in each word template. Does anyone know any other way of getting around this problem? What, more exactly, is the problem? I understand the limitations of the environment you're describing, but it's unclear exactly what problem you're trying to work around. FWIW, the client's IT department should be able to change the Registry (using a Policy). If they don't want to, then they have to live with the prompt. Or they have to allow you to use automation code to link in the data source "behind the scenes" each time a mail merge is going to run. Or they have to be willing to pay for you to develop a new solution. Cindy Meister INTER-Solutions, Switzerland http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005) http://www.word.mvps.org This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-) |
#6
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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mailmerge out of Access 2003
Hi Dixie,
Any comments on the pros and cons of shelling to Word? Not really - it's not something I do here. I'm sure "try it and see" is the right approach though. I have spoken to one of the people in charge of putting the "tied down" operating system in place and told him what it would do to this program. His reply was that his time was taken up making sure each site had the new network system in place and not in "sorting out problems for third party software developer." Would you believe it!!! Unfortunately, I would :-) All I can say is that it is usually necessary to identify who has the authority to make change happen, and make your case to them as directly as possible. Sometimes such people are rather more accommodating than their reputation suggests. Another question too. If I change the security of Access to 'low' via Tools Macros Security. How does the new security setting get stored? I would think it changes the registry key, which in theory could not be done on such a system? I don't know, but I would have to assume that even if it isn't actually a registry change, it's another thing that you will probably not be allowed to change on a user system. Best I can do! Peter Jamieson "Dixie" wrote in message ... I have been playing around with calling the mailmerge templates by using Shell. The advantage seems to be that you are actually shelled out of Access when Word loads and I think it will work in as much as the user could see the SQL authorisation prompt. What I am not sure of however is what other side effects this will have on the functionality. I develop using Access 2000 and Word 2000, so can't actually test what I do in Office 2003 until I go on site and try it. Any comments on the pros and cons of shelling to Word? I have spoken to one of the people in charge of putting the "tied down" operating system in place and told him what it would do to this program. His reply was that his time was taken up making sure each site had the new network system in place and not in "sorting out problems for third party software developer." Would you believe it!!! Another question too. If I change the security of Access to 'low' via Tools Macros Security. How does the new security setting get stored? I would think it changes the registry key, which in theory could not be done on such a system? dixie "Peter Jamieson" wrote in message ... My client is a large government department and they are not going to take off their no changes to the registry policy for me. If I may butt in, it isn't for "you", it's for your "sponsor", i.e. whoever is commissioning your work. There is no way to avoid making this registry patch. I can understand why a support organisation would prefer not to make such a change at all, but either your software makes the change or they apply the change to their user systems, either globally or individually, or your sponsor has to get the work done another way. I expect that the systems administrators make other "changes" to the registry to make one thing or another on their systems work, and if I were them. If they are keeping as tight a rein over what software goes on their systems as their policy suggests, then there is really very little reason why they should not add and set this registry key. I do not work for Microsoft and was not involved in the design decisions that produced this particular "security prompt" and workaround, so can only guess why it was done. But it seems reasonable to assume that the prompt only exists because executing SQL can have side effects (e.g. executing SQL in Access can run a "user-defined function" which could do anything) and prompting the user is supposed to provide "security" because it allows them to prevent that happening. In practice, of course, only users who have built their own software have the faintest clue whether or not a particular piece of SQL might have damaging side effects: everyone else is just going to try to get on with their work and reply "Yes". That is worse than no "security" prompt at all because it does not solve the security problem, and helps encourage a knee-jerk response in which all such dialog boxes are dismissed as quickly as possible. Arguably, the increased complication of the system is in itself a security risk (more code, more to go wrong). It is doubtless there to allow legal people to claim that it is the user's "fault" if something goes wrong. The correct security option is that the system administrators ensure that SQL queries with damaging side effects are not put on the system or are not executable. I'd try to find out who you have to go through to have the system administrators make their change (and they have to be answerable to someone other than themselves, otherwise someone in your government is not doing their job). If necessary, have a word with your sponsor, explain the background and what needs to happen. It might be valuable to have a guesstimate to hand of how expensive it will be to do this some other way. Peter Jamieson "Dixie" wrote in message ... My problem is that up until now, I have been able to write the key needed to turn the message off that makes you authorise the SQL source of a mailmerge document. This key is: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\W ord\Options] "SQLSecurityCheck"=dword:00000000 My automation code runs out of a Microsoft Access mde file and without that key written in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry for any user, the mailmerge won't run as you can't see the authorisation message box. My client is a large government department and they are not going to take off their no changes to the registry policy for me. Is there a way around writting the key where I can still get my mailmerge to work properly. dixie "Cindy M." wrote in message news:VA.000000ec.01567261@speedy... Hi Dixie, I have an application that does a lot of mailmerges from Access 2003 direct to Word 2003. I have used the SQLFix registry patch up to now to address the problem of the mailmerge not happening because it is waiting for an authorisation to run the SQL. My main client has now gone to a standard operating environment in which registry changes are not allowed. My program transfers a text file with the data for merging in it and that is set up as the data source in each word template. Does anyone know any other way of getting around this problem? What, more exactly, is the problem? I understand the limitations of the environment you're describing, but it's unclear exactly what problem you're trying to work around. FWIW, the client's IT department should be able to change the Registry (using a Policy). If they don't want to, then they have to live with the prompt. Or they have to allow you to use automation code to link in the data source "behind the scenes" each time a mail merge is going to run. Or they have to be willing to pay for you to develop a new solution. Cindy Meister INTER-Solutions, Switzerland http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005) http://www.word.mvps.org This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-) |
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