Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
#1
![]()
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
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 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |