I created a mail merge document and a new recipient list. Now when I open
the document and open the data source I do not have access to the "Edit"
button to add a recipient.

Which version of Word? When you saved your recipient list, was it in "Office
Address List" format (this is a particular type of Access .mdb file)? If so,
have you opened the recipient list using Access?

Peter Jamieson

"Jennifer" wrote in message
...
I created a mail merge document and a new recipient list. Now when I open
the document and open the data source I do not have access to the "Edit"
button to add a recipient.

I'm using 2003. I was able to open and edit the file in Access. But wanted
to be able to have users access it using Word instead. Should I have saved
the list a different way?

Thank you - Jennifer

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Which version of Word? When you saved your recipient list, was it in "Office
Address List" format (this is a particular type of Access .mdb file)? If so,
have you opened the recipient list using Access?

Peter Jamieson

"Jennifer" wrote in message
...
I created a mail merge document and a new recipient list. Now when I open
the document and open the data source I do not have access to the "Edit"
button to add a recipient.

The problem is that "Office Address List" (OAL) databases have quite a
particular structure - if you open them in Access and modify them, you may
modify them in ways that prevent Word from recognising them as OALs. As you
have noticed, Word can still open them and use them as data sources but it
no longer lets you edit from within the Mail Merge Recipients box.


The trouble is that I do not know /exactly/ what prevents Word from
recognising a .mdb as an OAL, so cannot give you simple, reliable
instructions on how to get back to your original state. What I do know is
that each OAL has one table and one query. The query is the data source
recognised by Word. If you add one (or perhaps two more tables or queries,
or if something you do in Access causes that to happen, Word will no longer
recognise the .mdb as an OAL. So if you have added any "objects" such as
tables, queries, reports etc. to the OAL, make a copy of the .mdb, remove
the objects, and see if it all works again.

Peter Jamieson
"Jennifer" wrote in message
...
I'm using 2003. I was able to open and edit the file in Access. But
wanted
to be able to have users access it using Word instead. Should I have
saved
the list a different way?

Thank you - Jennifer

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Which version of Word? When you saved your recipient list, was it in
"Office
Address List" format (this is a particular type of Access .mdb file)? If
so,
have you opened the recipient list using Access?

Peter Jamieson

"Jennifer" wrote in message
...
I created a mail merge document and a new recipient list. Now when I
open
the document and open the data source I do not have access to the
"Edit"
button to add a recipient.

Okay, that makes sense. So the key is not to open them and/or modify them in
Access? As long as I only modify them while working in Word I should be OK.
Right? Thank you so much for clarifying this for me.

Jen

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

The problem is that "Office Address List" (OAL) databases have quite a
particular structure - if you open them in Access and modify them, you may
modify them in ways that prevent Word from recognising them as OALs. As you
have noticed, Word can still open them and use them as data sources but it
no longer lets you edit from within the Mail Merge Recipients box.


The trouble is that I do not know /exactly/ what prevents Word from
recognising a .mdb as an OAL, so cannot give you simple, reliable
instructions on how to get back to your original state. What I do know is
that each OAL has one table and one query. The query is the data source
recognised by Word. If you add one (or perhaps two more tables or queries,
or if something you do in Access causes that to happen, Word will no longer
recognise the .mdb as an OAL. So if you have added any "objects" such as
tables, queries, reports etc. to the OAL, make a copy of the .mdb, remove
the objects, and see if it all works again.

Peter Jamieson
"Jennifer" wrote in message
...
I'm using 2003. I was able to open and edit the file in Access. But
wanted
to be able to have users access it using Word instead. Should I have
saved
the list a different way?

Thank you - Jennifer

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Which version of Word? When you saved your recipient list, was it in
"Office
Address List" format (this is a particular type of Access .mdb file)? If
so,
have you opened the recipient list using Access?

Peter Jamieson

"Jennifer" wrote in message
...
I created a mail merge document and a new recipient list. Now when I
open
the document and open the data source I do not have access to the
"Edit"
button to add a recipient.

As long as I only modify them while working in Word I should be OK.
Right?

As far as I know (sorry, but I stopped trying to be definite about software
a very long time ago).

Maybe a quick test would help reassure you that at least one part of this is
correct, e.g.
- create a small OAL in Word in the usual way
- close and save the merge main document
- re-open, edit the OAL via Word
- close and save
- re-open, ensure the OAL is still editable via Word
- close and save again
- make a copy of the OAL e.g. via Windows Explorer
- open the OAL in Access, edit (e.g. try to do roughly what you did before,
or perhaps just create an extra table or two), close
- re-open your Word document and see if you can edit (if you can, the
experiment hasn't led where I expected :-( )
- attach to the copy OAL and see if you can edit

Peter Jamieson

"Jennifer" wrote in message
...
Okay, that makes sense. So the key is not to open them and/or modify them
in
Access? As long as I only modify them while working in Word I should be
OK.
Right? Thank you so much for clarifying this for me.

Jen

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

The problem is that "Office Address List" (OAL) databases have quite a
particular structure - if you open them in Access and modify them, you
may
modify them in ways that prevent Word from recognising them as OALs. As
you
have noticed, Word can still open them and use them as data sources but
it
no longer lets you edit from within the Mail Merge Recipients box.


The trouble is that I do not know /exactly/ what prevents Word from
recognising a .mdb as an OAL, so cannot give you simple, reliable
instructions on how to get back to your original state. What I do know is
that each OAL has one table and one query. The query is the data source
recognised by Word. If you add one (or perhaps two more tables or
queries,
or if something you do in Access causes that to happen, Word will no
longer
recognise the .mdb as an OAL. So if you have added any "objects" such as
tables, queries, reports etc. to the OAL, make a copy of the .mdb, remove
the objects, and see if it all works again.

Peter Jamieson
"Jennifer" wrote in message
...
I'm using 2003. I was able to open and edit the file in Access. But
wanted
to be able to have users access it using Word instead. Should I have
saved
the list a different way?

Thank you - Jennifer

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Which version of Word? When you saved your recipient list, was it in
"Office
Address List" format (this is a particular type of Access .mdb file)?
If
so,
have you opened the recipient list using Access?

Peter Jamieson

"Jennifer" wrote in message
...
I created a mail merge document and a new recipient list. Now when I
open
the document and open the data source I do not have access to the
"Edit"
button to add a recipient.