Now, I know that it is impossible to lock a document that contains mail
merge. I also read that if I change the document into a template I can do it
that way. Here's my problem:

We have a shared letter than uses mail merge. My coworkers keep deleting
fields in the letter itself and then wonder why it doesn't have all the
information. Is there a way that they can add/change the data source without
them being able to change the mail merge document itself? (I hope I got all
of the terminology correct)

These folks won't consider learning how to open the template through a new
document, they will just open and change the template. Most of them aren't
too savvy when it comes to computers (really, neither am I, so use small
words please , and I'm getting sick of fixing the mail merge document.
Hence, why I need them to have access to the document without changing
anything besides the records.

We use Microsoft Office Word 2003 for all of our word processing needs.

Make your merge template read-only.

Make it so it is much harder to open your template than it is to create a
new document based on your template. You can do this by putting it on menus
even. http://addbalance.com/word/templatesmenu.htm
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/ which is awesome!
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"DPurplRose" wrote in message
...
Now, I know that it is impossible to lock a document that contains mail
merge. I also read that if I change the document into a template I can do
it
that way. Here's my problem:

We have a shared letter than uses mail merge. My coworkers keep deleting
fields in the letter itself and then wonder why it doesn't have all the
information. Is there a way that they can add/change the data source
without
them being able to change the mail merge document itself? (I hope I got
all
of the terminology correct)

These folks won't consider learning how to open the template through a new
document, they will just open and change the template. Most of them
aren't
too savvy when it comes to computers (really, neither am I, so use small
words please , and I'm getting sick of fixing the mail merge document.
Hence, why I need them to have access to the document without changing
anything besides the records.

We use Microsoft Office Word 2003 for all of our word processing needs.