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
|> 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
|
| | > 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
| >
| >
| > | > |> 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
| > | | > | > 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
| > | >
| > | >
| > | > | > | > | 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
| > | > |
| > | > | | > | > | > 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
| > | > | >
| > | > | >
message
| > | > | > | > | > | > | You've probably seen the following article before:...
| > | > | > |
| > | > | > |
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;825765
| > | > | > |
| > | > | > | While there may be some other workaround for this problem, I
| > suggest
| > | > you
| > | > | > | e-mail (e-mail address removed) 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
| > | > | > | | > | > | > | > 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
| > | > | > | >
| > | > | > | >
| > | > | > | >
| > | > | > |
| > | > | > |
| > | > | >
| > | > | >
| > | > | >
| > | > |
| > | > |
| > | >
| > | >
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|
