Mial merge data base problems

[Rachael]

This is a post from last week. I need some help still.
Below is the originals with all the quotes.

Thanks!

Subject: Re: XP asks for database every time

Me: At work I just upgraded from Office 2000 to Office
XP. In
2000 after using a file a couple of times with a mail
merge, it would stop asking me for the database (it would
know where it is automatically).

I assumed the same would be for XP. I've had Office XP
for about a month now and every time I open a mail merge
document, it asks me for the location of the database!!
It's driving me nuts!! It never opens to the right
directory, and I have to locate it each time!

Is there a way around this? 99% of my documents are mail
merged to this same database and I use it constantly
throughout the day. I need a solution.

If there isn't one, I will ask tech to downgrade me
again, because I can't do this every time!
========================================================
CM: Hi Rachael,

1. Is this an Access database, or something else?

2. Is the database on your machine, locally, or in the
network?

3. Are you making use of the Recipients dialog box to
choose
records, or does also happen otherwise?

To get you going, you should look at the Word 2002
section
of my website's mail merge FAQ, most especially, the
information on connecting. Try using a DDE or ODBC
connection (if this is Access) and see if things don't
settle down a bit.

==========================================================


ME: I have no idea if it's an Access Database. It was
already set when I started here. How could I find that
out?

The Database is locally on my machine.

I don't know what the recipients dialog box is, but I'm
doing files on an individual per recipient basis. I never
have to send the same letter to more than one person.

(I work in insurance, and these are the claimants who I
send benefits too)

any help would be great.

=====================================================

Me: I have no idea if it's an Access Database. It was
already set when I started here. How could I find that
out?

CM: OK, if you have to navigate to the database in order
to relink, then you do know the complete file name? What
extension does it use? *.xls, *.mdb, or something else?

ME: I don't know what the recipients dialog box is, but
I'm doing files on an individual per recipient basis. I
never have to send the same letter to more than one
person.

CM: Ahhh. OK. This isn't really what mailmerge is meant
for, but people do use it like that So, in order to
choose the single recipient, what do you do, exactly?

=====================================================

-----Original Message-----
OK, if you have to navigate to the database in order to
relink, then you do know the complete file name? What
extension does it use? *.xls, *.mdb, or something else?

ME: Ok, it's just a .doc file.

Ahhh. OK. This isn't really what mailmerge is meant for, but
people do use it like that So, in order to choose the
single recipient, what do you do, exactly?

ME: OK. This is the process (sorry if it's long, but I
need to figure this out).

I open the template I want to use in the "open office
document". I open the file and a window pops open that
says: "filename.dot is a mail merge main document. Word
cannot find it's data source, C:\...\filename.doc" and I
get two options: "Find Data Source" and "Options". I
click on "Find Data Source" and manually go to the
location of my filename.doc data source file. Then my
word document opens. It asks this for EVERY WORD FILE
that has a mail merge.

Then, I click on the the button on my toolbar
for "dataform" which is a picture of table with a
pen/pencil and a screen opens up that has all my fields
in the body, "record" at the bottom left (to cycle
through all my records) and a bunch of buttons on the
right ("Add New" "Delete" "Restore" "Find" "View Source"
and "Close").

I click on "Find" (a screen opens) and search by one of
the fields (i.e. last name), by clicking on the "find
first" button in the find screen. When the right record
shows up in the "Data Form" in the background, I click
the close button in the "find" box. Now, because there is
no "OK" button on the "Data Form" if I click on "Close",
the record doesn't update to the document. I have to look
at the bottom of the "Data Form" Screen for the record
number (say #192), click "Close" and go to my record
number space in the toolbar, type in the corect one
(192), press enter, and then it updates to my document
after pressing the "<ABC>" button (Veiw Merged data).

I'm trying to figure out if there is a better way to do
this.

If I click on the "find" button in the toolbar (the
binoculars one) It doesn't find anything. Of course, that
is related to my other post. Essentially, they are a
related issue.

I don't know anything about Macros. All I did was
customize my toolbar from the Tools>Customize menu.

Any help would be apreciated. Our tech department doesn't
do Office help.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Are you saving the document after locating the data source?

Is it actually a template (*.dot) file or just a document (*.doc) file that
you referred to as a template?

The binocculars button works fine here AS LONG AS THERE IS A MERGE FIELD IN
THE DOCUMENT.

--
Please post any further questions or followup to the newsgroups for the
benefit of others who may be interested. Unsolicited questions forwarded
directly to me will only be answered on a paid consulting basis.

Hope this helps
Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Peter Jamieson]

A possibility...

Are your Mail merge main documents (the .doc files) all connected to the
same template (.dot) (You can find out by opening the .doc, answering any of
the questions you are encountering, and looking at the first field in the
Tools|Templates and Addins dialog box.

The document and the template can theoretically be connected to different
data sources. It may be that the message you are seeing are displayed by
Word because it cannot find the data source attached to the /template/. If
so, you could consider two things:
a. open the template file itself (the .dot) and make sure it is attached to
the data source you want to use. Close the template, and open it again to
verify that you do not see the question about the data source.
b. open the template file and make sure it is not a mail merge main
document (i.e. use the Mail Merge Wizard or the first button on the
mailmerge toolbar to say that it is a normal word document. Then save it.

The problem with doing (b) is that new documents created using the modified
template will not be attached to a data source and you will have to attach
each document to your data source when you create it.

I have always been wary of using templates attached to data sources
precisely because you end up with two connections whenever you open a
document based on that template. If you are using the same data source a
lot, it may be better to create a "skeleton" .doc rather than a proper .dot
template. Connect the skeleton to the data source. Then, when you want a new
mail merge main document, open the skeleton, save it immediately with a new
name, and work with the new document. If you need the other facilities of a
template (styles, macros, autotexts and so on), create the template, but do
not attach it to a data source. Then base your skeleton.doc on your template
using Tools|Templates and Addins. WHen you make a copy of skeleton.doc, the
copy will also be based on the template.

Another possibility is that the full pathname of your data source document
is too long, that Word is not saving the full name, so that when Word
re-opens the document, it does not have the full name and has to ask you. I
do not know what the length limit is, if any, but if you think that might be
a possibility you could make a copy of your data source in a folder with a
very short name (e.g. c:\a ), then connect to that data source instead, and
see if that connection persists. Again, if the template is connected to the
data source, you may also need to modify the template's connection.

I hope you can follow all that!

 

[Rachael]

Ok, see below...

-----Original Message-----
A possibility...

Are your Mail merge main documents (the .doc files) all connected to the
same template (.dot) (You can find out by opening the .doc, answering any of
the questions you are encountering, and looking at the first field in the
Tools|Templates and Addins dialog box.

Ok. I have 100's of files that are mail merge, but only
about 20 are templates (These are government forms that I
cannot modify) and the rest are regular documents in word
that I created (common letters to save time).

I went to tools>templates and addins and there are no
fields there. What does that mean?

The document and the template can theoretically be connected to different
data sources. It may be that the message you are seeing are displayed by
Word because it cannot find the data source attached to the /template/. If
so, you could consider two things:

(when I open both the templates and the regular word
files, I get the same request box asking for the data
source)

a. open the template file itself (the .dot) and make sure it is attached to
the data source you want to use. Close the template, and open it again to
verify that you do not see the question about the data

source.

I open the same templates over and over again daily, and
still get that message.

b. open the template file and make sure it is not a mail merge main
document (i.e. use the Mail Merge Wizard or the first button on the
mailmerge toolbar to say that it is a normal word document. Then save it.

When I try to save the template as a regular .doc
(without removing the mail merge), I can only save it as
a template. If I remove the mail merge, save as a .doc,
then add the mail merge back, it still asks me for the
location of the database.

The problem with doing (b) is that new documents created using the modified
template will not be attached to a data source and you will have to attach
each document to your data source when you create it.

I have always been wary of using templates attached to data sources
precisely because you end up with two connections whenever you open a
document based on that template. If you are using the same data source a
lot, it may be better to create a "skeleton" .doc rather than a proper .dot
template. Connect the skeleton to the data source. Then, when you want a new
mail merge main document, open the skeleton, save it immediately with a new
name, and work with the new document. If you need the other facilities of a
template (styles, macros, autotexts and so on), create the template, but do
not attach it to a data source. Then base your skeleton.doc on your template
using Tools|Templates and Addins. WHen you make a copy of skeleton.doc, the
copy will also be based on the template.

I don't think I understand what you are saying. Does that
mean I have to open the skeleton each time, save as a
different name, and write my letters/documents from
scratch?

In terms of the template, I didn't create the template,
it's government. And it always needs to be attached to
the datasource. I work under a strict government
legislation which legislates which information has to be
on which form and we are not allowed to change it
(unfortunately). As well, because of the nature of the
job, I have to send out these government forms with every
piece of mail I send. I even have a legislation that
tells me what items HAVE to be on my fax covers (there's
a list of about 20 items) (and we actually get in trouble
if information is missing!!)

Another possibility is that the full pathname of your data source document
is too long, that Word is not saving the full name, so that when Word
re-opens the document, it does not have the full name and has to ask you. I
do not know what the length limit is, if any, but if you think that might be
a possibility you could make a copy of your data source in a folder with a
very short name (e.g. c:\a ), then connect to that data source instead, and
see if that connection persists. Again, if the template is connected to the
data source, you may also need to modify the template's

connection.

IT's possible it's the name, as the file name
is "Claimant Information Data Base 2.doc", and it's
located in a subfolder of My Documents.

How would I modify the templates connection to the data
source? Can you modify the connection to the data source
for regular .doc files?

Something of note is when I locate manually the data
source file, it opens to My Documents>My Data Sources. I
put a shortcut to my data source there to make it easier
to get too, but I don't see why it won't link directly
when it has the same file name.

I hope you can follow all that!

I tried my best. Hopefully the above information is
enough to help me.

Rachael

 

[Rachael]

All my documents have merge fields, but the binoculars
still don't work. They worked in Office 2000, but not in
Office XP.

I have both .doc and .dot files that have the same
problem.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Hello Rachael,

OK, we're in danger of talking at cross-purposes here, so for the moment I'm
not going to try to answer all your questions and points.

Can you please try to do the following:
a. open one of the documents (.doc) that is connected to your data source.
Assuming it has lost its data source in the way you have described,
reconnect it to the data source. But don't save it, and don't do a merge.
b. Click File|Save As, and use the "Save as Type" drop-down list at the
bottom of the dialog box to select the file type "Web Page (*.htm, *.html).
The type a name such as myfile.htm in the File Name box. Notice where Word
is saving this file, and click Save.
c. Go into Word Tools|Options|General and check "Confirm conversions at
open".
d. re-open myfile.htm (e.g. from the list of recently opened files in the
Word FIle menu. You should see a dialog box titled "Convert file". Select
"Plain Text" and click OK.
e. you should now see the "source code" of your document in HTML format. It
won't look anything like your actual document, but will probably start

<html xmlns="urn..."

Look down the document about 30 lines or so and you should see lines that
show various pieces of information about the mail merge data source, e.g.
the lines starting

<w:MailMergeMainDocType
<w:MailMergeQueryString

etc. Can you please tell us what the few lines after

<w:MailMergeQueryString

and

<w:MailMergeDataSource

say?

And/or cut and paste these lines in a message and post them here.

I am expecting the MailMergeQueryString to look something like

SELECT * FROM <the full path name of your data source document>

and the MailMergeDataSource to look lke

HRef="the full path name of your data source"

If there is a problem with the path name being too long, you may see that
the name is truncated in one or the other of those texts. If neither is
truncated, thepath name length probably isn't the problem.

Finally,

In terms of the template, I didn't create the template,
it's government. And it always needs to be attached to
the datasource. I work under a strict government
legislation which legislates which information has to be
on which form and we are not allowed to change it
(unfortunately). As well, because of the nature of the
job, I have to send out these government forms with every
piece of mail I send. I even have a legislation that
tells me what items HAVE to be on my fax covers (there's
a list of about 20 items) (and we actually get in trouble
if information is missing!!)

OK, it's clear that if you have to use a specific predefined template then
if there is a problem with the template then it may be impossible to solve
unless someone is allowed to change it. But I get the impression from what
you have said that you are allowed to change some aspects of a template. For
example, if the template is connected to a data source, it will be connected
to a specific file in a specific location in your folders. But if you have a
typical WIndows configuration where your documents are stored in My
Documents, the full path name of /your/ "My Documents" folder will almost
certainly contain some form of logon or user name. Since that name will be
different for each user, each user's copy of the template would either have
to be a bit different, or would (probably) have to have a macro that would
work out the full path name of the data source.

Peter Jamieson

 

[Rachael]

Wow. That is quite neat! I wouldn't have thought of doing
that.

Here is what I got:

<w:MailMergeQueryString>SELECT * FROM C:\Documents and
Settings\ptorrxc\My Documents\Rachael\Claimant
Information Data Base 2.doc</w:MailMergeQueryString>
<w:MailMergeDataSource
HRef="C:\Documents and Settings\ptorrxc\My
Documents\Rachael\Claimant Information Data Base
2.doc"></w:MailMergeDataSource>

I tried it with both the .doc files and the .dot files
(my government files), and both had the same thing
written.

I tried it with the one and only file I know that does
not ask me for the database each time, and it was the
same as well.

Any other ideas?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Any other ideas?

None that are likely to lead straight away to The Answer, but just out of
interest, if you uncheck Word Tools|Options|General|"Confirm conversion at
open", then open the .htm version of the file, does Word still complain that
it cannot find the data source?

Wow. That is quite neat! I wouldn't have thought of doing
that.

I got the idea from Cindy Meister.

 

[Guest]

I got rid of "confirm conversion at open" and it does not
ask for the data source for the .htm version.

Odd.

I will try fiddling around and see if I can change
anything. Maybe I'll try taking the mail merge out,
saving the .dot as .doc and re-merging it, then saving
it. Maybe that will help.

-----Original Message-----

None that are likely to lead straight away to The Answer, but just out of
interest, if you uncheck Word

Tools|Options|General|"Confirm conversion at

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Going back a few steps, we another experiment you can try is this:
a. open one of the .doc documents that has the problem.
b. go through all the steps necessary to reconnect
c. use Tools|Templates and Add-ins to see what template the document is
attached to. The name, or pathname, of the template should be in the first
textbox (what I previously called a field) to the left of a Browse...
button. If that field is greyed out, your .doc is actually a template. But
assuming it is not, use the browse button to look for the Normal template
and attach that instead.
d. close the .doc
e. re-open it. Do you still see the problem?

 

[Rachael]

By George (ahem...Peter I mean!!)! I think we may be on
to something here!!

I tried that with one of my non-template files (.doc) and
it worked!!

I browsed to the normal.dot, and saved it, and when I re-
opened it, it didn't ask me for the database!! Whoo hoo!!

Ok, I slowly can try that for all my .doc files.

But what about the .dot files (my government ones)? There
is no template link.

Thanks for at least solving part of the problem!!

Rachael

 

[Peter Jamieson]

OK, I believe this means that the reason why you see the problem every time
you open a /document/ is because it is actually the /template/ that is
connected to a file that either does not exist, or that it cannot connect
to. To fix that, I think you will either have to
a. modify the template or
b. ensure the data source is exactly where the template expects it to be
(and that may not be easy to determine).

However, earlier you said the following

In terms of the template, I didn't create the template,
it's government. And it always needs to be attached to
the datasource. I work under a strict government
legislation which legislates which information has to be
on which form and we are not allowed to change it
(unfortunately). As well, because of the nature of the
job, I have to send out these government forms with every
piece of mail I send. I even have a legislation that
tells me what items HAVE to be on my fax covers (there's
a list of about 20 items) (and we actually get in trouble
if information is missing!!)

so I'm not sure what leeway you have in terms of altering the template.

Technically, to alter the template, all you should have to do is open the
..dot (using File|Open), get through the questions about the data source,
provide the correct one, and do a File|Save. If you have already tried those
exact steps and they did not work, perhaps there is another way.

While we're here, templates are intended to be used in a particular way in
Word - the idea is that once you have created (or been given) the template,
you don't open it (using File|Open) - you use File|New to select a template
and create a new /Document/ (.doc) that is based on it, then save that (if
you need to). That way, the template is proptected from certain kinds of
accidental modification (e.g. you can't easily modify the "boilerplate" text
in the template without opening it, but you can add to its list of
autotexts).

 

[Rachael]

OK. When I choose file>new, the templates I need to use
aren't listed under any of the headings. That's why I
have to use file>open to open them.

When I open the files, choose the database, and then save
it, it still asks for the database when they start up.

I can technically do anything to the template as long as
it doesn't change how it looks, and as long as the mail
merge data works.

Now, finding out where the template thinks the data is,
like you said, might be hard. However, I think that would
help solve the problem. When I did that thing before and
changed it to html, it specified the same location for
all the files I checked (I checked about 6) and the
database was in the location indicated. But that may be
because when I opened the file, I choose the location of
the database. Is there any way to get that information
without opening the file and locating the database, to
see where it is before I link it up?

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Ok. I know I just posted something else, but I tried
something a little different.

I opened the notepad, browsed to one of my template
files, and opened it. Obviously I figured it would look
weird because it would be converted to text.

I browsed through the text and found this:

C : \ c a r l a \ C l a i m a n t I n f o r m a t i o
n D a t a B a s e 2 . d o c  ÿ ÿÿ
B r u c e R e i d  C : \ W o r k \ O C F \ O C F 2 -
1 0 - 0 3 . d o c
B r u c e R e i d e C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d
S e t t i n g s \ t p r g b c r \ A p p l i c a t i o n
D a t a \ M i c r o s o f t \ W o r d \ A u t o R e c o v
e r y s a v e o f O C F 2 - 1 0 - 0 3 . a s d
B r u c e R e i d e C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d
S e t t i n g s \ t p r g b c r \ A p p l i c a t i o n
D a t a \ M i c r o s o f t \ W o r d \ A u t o R e c o v
e r y s a v e o f O C F 2 - 1 0 - 0 3 . a s d
B r u c e R e i d e C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d
S e t t i n g s \ t p r g b c r \ A p p l i c a t i o n
D a t a \ M i c r o s o f t \ W o r d \ A u t o R e c o v
e r y s a v e o f O C F 2 - 1 0 - 0 3 . a s d
B r u c e R e i d e C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d
S e t t i n g s \ t p r g b c r \ A p p l i c a t i o n
D a t a \ M i c r o s o f t \ W o r d \ A u t o R e c o v
e r y s a v e o f O C F 2 - 1 0 - 0 3 . a s d
B r u c e R e i d U C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d
S e t t i n g s \ t p r g b c r \ A p p l i c a t i o n
D a t a \ M i c r o s o f t \ T e m p l a t e s \ O C F
2 - 1 0 - 0 3 . d o t  p t o r c a d % C : \ c a r l a \
B i l l 1 9 8 O C F F o r m s \ O C F 1 2 . d o t


Now, Carla is the person in our department responsible
for distributing these forms, and Bruce was the person
who converted the government forms to work on our system.

I'm not sure about all the locations for Bruce's file,
but I was thinking that if I change that first line to be
the location of my database file, not Carla's, it should
work.

I'll try it and if it doesn't work I'll post back.

 

[Rachael]

OK. I replaced the text with the location of my data
base, but the file wouldn'y open after that.

At least I know now that it's linked to someone elses
database!!

I'll keep working on it.

Rachael

-----Original Message-----
Ok. I know I just posted something else, but I tried
something a little different.

I opened the notepad, browsed to one of my template
files, and opened it. Obviously I figured it would look
weird because it would be converted to text.

I browsed through the text and found this:

C : \ c a r l a \ C l a i m a n t I n f o r m a t i o
n D a t a B a s e 2 . d o c  ÿ ÿÿ
B r u c e R e i d  C : \ W o r k \ O C F \ O C F 2 -
1 0 - 0 3 . d o c
B r u c e R e i d e C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d
S e t t i n g s \ t p r g b c r \ A p p l i c a t i o n
D a t a \ M i c r o s o f t \ W o r d \ A u t o R e c o

v

e r y s a v e o f O C F 2 - 1 0 - 0 3 . a s d
B r u c e R e i d e C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d
S e t t i n g s \ t p r g b c r \ A p p l i c a t i o n
D a t a \ M i c r o s o f t \ W o r d \ A u t o R e c o

v

e r y s a v e o f O C F 2 - 1 0 - 0 3 . a s d
B r u c e R e i d e C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d
S e t t i n g s \ t p r g b c r \ A p p l i c a t i o n
D a t a \ M i c r o s o f t \ W o r d \ A u t o R e c o

v

e r y s a v e o f O C F 2 - 1 0 - 0 3 . a s d
B r u c e R e i d e C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d
S e t t i n g s \ t p r g b c r \ A p p l i c a t i o n
D a t a \ M i c r o s o f t \ W o r d \ A u t o R e c o

v

e r y s a v e o f O C F 2 - 1 0 - 0 3 . a s d
B r u c e R e i d U C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d
S e t t i n g s \ t p r g b c r \ A p p l i c a t i o n
D a t a \ M i c r o s o f t \ T e m p l a t e s \ O C F
2 - 1 0 - 0 3 . d o t  p t o r c a d % C : \ c a r l a

\

 

[Peter Jamieson]

OK. When I choose file>new, the templates I need to use

aren't listed under any of the headings. That's why I
have to use file>open to open them.

From what you've said before, Word would typically expect to find /your/
templates under

c:\Documents and Settings\<your user name>\Application
Data\Microsoft\Templates\

C:\Documents and Settings\ptorrxc\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

If you copy one of your templates there you should be able to find it under
the General tab when you use File|New.

When I open the files, choose the database, and then save
it, it still asks for the database when they start up.

Unfortunately, at this point I don't understand why your templates are not
remembering the path correctly.

like you said, might be hard. However, I think that would
help solve the problem. When I did that thing before and
changed it to html, it specified the same location for
all the files I checked (I checked about 6) and the
database was in the location indicated. But that may be
because when I opened the file, I choose the location of
the database. Is there any way to get that information
without opening the file and locating the database, to
see where it is before I link it up?

I see you you discovered the way from your other message. But editing and
saving the .dot file in Notepad in the way you attempted won't work
unfortunately (nice try though )

I can technically do anything to the template as long as
it doesn't change how it looks, and as long as the mail
merge data works.

How about trying the following:
a. make a copy of your template (so you can get it back if something goes
wrong)
b. open the template
c. make the template a non-mail merge main document (e.g. by clicking the
leftmost button on the Mailmerge toolbar and selecting Normal Word Document
d. save and close the template

If you now open your template, do you still get the error messages?

Let's assume you don't. Obviously this is not a good way to solve the
problem permanently because each time you open the template (or create a new
document based on it) you will have to connect to the data source manually.
I suppose it does mean that you avoid having to deal with the error dialogs.
But if that does work, it might be worth trying the obvious next step:

e. open the template again
f. re-attach the template to the data source (and make sure the template is
the right kind of mail merge main document, again using the leftmost button
in the mailmerge toolbar)
g. save and close the template

See if that opens without problems. Obviously, the only difference between
this and what you have done before is that this time you have
- unlinked
- saved & close
- relinked

rather than just

- change the link
- save and close

but I think it is worth trying the thing as a two-step process.

 

[Guest]

OK. This is what I did.

I opened the .dot file, located the database. I converted
it to a "normal file". Saved as a .doc (which for some
reason it wouldn't let me do when it was mail merged!) I
relinked it back to the database, saved it and closed it.

When I re-opened the file, it didn't ask me for the
database anymore!

Now, it appears this has solved my other issue as well.
On the files I have done this to (I'll slowly do it for
all the files I use), the "find" command directly from
the toolbard works again!

It's going to suck having to re-save all my files, but
what can you do right?

Thanks for all your help. I think this may have solved
the problem. I guess because I don't modify any of the
documents I use, and we don't save what we print, they
weren't getting saved with the correct database. And even
the ones that I was saving still asked for the database
unless I removed it and re-merged the file, then saved.

Thanks again. At least I know I can come here for help if
needed again!!

Rachael