Trying to use a .dot document as main document

[Pat B]

I am trying to use a .dot document I received as the main document in an mail
merge, but the merge options are greyed out. Any ideas on how to activate
this function or what else you might need to know to assist? Not sure what
version of word the file was created in, but I did a save as in both 2000 and
offxp and still had the problem.

Thanks ...

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Did you save the template (.dot document) in the templates folder? Are you
using File>New and then selecting that template to create a new document
based on it as mail merge main document? Is the document protected?



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Hope this helps
Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Pat B]

It's not protected. I just put it in the templates folder, but it doesn't
show up in any of the tabs when I select File > New. Do I have to do anything
special to make it show up? I will try again at home as that setup is likely
to be less complicated than the one at work in terms of where the templates
are located.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

"merge options are grayed out"

If this is on the merge toolbar, you may not have a database selected. Can
you attach a data file?

 

[Pat B]

I am not sure that I understand your question. By "attach a data file" do you
mean select a data source for my merge data? If that's what you mean, then
no, I can't since the options to start the merge functions are what I can't
access on the toolbar. If that's not what you meant, please explain a little
differently. I have also tried the other suggestion of creating a new
document from the template I received, by using the File, New suggestion from
the other post, but the Mail Merge options are still greyed out.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Is it "grayed out" on a toolbar or on a menu? Which merge options are grayed
out? I have the mailmerge toolbar displayed all the time and 90% of the time
most of the options are grayed out because the document isn't a merge
document or isn't attached to a datafile.

 

[Pat B]

Whenever any document created from this template is open, when you select
Tools, the words "Mail Merge" (or the equivalent terms on XP version) on the
drop down menu are greyed out so that you cannot start the merge process.
Seems like any other time I have a document open, whether it's a blank new
one from "normal.dot" or an existing .doc, the Mail Merge option on the Tools
menu is available to me.

thanks for continuing to try and help on this one!

 

[Graham Mayor]

You must put it in the user templates folder (or a sub folder of that
folder) you can locate the correct folder by looking in tools > options >
file locations > user templates to see what folder is defined there. It will
then show under file > new and when you create a new document from it you
will have the required commands available.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Pat B]

I've done that, figured it out after I found the spot you mentioned.
Virtually all the options on the Tools menu still come up grey(like the
speller etc) when I use this template. Basically, it's a form with some
premade fields that are blank that I want to use for the mail merge.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Try recreating the template. Start with a new blank document and format its
margins the same way. Then copy all but the last paragraph mark from the old
template into the new document and save that as a template.

 

[Pat B]

Couldn't copy anything ... In reviewing what type of menu options were
available to me, one of the few active ones is "Unprotect document" So,
basically, after all this, I think the file is password protected! Is there a
way to get around this by doing some kind of a save as to be able to
unprotect the background data of the file?

 

[Charles Kenyon]

It is likely protected as a form. If you can see it, that is likely the
password protection that applies. I would have said this earlier but you
said it is not a protected form.

Import the file into another file. Insert > File... (not as a link)

 

[Pat B]

Thanks so much, that worked! I went back into the questions and guess I
didn't fully understand the question regarding protection earlier on, since I
was able to do other things with the form. Should have realized something was
going on with it earlier than this in the thread! Again, thanks for your
perserverance.