Selecting Access Query for MailMerge

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Joseph Bloch - 22 Apr 2004 20:13 GMT

I am trying to do a mailmerge in Word 2002, using an Access 2002 query
(which itself ultimately derives from a SQL database).

When I select the data source, however, I am never given any choice as
to which table/query I want to use within the database; it always
picks a query automatically (not, of course, the one I want).

Is there anywhere I can specify which table within the datasource I
want to use? Someplace I can brute-force it to look at my table by
changing the name of the datasource manually? Some setting I'm
forgetting about?

Thanks,

Joseph

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Peter Jamieson - 23 Apr 2004 18:02 GMT

As far as I am aware, Word will only do this in certain circumstances (e.g.
if the database looks like an "Office Address List", which has a particular
table and query structure. It may not ask if it only "sees" one table/query,
which it might do if, for example, all your other tabes/queries are UNION
queries etc. etc.

Possible workarounds:
a. check Word Tools|Options|General|"Confirm conversion at open",
re-attempt your connection, but choose ODBC or DDE instead of OLEDB. ODBC
will probably "see" more queries/tables, and DDE will probably "see" them
all, but will start Access, whereas OLEDB and ODBC just start its Jet
engine. Neither ODBC nor DDE will process Unicode properly in this scenario
as far as I know.
b. if there is any possibility that Word is just seeing one table/query,
add a very simple table with a single row of data to see if that forces Word
to ask.

However, I don't remember seeing thsi particular problem so something else
may be going on.

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Peter Jamieson - Word MVP
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org/

> I am trying to do a mailmerge in Word 2002, using an Access 2002 query
> (which itself ultimately derives from a SQL database).
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Joseph

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Joseph Bloch - 24 Apr 2004 00:29 GMT

Your possible workaround "a" did the trick, as long as I choose DDE. I
don't mind it starting Access to do the merge; it closes automatically
as soon as the merge document closes.

Still no idea why I need to do it, but it works and I'm satisfied.

Thanks, Peter!

Joseph

> As far as I am aware, Word will only do this in certain circumstances (e.g.
> if the database looks like an "Office Address List", which has a particular
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
> >
> > Joseph

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