Mail merge helper and query options

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Kevin - 19 Apr 2004 19:06 GMT

We just upgraded to Word 2003 from Word 2000. I have found how to add the Mail merge helper to the menu but the query options don't seem to work. We typically need 5 - 10 records from a table of 3000. Do I have to set this up differently in Word 2003

Thanks for your help

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Kevin - 20 Apr 2004 05:56 GMT

I probably should have give a little more information

We just upgraded to Word 2003 from Word 2000. I have found how to add the Mail merge helper to the menu but the query options don't seem to work. We typically need 5 - 10 records from a table of 3000. Do I have to set this up differently in Word 2003

The mail merge is being done from an Access database. I can get a list of recipients to use

But the Advanced Filter and Sort doesn't seem to do anything. I have tried using the Advanced Filter and Sort from Mail Merge Recipients as well as the Query Options from the Mail Merge Helper. Neither retain the criteria I enter or filter the data. I used this all the time in Office 2000 but can't seem to get it to work here

Please help

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Cindy M -WordMVP- - 21 Apr 2004 15:37 GMT

Hi =?Utf-8?B?S2V2aW4=?=,

You may want to review the information in the Word 2002 section of my website's Mail
Merge FAQ (also applies to 2003).

My best guess as to what's happening:
- You're using the new OLE DB default data connection method
- OLE DB bases on ANSI 92 SQL, rather than ANSI 89, as earlier versions of Access
used. Access 2003 can use either; a converted DB will probably use ANSI-89 unless
you've specified differently. ASNI-92 uses different wildcard characters, for one
thing. More on it in Access's Help files.
- Query Options was made to work with ANSI-89, so may well have problems with an
OLE DB connection.

I'd test the other available connection methods (DDE and ODBC) to see which works best
for you. You'll find instructions in the same part of my website.

> We just upgraded to Word 2003 from Word 2000. I have found how to add the Mail merge helper to the menu but the query options don't seem to work. We typically need 5 - 10

records from a table of 3000. Do I have to set this up differently in Word 2003?

>
> The mail merge is being done from an Access database. I can get a list of recipients to use.
>
> But the Advanced Filter and Sort doesn't seem to do anything. I have tried using the Advanced Filter and Sort from Mail Merge Recipients as well as the Query Options from

the Mail Merge Helper. Neither retain the criteria I enter or filter the data. I used
this all the time in Office 2000 but can't seem to get it to work here.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the
newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

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Kevin - 23 Apr 2004 01:11 GMT

Thanks for your help.

I tried various combinations to get a data souce that would work but couldn't get it to. However, I have a second document that does work. My problem is it was set up originally using Word 2000 so I am not sure exactly how it is connecting. I think it is using a system dsn but I have no idea how to use that from Word 2003. Eventually I want to upgrade the database format to Access 2003 but can only do that if I know I can keep this mail merge working

Anyway, is there a way for me to determine what type of connection is being used by the document that is working properly? Is there a way to use a system dsn to connect

Any help would be appreciated.

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Cindy M -WordMVP- - 23 Apr 2004 16:11 GMT

Hi =?Utf-8?B?S2V2aW4=?=,

> I tried various combinations to get a data souce that would work but couldn't get it to. However, I have a second document that does work. My problem is it was set up

originally using Word 2000 so I am not sure exactly how it is connecting. I think it
is using a system dsn but I have no idea how to use that from Word 2003. Eventually
I want to upgrade the database format to Access 2003 but can only do that if I know
I can keep this mail merge working.

You tried in the UI, or using VBA code? For mail merge, it's always good to test in
the UI first, record a macro when you get it working, look at the result, then go to
the automation code...

> Anyway, is there a way for me to determine what type of connection is being used by the document that is working properly? Is there a way to use a system dsn to

connect?

I'd open the document in Word (either version), Alt+F11 to open the VB-Editor, then
Ctrl+G for the Immediate Window. Type
?ActiveDocument.MailMerge.DataSource.ConnectString

then press Enter.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in
the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

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