Why do I have to redefine the fields every time in mail merge

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splever@gmail.com - 11 Jun 2005 22:11 GMT

Hi
I created a document called "MergeLabels.doc" for a friend several
years ago. I formatted it for some avery lables and linked it a to a
"labels.csv" file.

She has another (internet based) application which she uses to create
new "labels.csv" files when necessary.

She would replace the old "labels.csv" file, open "MakeLabels.doc",
click the "Merge to new documents button" and bingo, the new labels
appear in a new doc.

Now she's upgraded and when she opens the doc she gets a "Word cannot
find the datasource" message box with the full document and pathname
displayed.

I went throught various dialog boxes and the mail merge wizard and was
able to connect and create the labels.

MY PROBLEM is that I have not been able to figure out HOW TO "SAVE" THE
"CONNNECTION" to the "labels.csv" file. Every time, I open the file I
get some message which forces me to map to the file and/or fields
again.

Can anyone help?

Thanks!
Steve

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Cindy M -WordMVP- - 12 Jun 2005 11:54 GMT

> Now she's upgraded and when she opens the doc she gets a "Word cannot
> find the datasource" message box with the full document and pathname
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> get some message which forces me to map to the file and/or fields
> again.

To which version has your acquaintance upgraded? Are you/she trying to
save any filters/record selections?

If one links the csv file to a newly created document and saves that (as
a test), is the behavior more as you'd expect?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or
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splever@gmail.com - 16 Jun 2005 20:57 GMT

Hi Cindy
Thanks for responding. She's using 2003.

Yes, if when I go through the wizard in a new doc; e.x.
(no necessarily in this order)
1) create a new document
2) start the mailmerge wizard
3) choose the style of labels,
4) format the data on the labels
5) link to the csv file,
6) map the fields

etc, etc.. it works fine. I can then merge the labels to a new
document or directly to a printer without a problem.

I think somewhere in the wizard I selected sort and "ignore blanks"
options.

However, in the past, she didn't have to do steps 1 - 6. I did it
once, and saved the file. She could then open the saved file, click
the "merge to new document" button and it would create the labels based
on the data in the csv file. Is this no longer possible?

Thanks!
Steve

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splever@gmail.com - 16 Jun 2005 21:03 GMT

I just realized that I didn't answer your question. When I create a
new file and save it, then open it I still get the message "Word cannot
find the datasource..". The csv file is on her C: drive.

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Cindy M -WordMVP- - 17 Jun 2005 10:49 GMT

> I just realized that I didn't answer your question. When I create a
> new file and save it, then open it I still get the message "Word cannot
> find the datasource..". The csv file is on her C: drive.

Hmmm. Usually, I'd expect to see the problem when
- the data source is Excel or Access
- one has selected particular records from the "Recipients" list

If that's not the case here, then I'm not sure what, exactly, could be
causing the problem. I'd like you to try something. Word changed the
default connection method starting in Word 2002 to OLE DB. Before that,
for delimited text files, Word used either its internal text converter or
ODBC. The former was considered the most reliable.

In order to CHOOSE a connection method in Word 2003 you have to activate
"Confirm conversions on open" in Tools/Options/General. After selecting
the data source file, you should get a list of possibilities. Try all
three and see if any of them work better.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
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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