How do I create a read-only mail merge data source?

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Julie - 14 Nov 2005 21:09 GMT

I want to create a mail merge document, but I want the data source to always
contain blank fields. I can create the letter and add the merge fields and
create the blank data source, but the first time I add data to the data
source it automatically saves the data. I NEVER want the data saved in the
data source. I tried saving the data source as read-only, but then I can't
enter anything into it. Any help is greatly appreciated.

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Anne Troy - 16 Nov 2005 06:25 GMT

What are you using as the data source? Try using a Word document instead of
a database.
************
Anne Troy
VBA Project Manager
www.OfficeArticles.com

>I want to create a mail merge document, but I want the data source to
>always
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> can't
> enter anything into it. Any help is greatly appreciated.

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Julie - 16 Nov 2005 13:47 GMT

doWhen I "Create a New List" in Word the only type of data source I can save
it as is "Microsoft Office Address Lists" - which basically saves it in
Access.

What we do is put the mail merge document on a shared drive so everyone in
my department can use it - that's why we do not want the data saved with the
letter. In previous versions of Word this is possible, but not in 2002. To
get around this problem we are using old mail merge documents created in the
previous version and changing it. It's a work around, but not feasible for
everyone to do.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

> What are you using as the data source? Try using a Word document instead of
> a database.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> > can't
> > enter anything into it. Any help is greatly appreciated.

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Doug Robbins - Word MVP - 16 Nov 2005 19:23 GMT

I think that you are probably using mailmerge where you should be using a
userform

See the article "How to create a Userform" at:

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Userforms/CreateAUserForm.htm

However, you can create a table in a Word document that contains the
fieldnames that you want to use in the first row and then contains just an
empty row and you can attach that to the mailmerge main document.

See the article "Creating a Mail Merge Data Source" at:

http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/MailMerge/CreateADataSource.htm

Signature

Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

> doWhen I "Create a New List" in Word the only type of data source I can
> save
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
>> > can't
>> > enter anything into it. Any help is greatly appreciated.

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