Mail Merge works with one Exchange Contact but not another

[Guest]

I have two different Contacts setup on an Exchange server, using Public
Folders.
Exchange 2003 SM, with 2003 outlook clients.

When I do a mail merge with one contact. No problem.
But when I attempt it with the other, the merge fails.

From what I can tell, they are the setup the same.

What could be causing a failure?
Some data entry issue?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

You're including only one contact item in each merge? What's different about those contacts? What symptoms indicate the merge has failed?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Guest]

I am using a word template created with Word 2000.
I am also using word 2000.
Just in case I had not mentioned that. Exchange/Outlook is 2003.

The contacts, A and B are both public folders, which have been set to be
used for email (also makes it visible when performing the mail merge from
within Word.

A works to merge and has 1022 contacts
B doesn't work to merge and has 1970 contacts. I am not certain what other
data may be contained in the B list. I know A is just addresses.

When i attempt to attach contact B. the error message is:
"Word was unable to open the data source"

after I cancel, the next error message states:
"the document name or path is not valid. try these suggestions; Check file
permissions for the document or drive. 2. Use file open dialog box to located
the document outlook address book."

As both A and B are in the same location.
I do not understand why I am getting any error messages.

Any thoughts?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

When merging from a public folder, you must start the merge from Outlook, not Word. You can also expect to run into problems if you don't have matching Word and Outlook versions. I'm surprised that it works at all on that one folder.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Guest]

So thus I am left with two options.

1. find some multi step work around, powered with batch routines. To take
info from Exchange parse it through another in order to mail merge.

or

2. Get the cooresponding flavor of Office.

I still like door number 3, figuring out how contact A is working and make B
do the same.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

I'd like to know that myself, but have no plans to build a new test system with that somewhat unusual configuration and spend hours trying to find out. If you learn anything, let us know.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers