Merge, Word/Access - Outlook 02 or 03 asks permission - bypass?

[Guest]

I manage a database of about 700 people on Microsoft Access. Email merges are
done with Word document and email field in database. With Outlook 2002 and
newly purchased 2003 I am suddenly getting a window popping up where I have
to first allow permission for "another program" to use Outlook for max of 10
mins at a time, then I have to click "yes" for each message in a window
saying "another program is trying to send an email!

Mail merges that took 10 mins are now taking 2 hours. I have Windows XP and
Office 2000. Also Norton Security.

Is there any way to turn this feature off?

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

This hasn't happened for years if the merge is done properly. No version
after Outlook 2002 with the Aug 25 2002 update triggers this prompt.
You must use HTML format for the merge You can find more info on this issue
here:
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/esecup.htm#autosec

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Make sure that you choose HTML as the format for the outgoing messages.

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

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

 

[Guest]

I went into Tools - Options - Mail Format - and changed to HTML (I did have
it on plain text). I rebooted and tried my merge again and got the same
messages. First I have to give permission for a max of 10 minutes at a time,
then click yes for each outgoing email. I am a home-based business user, so
not part of a larger network or anything. Where else do I need to change the
format.

I'm almost ready to give up and go back to maintaining a database and
distribution lists separately, but that is not very efficient!!

Thanks for trying to help.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

The setting I was referring to is in Word. When generating email messages with a merge, three formats are available -- HTML, as attachment, and (I think) plain text. To avoid the prompts, you must choose HTML. It has nothing to do with your default Outlook mail format.

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

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

 

[Guest]

Sue, thanks very much for trying to help me. I've about given up.
When I start in a Word document (I have Word 2000) I go to mail merge - form
letter. then I choose my Access database and add the email field to my Word
document. I then go to Merge and choose Electronic Mail. When I go to setup
the only option I get is to click on "send as an attachment" or to leave it
blank and the word document then goes as the body of my email.

I need to do it either way, depending on the item being sent. However, both
ways result in that same pop-up message, so maybe it's my version of Word?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

How does Word 2000 fit into this picture? You said earlier:

Did I make a mistake and assume that you meant that you'd purchased Office 2003, not just Outlook 2003? If so, then I've given you the wrong information. There is no such setting for your scenario. You'll have to look into some of the other ways to bypass the prompt listed at http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/esecup.htm#autosec

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

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

 

[Pike]

I hope you don't mind me butting in and asking a question of my own---what
is the reason behind merging?

How does Word 2000 fit into this picture? You said earlier:

Did I make a mistake and assume that you meant that you'd purchased Office
2003, not just Outlook 2003? If so, then I've given you the wrong
information. There is no such setting for your scenario. You'll have to look
into some of the other ways to bypass the prompt listed at
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/esecup.htm#autosec

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

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

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Merge to email is the best method for sending the same message, with personalized text, to a bunch of different people.

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

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

 

[Guest]

Our new association has a website-based database (www.sahrp.ca) and the idea
was to allow members to update their own info, and then I and another admin
person in a second location, could download the database to an Access file.
Then, the only way to send an email to all of them would be to do an email
merge.

However, I don't have Word 2003 - just 2000, and I'm not prepared to spend
$300 or more to upgrade that as well. It makes me quite angry as when I had
Outlook 2000 it worked fine and I really didn't need to update to 2002 or
2003, but unfortunately you can't go backwards!

So I think I will go ahead and set up distribution lists and will just have
to update in both places with info members send.

thanks for your help, Sue and others

Sandra

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

There are quite a few bulk inexpensive mail add-ins that work with Outlook that can probably use your Access database to produce email messages without triggering security prompts. See http://www.slipstick.com/addins/mail.htm#massmail

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

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