Problem with mail merge using Access Database as source

[Guest]

On my computer I have no trouble using Microsoft Access queries as my data
source for simple mail merge letters or mailing lists in Word. Using the
mail merge wizard I select the data source which my computer shows as All
Data Sources (*odc; *mdb; *mde; and so on). I select it and then select my
Access database and Word shows me whatever query I selected as my data source
or as Word puts it "receipients".

However, on my partners computer, using the mail merge wizard, we select the
data source which on her computer shows All Data Sources - but not the list
of all types of data. The wizard then forces her to click the "New Sources"
and in it she has to select the "ODBC DSN" tab opening another window where
we choose MS Access Database as our data source followed by another window
that lets her select the database source she wants.

Why the difference? Is there something in the preferences or properties on
her computer that hasn't been selected? Why would she have so many extra
steps in an otherwise simple mail merge process?

 

[CyberTaz]

I can't be sure due to a number of missing details in your post - especialy
since you don't mention which version of Word - but my guess would be:

The "Access Database" file you refer to may have been created on *your*
computer using the mail merge feature which generates a .mdb file stored by
default in the My Data Sources on that same computer. When you click the
link to Browse (or select a recipient list) the first place you're directed
is the My Data Sources folder where the .mdb is actually stored. (Or perhaps
your My Data Sources folder contains a shortcut to the .mdb file.)

The file isn't stored in the other system's My Data Sources folder so when
the other user attempts to do a merge from the same source she has to
navigate to where the file *is* actually stored. I'm assuming that once she
navigates to the file's location she *is* able to complete the merge.

I don't know what you mean by "The wizard then forces her..." - she could
just click either the My Computer or My Network Places icon & navigate to
the .mdb file or she could put a shortcut to the file in *her* My Data
Sources folder for more convenient access.

If I'm missing the point here please try to be a little more specific as to
what she needs to do to complete the "connection" as well as where the .mdb
is actually stored.