Strange merge problem...?

[Kenneth]

Howdy,

I run Word 2000 with Win 2000 Pro.

I have used Word's mail-merge functionality many times, and
am quite familiar with it.

Typically, I use a pre-defined header file.

Now, for some reason I am having the following problem:

I open a new DOC, click to start the Mail-Merge process.
Define the active window as the formletter, define the data
file and the header file. (Both are valid and display
properly in the window that asks for the delimiters...)

Then, Word tells me that I have no merge fields defined,
but, when I click to insert a field, nothing happens: The
"Insert Merge Field" button does not appear to depress, and
no dropdown appears.

This has happened several times though I have closed, then
re-launched Word.

Might you have any suggestions about this?

Sincere thanks,

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you don't get a reply here, try posting in
microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Kenneth,

Do you always use the same header file, or is this problem
happening with a different header file from when things work
properly?

I assume we're talking about delimited text files as the
merge source. What are the field and record delimiters?

Does this file contain more fields than you'd usually use?

Are you certain the field names in the header file are valid
(no spaces, no apostrophes, etc.)?

If you open both the header file and the data file in Word,
copy the headers to the top of the data file, and save as a
Word document (still in delimited text format) then link to
that as the data source: do you see anything different?

I run Word 2000 with Win 2000 Pro.

I have used Word's mail-merge functionality many times, and
am quite familiar with it.

Typically, I use a pre-defined header file.

Now, for some reason I am having the following problem:

I open a new DOC, click to start the Mail-Merge process.
Define the active window as the formletter, define the data
file and the header file. (Both are valid and display
properly in the window that asks for the delimiters...)

Then, Word tells me that I have no merge fields defined,
but, when I click to insert a field, nothing happens: The
"Insert Merge Field" button does not appear to depress, and
no dropdown appears.

This has happened several times though I have closed, then
re-launched Word.

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

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[Kenneth]

Hi Cindy,

Thanks for your detailed comments. Please see my responses
inline below...

Hi Kenneth,

Do you always use the same header file, or is this problem
happening with a different header file from when things work
properly?

The problem started with a new header file. (more later)

I assume we're talking about delimited text files as the
merge source. What are the field and record delimiters?

Field delimiter: tab, Record delimiter: Enter

Does this file contain more fields than you'd usually use?

Yes, typically, I use 7 or 8, this new one has 18.

Are you certain the field names in the header file are valid
(no spaces, no apostrophes, etc.)?
Yup.


If you open both the header file and the data file in Word,
copy the headers to the top of the data file, and save as a
Word document (still in delimited text format) then link to
that as the data source: do you see anything different?

No, same problem.

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

Because of the above, I started from scratch:

I created a new data file with just 5 fields and a few
records. The results are exactly the same, that is, clicking
on the button to insert merge fields does nothing.

I have run the Detect & Repair routine to conclusion.

I will add that the merge function still works, that is, my
existing macros using merge print properly, but I cannot
seem to create a new merge document.

I will also mention that for this new attempt, both the data
file, and the header file were TXT files. But, for my
experimentation described above, I have created both TXT
files for each, DOCS for each, and have also tried a single
DOC using the first record as the "header." Again, all to no
avail.

Thanks again for any further thoughts,

 

[Kenneth]

Hi Cindy,

Thanks for your detailed comments. Please see my responses
inline below...

<>>>BIG SNIP<<<>


Hi again Cindy,

It is fixed...!

I decided to be-boot, and when I launched Word it asked me
to agree with the EULA. I am assuming that the Detect &
Repair does not take full effect until the re-boot.

In any case, I think I am set...

Sincere thanks, once again,

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Kenneth,

I decided to be-boot, and when I launched Word it asked me
to agree with the EULA. I am assuming that the Detect &
Repair does not take full effect until the re-boot.

In any case, I think I am set...

Ok Good thing, because I was getting desparate for
ideas...

Cindy Meister

 

[Kenneth]

I decided to be-boot,

Hi Cindy,

We can only wonder how effective it would have been if
instead I had decided to re-Boot...! <g>

All the best,