Access Mail Merge Problem

[Martin Mendel]

I have a large number of merge files created in Wood 2003 and linked to an Access 2003 database. The files and the database are stored on a server running Small Business Server 2003. I have 5 work stations running Windows 7 Pro.
I have now updated to Word & Access 2010 and are having problems merging the files. When I run the file in compatibility mode, all works correctly. If I convert the Word files to 2010, the merge cannot located the Access data source. I need to manually locate the data source and the merge works OK and I save the file. If I try to marge the same file again the data source again cannot be automatically located and needs a manual connection again.

Has anyone experienced and solved this problem

 

[xenou]

I would assume that you have file paths stored somewhere based on the old file names. The new files have different extensions, so they are really not the same file names anymore. Simplest would be to leave the files as the old format (why not?). Otherwise, you may need to poke around your merge procedures to see where the file names are stored and update them. I would try to stay with the old file formats as the safest option (only since I don't know what has changed in merge and so I'm not sure what the ramifications would be of changing the file formats).

 

[HiTechCoach]

Unfortunately you will have to edit each merge source document to update the source and save it. The way Word 2007 and later with with Access has changed.

I learned many years ago to avoid letting Word touch an Access database as the merge source. It cause lots of issues. I export the data from Access to a Word Merge data file. I perform the merge with this file not the Access database. I have yet to have to change the merge source document's data source for any upgrades from Access 2000 to 2002 through 2013. This makes it independent of the Access database format or any changes with how Word talks to an Access database in each new version.