Re-creating Template from Already-Merged Document

I had to wipe my workstation's hard drive clean to eliminate hidden/unknown
virus issues. Fortunately, I saved all of my documents, data, etc. to my
network before the re-format, etc. Unfortunately, I forgot to save/backup
several years worth of templates created and saved within the MS Office
Templates subfolder. I still have numerous already-merged documents made and
saved from the original templates and, as such, I can see the merge field
codes (if I reveal codes), formatting, etc., but I can't figure out if there
is a way to clear out the data while still keeping the merge codes intact
(i.e., so I can then re-save this as a new blank template). Obviously, I
could re-type/re-create a new template using the old codes, etc., as a guide
but not only am I stupid (see above) but lazy, so I'm hoping there's some
quasi-secret trick to returning the already-merged document back into its
original template form (i.e., sans saved data). Any ideas or suggestions?

If revealing the field codes in the document displays the mergefields, then
that document is NOT the result of the merge being executed as there would
be NO mergefields in the document created by executing the merge. It must
be a mailmerge main document and you should be able to attach a data source
with the corresponding field codes to it.

--
Please respond to the Newsgroup for the benefit of others who may be
interested. Questions sent directly to me will only be answered on a paid
consulting basis.

Hope this helps,
Doug Robbins - Word MVP
"Richard" wrote in message
...
I had to wipe my workstation's hard drive clean to eliminate hidden/unknown
virus issues. Fortunately, I saved all of my documents, data, etc. to my
network before the re-format, etc. Unfortunately, I forgot to save/backup
several years worth of templates created and saved within the MS Office
Templates subfolder. I still have numerous already-merged documents made
and
saved from the original templates and, as such, I can see the merge field
codes (if I reveal codes), formatting, etc., but I can't figure out if
there
is a way to clear out the data while still keeping the merge codes intact
(i.e., so I can then re-save this as a new blank template). Obviously, I
could re-type/re-create a new template using the old codes, etc., as a
guide
but not only am I stupid (see above) but lazy, so I'm hoping there's some
quasi-secret trick to returning the already-merged document back into its
original template form (i.e., sans saved data). Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks for trying but perhaps my terminology is poor and I am not saying what
I mean, as your answer does not help me. The document I have is the result
of previously merging a mailmerge main document/template with a single record
from an Access database table--i.e., I prepared a single letter to one person
listed in the database. All of that person's pertinent information, etc., as
listed in the record in teh database, has been merged with the original
mailmerge main document/template and other text subsequently inserted
(following the original merge) by me to compose a letter. That letter, in
turn, was then saved onto my hard drive a few months ago. It still has the
original datasource (Access database table) attached--using the mailmerge
wizard, I can see and/or theoretically edit the recipient list. However, if
I attempt to find/change to a new record in the database, I cannot then
re-mrege the document as it will not change or remove any of the pre-existing
text/merged data that was saved a few months ago with this version of the
document. As indicated already, doing an Alt-F9 on the document shows me all
of the merge codes exactly as they existed in the original mailmerge
template/form I used to have but doing another Alt-F9 simply puts me right
back at the last person's data as I saved it. This is very frustrating
because I believe the framework of the orginal mailmerge main
document/template is still there--I can see the merge codes--but I cannot
remove/clean out the data from the last mailmerge to be able to
re-save/re-create this as my new mailmerge main document/template.

"Doug Robbins" wrote:

If revealing the field codes in the document displays the mergefields, then
that document is NOT the result of the merge being executed as there would
be NO mergefields in the document created by executing the merge. It must
be a mailmerge main document and you should be able to attach a data source
with the corresponding field codes to it.

--
Please respond to the Newsgroup for the benefit of others who may be
interested. Questions sent directly to me will only be answered on a paid
consulting basis.

Hope this helps,
Doug Robbins - Word MVP
"Richard" wrote in message
...
I had to wipe my workstation's hard drive clean to eliminate hidden/unknown
virus issues. Fortunately, I saved all of my documents, data, etc. to my
network before the re-format, etc. Unfortunately, I forgot to save/backup
several years worth of templates created and saved within the MS Office
Templates subfolder. I still have numerous already-merged documents made
and
saved from the original templates and, as such, I can see the merge field
codes (if I reveal codes), formatting, etc., but I can't figure out if
there
is a way to clear out the data while still keeping the merge codes intact
(i.e., so I can then re-save this as a new blank template). Obviously, I
could re-type/re-create a new template using the old codes, etc., as a
guide
but not only am I stupid (see above) but lazy, so I'm hoping there's some
quasi-secret trick to returning the already-merged document back into its
original template form (i.e., sans saved data). Any ideas or suggestions?

That being the case, you did not actually execute the merge. All that you
have done is saved another mailmerge main document, albeit a modification of
the original. If you want the unmodified one, you would have to start again
with the original. If you no longer have the original mailmerge main
document, you will have to manually undo the modifications.

--
Please respond to the Newsgroup for the benefit of others who may be
interested. Questions sent directly to me will only be answered on a paid
consulting basis.

Hope this helps,
Doug Robbins - Word MVP
"Richard" wrote in message
...
Thanks for trying but perhaps my terminology is poor and I am not saying
what
I mean, as your answer does not help me. The document I have is the
result
of previously merging a mailmerge main document/template with a single
record
from an Access database table--i.e., I prepared a single letter to one
person
listed in the database. All of that person's pertinent information, etc.,
as
listed in the record in teh database, has been merged with the original
mailmerge main document/template and other text subsequently inserted
(following the original merge) by me to compose a letter. That letter, in
turn, was then saved onto my hard drive a few months ago. It still has
the
original datasource (Access database table) attached--using the mailmerge
wizard, I can see and/or theoretically edit the recipient list. However,
if
I attempt to find/change to a new record in the database, I cannot then
re-mrege the document as it will not change or remove any of the
pre-existing
text/merged data that was saved a few months ago with this version of the
document. As indicated already, doing an Alt-F9 on the document shows me
all
of the merge codes exactly as they existed in the original mailmerge
template/form I used to have but doing another Alt-F9 simply puts me right
back at the last person's data as I saved it. This is very frustrating
because I believe the framework of the orginal mailmerge main
document/template is still there--I can see the merge codes--but I cannot
remove/clean out the data from the last mailmerge to be able to
re-save/re-create this as my new mailmerge main document/template.

"Doug Robbins" wrote:

If revealing the field codes in the document displays the mergefields,
then
that document is NOT the result of the merge being executed as there
would
be NO mergefields in the document created by executing the merge. It
must
be a mailmerge main document and you should be able to attach a data
source
with the corresponding field codes to it.

--
Please respond to the Newsgroup for the benefit of others who may be
interested. Questions sent directly to me will only be answered on a
paid
consulting basis.

Hope this helps,
Doug Robbins - Word MVP
"Richard" wrote in message
...
I had to wipe my workstation's hard drive clean to eliminate
hidden/unknown
virus issues. Fortunately, I saved all of my documents, data, etc. to
my
network before the re-format, etc. Unfortunately, I forgot to
save/backup
several years worth of templates created and saved within the MS Office
Templates subfolder. I still have numerous already-merged documents
made
and
saved from the original templates and, as such, I can see the merge
field
codes (if I reveal codes), formatting, etc., but I can't figure out if
there
is a way to clear out the data while still keeping the merge codes
intact
(i.e., so I can then re-save this as a new blank template). Obviously,
I
could re-type/re-create a new template using the old codes, etc., as a
guide
but not only am I stupid (see above) but lazy, so I'm hoping there's
some
quasi-secret trick to returning the already-merged document back into
its
original template form (i.e., sans saved data). Any ideas or
suggestions?