multiple docs, one data source

In my work, I routinely set up one record in my data source and merge that
info into multiple documents.

But I have to re-open the datasource each time I open one of the documents.

Is there a way to open the datasource and have it stay open for each
document I open?

Thanks,
kp

Can you say a little bit more about what you are actually doing? (Mentioning
the version of Word and what the data source is usually helps, too). If your
documents all specify a particular data source, you should not need to
re-open the data source - it should be done automatically each time you open
a document that uses it - although these days you may face additional
security-related dialog boxes. If you have to "re-open" for each document,
that suggests you are actually using a different data source for each set of
merges.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
In my work, I routinely set up one record in my data source and merge that
info into multiple documents.

But I have to re-open the datasource each time I open one of the
documents.

Is there a way to open the datasource and have it stay open for each
document I open?

Thanks,
kp

I'm using Word 2002. I'm using one data source, not different ones for each
document.

I created the data source myself to go with these documents.

I'm not sure how else to describe it. I have 7 documents that use the same
mailmerge fields and the same data source. Each time I open a document, I'm
prompted to open the data source.

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Can you say a little bit more about what you are actually doing?
(Mentioning the version of Word and what the data source is usually helps,
too). If your documents all specify a particular data source, you should
not need to re-open the data source - it should be done automatically each
time you open a document that uses it - although these days you may face
additional security-related dialog boxes. If you have to "re-open" for
each document, that suggests you are actually using a different data
source for each set of merges.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
In my work, I routinely set up one record in my data source and merge
that info into multiple documents.

But I have to re-open the datasource each time I open one of the
documents.

Is there a way to open the datasource and have it stay open for each
document I open?

Thanks,
kp

Ah, OK, are you prompted with a message along the lines of

Opening this document will run the following SQL command:
SELECT * FROM [tablename]
Data from your database will be placed in the document.
Do you want to continue?

?

If so, you need to look at the following article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;825765

"You receive the "Opening this will run the following SQL command" message
when you open a Word mail merge main document that is linked to a data
source"

If not,
a. what error message are you seeing?
b. there are errors in Word 2002 that can cause it to lose the data source.
For example, specifying sort/filter conditions in Word 2002 with an Access
data source can cause this to happen, and there probably isn't a lot you can
do about that other than change the data source. Other possible problems
include:
- Word cannot open the data source because something else has already
opened it.
- The data source has a very long path name (it does not matter if it is
in the same folder as the .doc that uses it - Word will still try to use the
complete path name). You can try moving the data source to a folder with a
short name, e.g. c:\mydata\ and see if anything improves. Or putting in your
My Data Sources folder may help.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
I'm using Word 2002. I'm using one data source, not different ones for
each document.

I created the data source myself to go with these documents.

I'm not sure how else to describe it. I have 7 documents that use the
same mailmerge fields and the same data source. Each time I open a
document, I'm prompted to open the data source.

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Can you say a little bit more about what you are actually doing?
(Mentioning the version of Word and what the data source is usually
helps, too). If your documents all specify a particular data source, you
should not need to re-open the data source - it should be done
automatically each time you open a document that uses it - although these
days you may face additional security-related dialog boxes. If you have
to "re-open" for each document, that suggests you are actually using a
different data source for each set of merges.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
In my work, I routinely set up one record in my data source and merge
that info into multiple documents.

But I have to re-open the datasource each time I open one of the
documents.

Is there a way to open the datasource and have it stay open for each
document I open?

Thanks,
kp

not any more. I had then when I downloaded the big service pack. But then I
had to replace my hard drive and when I did, I did not put on that service
pack because of that irritating message. I had suggestions for how to fix
it, but it was beyond my capabilities.
kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Ah, OK, are you prompted with a message along the lines of

Opening this document will run the following SQL command:
SELECT * FROM [tablename]
Data from your database will be placed in the document.
Do you want to continue?

?

If so, you need to look at the following article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;825765

"You receive the "Opening this will run the following SQL command" message
when you open a Word mail merge main document that is linked to a data
source"

If not,
a. what error message are you seeing?
b. there are errors in Word 2002 that can cause it to lose the data
source. For example, specifying sort/filter conditions in Word 2002 with
an Access data source can cause this to happen, and there probably isn't a
lot you can do about that other than change the data source. Other
possible problems include:
- Word cannot open the data source because something else has already
opened it.
- The data source has a very long path name (it does not matter if it is
in the same folder as the .doc that uses it - Word will still try to use
the complete path name). You can try moving the data source to a folder
with a short name, e.g. c:\mydata\ and see if anything improves. Or
putting in your My Data Sources folder may help.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
I'm using Word 2002. I'm using one data source, not different ones for
each document.

I created the data source myself to go with these documents.

I'm not sure how else to describe it. I have 7 documents that use the
same mailmerge fields and the same data source. Each time I open a
document, I'm prompted to open the data source.

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Can you say a little bit more about what you are actually doing?
(Mentioning the version of Word and what the data source is usually
helps, too). If your documents all specify a particular data source, you
should not need to re-open the data source - it should be done
automatically each time you open a document that uses it - although
these days you may face additional security-related dialog boxes. If you
have to "re-open" for each document, that suggests you are actually
using a different data source for each set of merges.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
In my work, I routinely set up one record in my data source and merge
that info into multiple documents.

But I have to re-open the datasource each time I open one of the
documents.

Is there a way to open the datasource and have it stay open for each
document I open?

Thanks,
kp

I should have said in my earlier reply...
what I'm getting is

document name is a mailmerge main document. Word cannot find its
datasource.

I see it's looking for a datasource with a different name instead of mine.
So I guess I need to know how to associate the mailmerge docs with my own
datasource forever....

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Ah, OK, are you prompted with a message along the lines of

Opening this document will run the following SQL command:
SELECT * FROM [tablename]
Data from your database will be placed in the document.
Do you want to continue?

?

If so, you need to look at the following article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;825765

"You receive the "Opening this will run the following SQL command" message
when you open a Word mail merge main document that is linked to a data
source"

If not,
a. what error message are you seeing?
b. there are errors in Word 2002 that can cause it to lose the data
source. For example, specifying sort/filter conditions in Word 2002 with
an Access data source can cause this to happen, and there probably isn't a
lot you can do about that other than change the data source. Other
possible problems include:
- Word cannot open the data source because something else has already
opened it.
- The data source has a very long path name (it does not matter if it is
in the same folder as the .doc that uses it - Word will still try to use
the complete path name). You can try moving the data source to a folder
with a short name, e.g. c:\mydata\ and see if anything improves. Or
putting in your My Data Sources folder may help.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
I'm using Word 2002. I'm using one data source, not different ones for
each document.

I created the data source myself to go with these documents.

I'm not sure how else to describe it. I have 7 documents that use the
same mailmerge fields and the same data source. Each time I open a
document, I'm prompted to open the data source.

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Can you say a little bit more about what you are actually doing?
(Mentioning the version of Word and what the data source is usually
helps, too). If your documents all specify a particular data source, you
should not need to re-open the data source - it should be done
automatically each time you open a document that uses it - although
these days you may face additional security-related dialog boxes. If you
have to "re-open" for each document, that suggests you are actually
using a different data source for each set of merges.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
In my work, I routinely set up one record in my data source and merge
that info into multiple documents.

But I have to re-open the datasource each time I open one of the
documents.

Is there a way to open the datasource and have it stay open for each
document I open?

Thanks,
kp

Yes, it's unfortunate.

Peter Jamieson

"kp" wrote in message
...
not any more. I had then when I downloaded the big service pack. But then
I had to replace my hard drive and when I did, I did not put on that
service pack because of that irritating message. I had suggestions for
how to fix it, but it was beyond my capabilities.
kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Ah, OK, are you prompted with a message along the lines of

Opening this document will run the following SQL command:
SELECT * FROM [tablename]
Data from your database will be placed in the document.
Do you want to continue?

?

If so, you need to look at the following article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;825765

"You receive the "Opening this will run the following SQL command"
message
when you open a Word mail merge main document that is linked to a data
source"

If not,
a. what error message are you seeing?
b. there are errors in Word 2002 that can cause it to lose the data
source. For example, specifying sort/filter conditions in Word 2002 with
an Access data source can cause this to happen, and there probably isn't
a lot you can do about that other than change the data source. Other
possible problems include:
- Word cannot open the data source because something else has already
opened it.
- The data source has a very long path name (it does not matter if it is
in the same folder as the .doc that uses it - Word will still try to use
the complete path name). You can try moving the data source to a folder
with a short name, e.g. c:\mydata\ and see if anything improves. Or
putting in your My Data Sources folder may help.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
I'm using Word 2002. I'm using one data source, not different ones for
each document.

I created the data source myself to go with these documents.

I'm not sure how else to describe it. I have 7 documents that use the
same mailmerge fields and the same data source. Each time I open a
document, I'm prompted to open the data source.

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Can you say a little bit more about what you are actually doing?
(Mentioning the version of Word and what the data source is usually
helps, too). If your documents all specify a particular data source,
you should not need to re-open the data source - it should be done
automatically each time you open a document that uses it - although
these days you may face additional security-related dialog boxes. If
you have to "re-open" for each document, that suggests you are actually
using a different data source for each set of merges.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
In my work, I routinely set up one record in my data source and merge
that info into multiple documents.

But I have to re-open the datasource each time I open one of the
documents.

Is there a way to open the datasource and have it stay open for each
document I open?

Thanks,
kp

I see it's looking for a datasource with a different name instead of mine.
So I guess I need to know how to associate the mailmerge docs with my own
datasource forever....

OK, once you have selected a data source /and saved the mail merge main
document/, the association /should/ be forever. That's how it's supposed to
work. So either you are encountering one of the errors I mentioned before
(in which case I suspect that the only viable workaround will be to change
the type of data source), or you are doing something wrong, or at least
doing things in an unexpected way. My suspicion is the former. However, can
you tell us
a. what type of data source it is (Word document? A new "Office Address
List" (OAL) created within the Word Mail Merge Wizard? Something else?)
b. what steps you are taking to connect to the data source?

Peter Jamieson

"kp" wrote in message
...
I should have said in my earlier reply...
what I'm getting is

document name is a mailmerge main document. Word cannot find its
datasource.

I see it's looking for a datasource with a different name instead of mine.
So I guess I need to know how to associate the mailmerge docs with my own
datasource forever....

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Ah, OK, are you prompted with a message along the lines of

Opening this document will run the following SQL command:
SELECT * FROM [tablename]
Data from your database will be placed in the document.
Do you want to continue?

?

If so, you need to look at the following article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;825765

"You receive the "Opening this will run the following SQL command"
message
when you open a Word mail merge main document that is linked to a data
source"

If not,
a. what error message are you seeing?
b. there are errors in Word 2002 that can cause it to lose the data
source. For example, specifying sort/filter conditions in Word 2002 with
an Access data source can cause this to happen, and there probably isn't
a lot you can do about that other than change the data source. Other
possible problems include:
- Word cannot open the data source because something else has already
opened it.
- The data source has a very long path name (it does not matter if it is
in the same folder as the .doc that uses it - Word will still try to use
the complete path name). You can try moving the data source to a folder
with a short name, e.g. c:\mydata\ and see if anything improves. Or
putting in your My Data Sources folder may help.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
I'm using Word 2002. I'm using one data source, not different ones for
each document.

I created the data source myself to go with these documents.

I'm not sure how else to describe it. I have 7 documents that use the
same mailmerge fields and the same data source. Each time I open a
document, I'm prompted to open the data source.

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Can you say a little bit more about what you are actually doing?
(Mentioning the version of Word and what the data source is usually
helps, too). If your documents all specify a particular data source,
you should not need to re-open the data source - it should be done
automatically each time you open a document that uses it - although
these days you may face additional security-related dialog boxes. If
you have to "re-open" for each document, that suggests you are actually
using a different data source for each set of merges.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
In my work, I routinely set up one record in my data source and merge
that info into multiple documents.

But I have to re-open the datasource each time I open one of the
documents.

Is there a way to open the datasource and have it stay open for each
document I open?

Thanks,
kp

Sorry for the late reply. I created the datasource within the mailmerge
wizard. It is save in the "my data sources" file in My Documents and is an
..mdb file.

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
I see it's looking for a datasource with a different name instead of
mine. So I guess I need to know how to associate the mailmerge docs with
my own datasource forever....

OK, once you have selected a data source /and saved the mail merge main
document/, the association /should/ be forever. That's how it's supposed
to work. So either you are encountering one of the errors I mentioned
before (in which case I suspect that the only viable workaround will be to
change the type of data source), or you are doing something wrong, or at
least doing things in an unexpected way. My suspicion is the former.
However, can you tell us
a. what type of data source it is (Word document? A new "Office Address
List" (OAL) created within the Word Mail Merge Wizard? Something else?)
b. what steps you are taking to connect to the data source?

Peter Jamieson

"kp" wrote in message
...
I should have said in my earlier reply...
what I'm getting is

document name is a mailmerge main document. Word cannot find its
datasource.

I see it's looking for a datasource with a different name instead of
mine. So I guess I need to know how to associate the mailmerge docs with
my own datasource forever....

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Ah, OK, are you prompted with a message along the lines of

Opening this document will run the following SQL command:
SELECT * FROM [tablename]
Data from your database will be placed in the document.
Do you want to continue?

?

If so, you need to look at the following article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;825765

"You receive the "Opening this will run the following SQL command"
message
when you open a Word mail merge main document that is linked to a data
source"

If not,
a. what error message are you seeing?
b. there are errors in Word 2002 that can cause it to lose the data
source. For example, specifying sort/filter conditions in Word 2002 with
an Access data source can cause this to happen, and there probably isn't
a lot you can do about that other than change the data source. Other
possible problems include:
- Word cannot open the data source because something else has already
opened it.
- The data source has a very long path name (it does not matter if it
is in the same folder as the .doc that uses it - Word will still try to
use the complete path name). You can try moving the data source to a
folder with a short name, e.g. c:\mydata\ and see if anything improves.
Or putting in your My Data Sources folder may help.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
I'm using Word 2002. I'm using one data source, not different ones for
each document.

I created the data source myself to go with these documents.

I'm not sure how else to describe it. I have 7 documents that use the
same mailmerge fields and the same data source. Each time I open a
document, I'm prompted to open the data source.

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Can you say a little bit more about what you are actually doing?
(Mentioning the version of Word and what the data source is usually
helps, too). If your documents all specify a particular data source,
you should not need to re-open the data source - it should be done
automatically each time you open a document that uses it - although
these days you may face additional security-related dialog boxes. If
you have to "re-open" for each document, that suggests you are
actually using a different data source for each set of merges.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
In my work, I routinely set up one record in my data source and merge
that info into multiple documents.

But I have to re-open the datasource each time I open one of the
documents.

Is there a way to open the datasource and have it stay open for each
document I open?

Thanks,
kp

OK, one further thought before I have another look at this: do you only have
one mail merge main document open at any given time, or are you e.g. opeing,
merging, opening (or trying to), merging, etc. etc.?

Peter Jamieson

"kp" wrote in message
...
Sorry for the late reply. I created the datasource within the mailmerge
wizard. It is save in the "my data sources" file in My Documents and is an
.mdb file.

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
I see it's looking for a datasource with a different name instead of
mine. So I guess I need to know how to associate the mailmerge docs with
my own datasource forever....

OK, once you have selected a data source /and saved the mail merge main
document/, the association /should/ be forever. That's how it's supposed
to work. So either you are encountering one of the errors I mentioned
before (in which case I suspect that the only viable workaround will be
to change the type of data source), or you are doing something wrong, or
at least doing things in an unexpected way. My suspicion is the former.
However, can you tell us
a. what type of data source it is (Word document? A new "Office Address
List" (OAL) created within the Word Mail Merge Wizard? Something else?)
b. what steps you are taking to connect to the data source?

Peter Jamieson

"kp" wrote in message
...
I should have said in my earlier reply...
what I'm getting is

document name is a mailmerge main document. Word cannot find its
datasource.

I see it's looking for a datasource with a different name instead of
mine. So I guess I need to know how to associate the mailmerge docs with
my own datasource forever....

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Ah, OK, are you prompted with a message along the lines of

Opening this document will run the following SQL command:
SELECT * FROM [tablename]
Data from your database will be placed in the document.
Do you want to continue?

?

If so, you need to look at the following article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;825765

"You receive the "Opening this will run the following SQL command"
message
when you open a Word mail merge main document that is linked to a data
source"

If not,
a. what error message are you seeing?
b. there are errors in Word 2002 that can cause it to lose the data
source. For example, specifying sort/filter conditions in Word 2002
with an Access data source can cause this to happen, and there probably
isn't a lot you can do about that other than change the data source.
Other possible problems include:
- Word cannot open the data source because something else has already
opened it.
- The data source has a very long path name (it does not matter if it
is in the same folder as the .doc that uses it - Word will still try to
use the complete path name). You can try moving the data source to a
folder with a short name, e.g. c:\mydata\ and see if anything improves.
Or putting in your My Data Sources folder may help.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
I'm using Word 2002. I'm using one data source, not different ones for
each document.

I created the data source myself to go with these documents.

I'm not sure how else to describe it. I have 7 documents that use the
same mailmerge fields and the same data source. Each time I open a
document, I'm prompted to open the data source.

kp
"Peter Jamieson" wrote in message
...
Can you say a little bit more about what you are actually doing?
(Mentioning the version of Word and what the data source is usually
helps, too). If your documents all specify a particular data source,
you should not need to re-open the data source - it should be done
automatically each time you open a document that uses it - although
these days you may face additional security-related dialog boxes. If
you have to "re-open" for each document, that suggests you are
actually using a different data source for each set of merges.

Peter Jamieson


"kp" wrote in message
...
In my work, I routinely set up one record in my data source and
merge that info into multiple documents.

But I have to re-open the datasource each time I open one of the
documents.

Is there a way to open the datasource and have it stay open for each
document I open?

Thanks,
kp