Funny problem with merge letter

[fran403]

I'm using Office 10 in XP3. I use a number of merge letters with header information and a data document to store the data for the merged letter. I save my main file normally after use. When I re-use the file, instead of using the header document, Word begins using the data document for use as the header form? It keeps doing it - must be a setting that I messed up - so I must manually re-insert the header document into my main document?

Any ideas?

[Charles Kenyon]

This has gone unanswered for a while. I suspect your terms might be the reason.

I've been doing mail merge work for more than 25 years and am unfamiliar with the term header document.

Most of my merges are done using documents created with merge fields based on templates that are connected to a data source. The source document is ofter referred to as the primary and the data source as the secondary. The result of a merge is ofter referred to as the merge document.

I can break the merge linkage, in which case I would have to reform the link if I wanted to insert different data.

I doubt that I have addressed your problem and I may have just exposed my ignorance, in which case I apologize.

[fran403]

I have created a number of mail merge templates that allow to do boilerplate text with fields that are inserted from information saved in a data.doc file. The headers for the information are a separate document. I enclose a screenshot of the mail merge helper that is included with Office



Attachment 30177
When I restart Word - the data file has now become my header file and I need to manually re-install the header file. Does this illustrate my problem?

[Charles Kenyon]

I get an invalid link when I try to look.

Consider not using the wizard (helper). Open your header document. Choose recipients (data) under the Mailings tab.

I used your term "header document," my term would be primary merge document. This is the document that contains your formatting and your boilerplate text. It has merge fields in it which are filled by your data document.

See Mail Merge.

[fran403]

Thanks - sorry the picture doesn't show up - it does for me right now.

My scenario as described requires 3 files -
1. the primary merge document which contains the boilerplate text and the fields that will be populated
2. The header document which is the name of the fields that are contained in the main document
3. The data document which is where the information for the fields are written and then stored for the merge.

I generally don't use the Wizard - I was using it to show the relationship of the header to the data to the merge document.

My problem is: if I close down Word with the merge working and then restart Word, the merge now uses my data document for my header information. I have been using documents like these for more than 15 years without problem. When I installed Office 2010 - the merges worked fine - and then out of the blue (seemingly) - merging doesn't work.
I have taken the 3 files and used in in Office 2007 on a different computer - and these files and the settings have worked fine - it just doesn't work on my main work computer!