Word locks up when saving a mailmerged file (Win XP/Office XP SP3)

[finalword]

<font face="Comic Sans MS"> When trying to save the resulting document created by a mailmerge, Word locks up and will not allows me to save.

I am using a Word 2002 document and merging it with an Access database query via a DDE link. Once I merge the information, I want to save the new file that is created. If I select File | Save As, the original MailMerge file tries to update the fields and sticks on the first record. Both the Taskbar buttons for the Original MailMerge file and the Newly created document start flashing, but you can never get to an error message or dialog box. My Work-around for this problem is to Merge the data into the new document, then return to the Original MailMerge file and save and close it. Once the original is closed, I can save the Newly created document without any trouble. I shouldn't have to do it this way though. We never had this type of trouble with Word 2000.

I've tried accessing the Access database query information through all the different link types, to no avail. I've tried recreating the document and recreating the query. FYI...the query is not a parameter query and my "Confirm conversion on open" is checked.

Any ideas?</font face=comic>

[Andrew Lockton]

You mention that you can't get to an error message dialog but it sounds like you are expecting one is present. Can you minimize all applications to reveal one? Probably the easiest way to do this is to press WindowsKey-M.

If this is the case, there have been posts here in the past dealing with the problem of hidden dialogs that were traced back to third party addins like Norton AntiVirus.

[WendellB]

By chance is your Access database secured (do you get a prompt for a user ID and password)? That's a common issue with mail merges using Access as the data source.

[finalword]

<font face="Comic Sans MS">I am expecting a dialog/message box. If I hit save and then watch Word freeze and then don't touch anything and wait about 5 minutes a message will appear that says the action is taking longer than expected, do you wish to continue. If I click NO, then I get a message that tells me that it couldn't update the fields from the datasource. If I click OK, then the document is saved and I can close it. Then I need to go through the same process with the Original Merge file and then Manually close the Database.

If you leave the Word window, you can never get back to the message boxes and have to END TASK out of Word. Yes, of course, I've tried minimizing all windows and ALT-Tabbing and any other way you can move between windows to try to get to the dialog/message box. We don't use Norton and I have tried removing all of our Add-ins with no luck.</font face=comic>

[finalword]

<font face="Comic Sans MS">No. The database is not secured and it is shared. I've even tried this with the database saved on my desktop as opposed to a network location. I looked on Technet and the MSKB and anything that was listed there I have tried with no luck. I even just called Microsoft and had them send me the Post SP3 Word 2002 Hotfix--still no dice.

Anyone else???</font face=comic>

[HansV]

You wrote that you have already tried recreating the document and the query.
- Do you have the same problem if you merge with a table in the same database as data source?
- And if you merge with a different query in the same database?
- Same questions, but for a table and a query in a different database?

[Phil Rabichow]

Have you tried starting Word from the command line (Start/Run...) & type
<big><font color=red><code>winword.exe /a</code></font color=red></big>
& then press <enter>?
Does Word still freeze?

[finalword]

<font face="Comic Sans MS">Yes. The same problem exists if I use a different database, a different table, a different query and a different document (and all the combinations of those). We also see a similar problem with Excel Databases when using the DDE link.</font face=comic>

[finalword]

<font face="Comic Sans MS"> We use a DMS (Docs Open 3.9.6) at my firm, so starting Word with the a switch isn't a great test, but I do have some interesting news. I tried performing this merge on a system with Office 2003 loaded and no DMS and had no trouble. So I searched the Hummingbird website (creators of Docs Open) and their Knowledge Base references similar problems, though not the exact problem, and mentions that Microsoft Word has problems with ODMA integration in some cases and to contact Microsoft for more information.

Microsoft basically told me that SP3 should fix the problem, which it doesn't. So they offered me the Word 2002 Post SP3 hotfix, which I had already loaded and it doesn't solve the problem either. The only other thing they could offer was to send me to a developer for the problem. Since we are hoping to upgrade to Office 2003 and a New DMS next year, we decided not to open an issue with them.

So the moral of the story is that wacky things can happen if you use a DMS, even if you the documents are saved locally. The integration can really wreak havoc on Word's ability to communicate with other programs.

Thanks for all your assistance folks!</font face=comic>