Mis-matching merge fields

[BarbNH]

I have been using mail merge daily for several years as part of my job. A problem with matching fields has occurred and I am unable to resolve it.



Normally, I use a set of assorted letters and an excel data file, (FYI, the excel headers remain unchanged - only the name of the excel file and the data changes for each letter) - every thing had been running smoothly. Correct fields, perfect matching until recently.

I had a special one-time request to generate some labels (not letters) which required me to to match the field names in a different order.

Unfortunately, Word has remembered the special matching of field names and has incorporated them into my daily letters. Now each time I run a merge (which can be anywhere from once a day to twenty times a day), I have to re-match several fields. I have clicked on the check-box to "remember this field matching" but it still does not remember. I have even tried re-building a letter from scratch and it still wants to mismatch the fields. This happens in every letter I attempt to merge.

Aside from slowing down my work, I am afraid someday my fields will accidentally get sent out in the wrong order.

Has anyone had this problem or knows what the heck I am missing in order to fix this problem?

PS, I am running on XP and an older version of Word, my co-worker who has the same problem is running on a more recent version of Windows and the same older version of word.

[macropod]

Instead of letting Word match the mergefields, you should simply insert the fields you want, where you want them, using the 'Insert Mergefields' dropdown.

[BarbNH]

Thanks, I thought someone might suggest that solution after I posted, and it's what I would do myself had I a choice, except I should have added that my boss insists I use the address block.

[gerris]

I wonder if you open the once-off label merge again, untick the remember box and save & run it would it clear things up? Just an idea :-)

[gmayor]

Why would your boss insist on something so illogical, that makes more work than it saves? Insert the individual fields and save it as an autocorrect (or autotext) entry and show him (or her) how quickly it can be repeated next time, when the correct tools for the job are used.

Much of my work for private clients relates to mail merge, and I can say quite categorically that I would never ever use the address block field. It is too much hassle, unless you work with US format addresses.

[BarbNH]

Well, it never used to make more work than it saved - when it worked correctly that is. We have many clients, and a unique letter format for each client, mostly USA addresses and a few international ones.

I create a test letter inserting the fields individually and then saving, and it worked just fine without the address block.

The problem is inserting the fields individually means changing 150+ letters. It really would be better to find a solution to matching the fields as they used to and then getting them to save in the correct address block format.

[macropod]

Originally Posted by BarbNH

Well, it never used to make more work than it saved - when it worked correctly that is.

It's the final 'when it worked correctly that is' qualifier that's the real issue, though. The simple fact is that the Address Block is quite limited in what it can do.

Originally Posted by BarbNH

The problem is inserting the fields individually means changing 150+ letters. It really would be better to find a solution to matching the fields as they used to and then getting them to save in the correct address block format.

Since you're already using the Address Block, it only means changing those letters for which it isn't working.

[BarbNH]

Yes, I'm realizing the address block is quite limited. Frustrates me that it was working fine for [literally] years and now it won't cooperate at all. Every single letter has the problem, so it would mean changing all of them. I would be up for it, not sure it will fly with the boss, but I'm gonna run it past her.

I'd still be interested if anyone has ever had this happen and managed to correct it.

Thanks!

[macropod]

There is no 'correcting' possible on the Address Block side of things - the only thing you could modify would be the data source so the Address Block correctly recognizes what you actually want to use. That would probably still require disconnecting and re-connecting all the mailmerge main documents with the data source, though. Alternatively, if the issue is just that some fields are out of order, you might try modifying the Address Block settings to re-arrange the fields concerned.