Hi I have 2 servers:

Srv1 is for users to use office, especially word.
Srv2 has the files and the database.

I upgraded Srv2 and the files everytrhing stayed the same. Database name is the same, login information as well.

However, opening mail merge word documents I am getting a popup with an old data link connection pointing to my old database (which was sunset 2020). Updating and saving the new data link connection does not work. Word always reverts back. I got odc files and loading them into word adds the correct data link connection but reverts always back when you close and reopen word.

I cannot figure it out why it always loks for the old one. Security and permission looks fine. I even tried opening up security but still no luck.


Using Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 on Windows Sever 2022

Are you using docx file formats? Are the docx files in native version or compatibility mode?

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

These are .docm documents and I tried loading odc file which has the correct data string connection. When I save the document, close and reopen it still has the old data string connection.

I don't know why it might return to the previous path on your machine but you might be able to brute force an update if you are comfortable editing the xml files contained inside your docm file.

I did a search in the xml files in a Word file and found two instances of the merge source path in the word\settings.xml file. The fact that there are two instances might be why making a change and saving isn't sticking for you.

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

Thank you for the input. Would you tell me how I can do that and where I can find the xml file? I have been trying to load the odc file, which has the correct address, but after saving and closing the docm document, it reverts back.

Thank you

1. Make a copy of the Word document.
2. Change the file extension of that document to .zip
3. Open the zip file and go into the Word folder
4. Copy the settings.xml file in that folder to a location outside of the zip file. Open it and search for the path to the old data source. Edit that path to point at the new location. There may be more than one instance so change them both. Save and close that edited file.
5. Copy the updated settings.xml file back into the zip file to overwrite the version there. Save and close the zip.
6. Change the file extension back to .docm and open it normally.

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

Perfect that worked for me for one set of documents. So I have 2 databases and db1 has already the correct database connection in the settings.xml. On the other set of word documents which point to db2 I updated the settings.xml and it worked but I do not understand why the same document which run and connect to db1 are not updating and still pulling the old data link connection.

I don't know how to answer your question. This is not something I usually play with so I don't know what is going on with your documents or data links.

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

Hi. I found this post very useful for me but still got one problem. Im not a programmer but maybe someone could help me.
This method works when I use absolute path to my XLSX data base file (example: “C://mailmergefilefolder/base.xlsx”)
But doesn’t work (or I don’t know how to do this) when I try to use relative path to my XLSX data base file (example: "base.xlsx" or "./ base.xlsx" or "../ base.xlsx"

When I use "base.xlsx" its works only till I save some changes in Word document. Than Word give a base file automatically absolute path.

Does anybody know how to use relative path?