WD6X: Blank Fields in Data Source Slow Down Mail Merge

• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, version 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.1a

SYMPTOMS

You may experience a decrease in performance during a mail merge when your data source contains blank fields. This behavior is most noticeable when you are working in the Data Form (click the Edit Data Source button on the Mail Merge toolbar) or when you click the View Merged Data button on the Mail Merge toolbar.

CAUSE

Microsoft Word is searching for the data type of the empty fields. When Word encounters an empty field, it first looks at the previous field for data type information. If the previous record is blank, it searches for the next nonblank field to determine its data type.

WORKAROUND

Method 1: Put data in all the empty fields of the first record.

Method 2: Edit the data table directly.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition.