WD: Mail Merge Main Document Restored to Normal Word Document

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you open a mail merge main document, the file is no longer a mail merge main document.

This problem occurs when the following are true:

• Your mail merge main document is attached to a Microsoft Access data source.

  -and-

• You save your mail merge main document in Rich Text Format (*.rtf). (Note that in Microsoft Word 97, saving a file in the Word 6.0/95 format saves the file in Rich Text Format).

WORKAROUND

Reset your document as a mail merge main document by clicking Mail Merge on the Tools Menu. Reset the type of document (Step #1 - Main Document) and reattach your Microsoft Access data source (Step #2 - Data Source) to your mail merge main document.

NOTE: You may want to save your mail merge main document in Word format to prevent this problem from reoccurring.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q161978
   TITLE     : Word 97: RTF Format Given to File Send in Word 6.0/95

   ARTICLE-ID: Q162602
   TITLE     : Questions About Saving in the Word 6.0/95 File Format

Keywords          : kbmerge word6 word7 word8 word95 word97 kbinterop kbusage
Version           : 6.0 6.0a 6.0c 7.0 7.0a 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug