WD: Cannot Mail Merge When Document Contains No Merge Fields

• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you try to do a mail merge, the Merge button in the Mail Merge Helper and the merge buttons on the Mail Merge toolbar are unavailable.

CAUSE

Your mail merge main document may not contain any merge fields.

This functionality is by design and is different than it is in earlier versions of Microsoft Word. Word will not allow you to perform a mail merge unless your main document contains merge fields.

MORE INFORMATION

To create form letters, envelopes, or mailing labels, you merge a main document with a data source.

The main document contains the text and other items that remain the same in each version of the form letter, envelopes, or mailing labels. You can use a new or existing document as a main document.

The data source contains the information that varies in each version of a merged document, such as the names and addresses of the recipients of a form letter. You can open an existing data source, use your personal address book or contact list in Microsoft Outlook or Schedule+, or create a new data source in Word, Microsoft Access, or Microsoft Excel.

When you create a form letter, mailing labels, or envelopes, the main document contains the text, punctuation, spaces, graphics, and other information you want to be the same in each form letter, mailing label, or envelope. You then insert into the main document special instructions, called merge fields, that tell Word where to print the variable information from the data source. When you merge the main document with the data source, Word replaces the merge fields with the appropriate information from the data source.

To create a mail merge for form letters, mailing labels, or envelopes, click Mail Merge on the Tools menu.

For more information about mail merge, click the Office Assistant, type "mail merge," click Search, and then click to view "Form letters, envelopes, and labels."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Microsoft Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q120802
   TITLE     : Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office
               Program or Component