Microsoft KB Archive/114483

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Data Records Deleted Closing Mail Merge Data Document

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Q114483

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a

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SYMPTOMS
Word for Windows may delete the records in your mail merge data document if you do either of the following series of steps:

Case 1

 * 1) Use the Mail Merge Helper to create a new data document. (To open the Mail Merge Helper, choose Mail Merge from the Tools menu or choose the Mail Merge Helper button on the Mail Merge toolbar.)
 * 2) Choose the Edit Data Source button on the Mail Merge toolbar to open your data document in Data Form view.

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In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, open the data document. By default, Word opens it in Data Form view.
 * 1) Add one or more records to your data document in Data Form view, and then choose OK to return to your mail merge main document.
 * 2) Open the data document using the Open command on the File menu.

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Use the Mail Merge Helper to open the data document, then choose the View Source button in the Data Form dialog box to open the data document in a separate window.
 * 1) Close the data document window. When Word prompts you to save the changes to your data document, choose No.

Note: This is a reasonable choice when you open the data document but make no changes to it.

Case 2
 Perform steps 1 through 3 in Case 1 above. Save the main document.  Without making any changes in the main document, close it. Word displays the following message:

 is a mail merge main document that is attached to a data source  that has not been saved. Do you want to save ?

If you choose Cancel, Word closes the main document and does not save your data document, so your data records are gone (the data document contains a header record but no data).

Note: This does not happen if the main document is "dirty" (that is, contains unsaved changes); it only happens if the main document does not need to be saved. 

CAUSE
This happens because Word saves your data document when you first create it, before you add any records to it. While you are adding data records in the Data Form dialog box, Word does not save the records, nor is there any Save button available so you can save the data. When Word prompts you to save your data document, it is logical to assume that, because Word has already saved it, you do not also need to save it; unfortunately, this is not the case.

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Word versions 6.0 and 6.0a for Windows. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

WORKAROUND
Use one of the following methods to ensure that Word saves all the data records in your data document:

Method 1:

"When Word prompts you to save changes to your data document, choose Yes, even if you think it is unnecessary." Method 2:

"Anytime you open your data document in a separate window (either using the Open command on the File menu or the View Source button in the Data Form dialog box), save the document before you switch back to Data Form view or return to your main document."