Microsoft KB Archive/186716

= WD97: Not Asked to Save Data Source Closing Mail Merge Document =

Article ID: 186716

Article Last Modified on 1/23/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q186716



SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Word 97, if you save and then close your main document during a mail merge, Word does not prompt you to save your data source. If you have made any changes to your data source during the mail merge, those changes are not saved.

NOTE: This problem does not occur if you try to close the main document and it is "dirty" (that is, contains unsaved changes); it only happens if you close the main document and it does not need to be saved. If you try to close a dirty main document, Word prompts you to save both documents.



CAUSE
This problem occurs if the default save format is Word 6.0/95 (on the Tools menu, click Options, click the Save tab, and then look under Save Word Files As).

This problem does not occur if the default save format is Word Document. In this case, Word will always prompt you to save the data source, whether you have already saved the document or not.



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, make a change to the main document, and close it without first saving it. Word will prompt you to save both documents.

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View the data source, make your changes, and save the data source manually. To do this, follow these steps:

NOTE: The following workaround assumes that you are already viewing the mail merge main document on the screen.


 * 1) On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
 * 2) Under step 2 (Data Source), click Edit and then click the name of your data source file.
 * 3) Click View Source.
 * 4) Make your changes to the data source.
 * 5) On the File menu, click Save to save your data source.



MORE INFORMATION
There are two ways to change the contents of your data source:


 * Edit the record in the Data Form.

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 * Click View Source in the Data Form dialog box. However, this is the only way you can save the data source manually.

For more information about mail merges, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

162602 WD: Questions About Saving in the Word 6.0/95 File Format

141922 WD: How to Start a Mail Merge

Additional query words: gone missing deleted

Keywords: kbmm kbprb KB186716

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