Merge fields in MSOffice 2010 1

[jlockley]

This sucker is driving me round the bend. I am trying to recreate merge documents lost to a bad hard drive.
There doesn't seem to be a way to put the filed palette up to insert the fields into the document. You need to insert each field independently, then close the palette, reopen it by clicking on two icons and insert the next (the cursor will not move to the next space on the document while the palette is open). I tried putting all fields in a row and cutting and pasting, but they do not cut and paste as fields. Please, or please tell me I am missing something here. Help brings up nothing.
I used to make a merge document is seconds. It's been an hour.
What about "If it ain't broke..." is unclear up in Redmond?

Thanks for all comers. Web sites welcome. Am searching myself.

 

[macropod]

Hi jlockley,

Using Insert|Mergefield in the Mailings tab, you can indeed insert all the mergefields into the document in sequence (without having to close the Insert|Mergefield dialog box), so that you can then move the fields about the document. When you do the insertion, each field should look like:
«FieldName»
or, if you have the field code display toggled on:
{MERGEFIELD FieldName}
To cut & paste, select the whole field, including the delimiters (« » or { }).

Cheers
Paul Edstein
[MS MVP - Word]

 

[jlockley]

Actually not. That's what I tried, but it drops the >><< enclosures if I cut and paste. I will see if it works with field code display turned on, although even that lies well north of 5 on the pia scale.
What would interest me most would be a way to display and enter the fields into the document as it is written without having to close then reopen then close the filed palette (9.5 pia rating), as was possible with earlier versions of office. The more I get to know 2010, the less I like it (search limitations, etc) but earlier versions don't play well with Windows 7. (Oddly enough, Access does, but Word does not..and Word 2010 has set itself in compatibility mode).

 

[jlockley]

Answer to self. I found the official answer, which is "NO". These surprises keep turning up like little black Easter eggs as I discover more about the upgrade. (Dope slapping myself for leaving XP and 07). I don't know why this didn't come up when I was looking last night. Thanks for the help.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/276005/

 

[macropod]

Hi jlockley,

I don't know quite what you're doing, but it seems it was related to not having the Insert Merge Field button on your Mail Merge toolbar (which I how I use it and AFAIK is the standard setup). With that setup, you can indeed do as i suggested.

Cheers
Paul Edstein
[MS MVP - Word]

 

[cmeagan656]

The "official answer" that you found applies only to Microsoft Word 2002 Standard Edition and Microsoft Office Word 2003 according to the "Applies To" section of the KB article that you linked to.

macopod's instructions work for me.

Hope this helps.

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[jlockley]

Odd. I have used Access with Word many times (2000 and following versions) and been able to move the cursor in the document... At any rate, c&p isn't doing it, so I will just alter the quick tool bar and see if that speeds things up.

Thanks both.