Word 2000 & SQL Server Mail Merge

[KowCiller]

Please knock some sense into me! I cannot figure out how to accomplish this..

All I simply want to do is run a mail merge from word 2000 to a table in my SQL Server Database!

I went to Tools->Mail Merge then made the current file a form letter.

Then I clicked the Get Data->Open Data Source->View All Files(*.*)

I went and found my Database.MDF file where my table is found. I clicked OK and it gave me an error saying "Word Was unable to open the Data Source"

Is there a different way I have to set my data source? What's the deal? Please help!

Thanks!!
Aaron.

 

[irishhelp]

Did this issue ever get resolved? I am currently trying to link my sql server database to a mail merge in Word. I can create a link to one of my Views and test the connection but when I want to select recipients I get "Word was unable to open the data source".

I tried Tools/options/general/Confirm conversion at open
but that doesn't work either.
Thank you
irishhelp

 

[RichardOneil]

You may want to try and create an ODBC connection (Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Data Sources-ODBC) to your SQL data base and then use MS Query (This is an added option that may need to be installed) to bring the data into Word. Select Tools, Mail Merge, Get Data, Open Data Source, you should see a button labelled "MS Query." When you click this, it will open the ODBC Admin window, select the connection to your database. You will then be prompted for which tables you want to access and which fields. It also lets you sort and select data you want, etc.... It is a very useful tool. You will want to make sure that the Merge Field names in your document are the same as your field names in your database (if they're not you will be prompted to select the merge field the data belong in). This has worked for me, hopefully it helps. Have a good day.