Word "Save as" merge options problem

[xtremist5150]

Hi one of my users is having a problem with Word/Excel 2002. If they take a .doc/.xls that they already have saved, then they copy the text to a new document and save this new document "save as" and either replace the old document or keep it as new. When the new document is attached to an email and re-opened again, there is an option to merge changes between the new document and the original. They don't want this popping up. It had recently happened with an important bid that went out to a client, where the information that needed to be changed was done and then saved as a new document. This new document was emailed to the client and the client opened it up but none of the changes were saved.

The merge options message usually reads as "Do you want to merge changes in <original document> with <new document>?

Any advice greatly apprecaited. Thanks!

 

[fumei]

I am willing to bet:

1. you are using Outlook
2. the attached file is opened from the message itself

If you never open from the email itself, you will not get this problem. I know it is a pain, but we had the exact same issue. It depends on version, but sometimes when Outlook opens an attachment from inside the message what actually happens is that it makes a full size copy of the file and opens that one.

For example. You attached a file, but before you send it you open it to make changes. But you open the attached file itself. Outlook makes a copy of the file, opens that. Changes made and saved are saved to THAT file, NOT the original. When the email is sent, the COPY file is sent, NOT the original.

We had the same thing with a contract. The client received a contract that was now quite different from what was thought to have been sent.

If it is important, the best solution is never reopen an attachment to make changes. Delete the attachment, make changes to the original and reattach.

Also if it is important (like contracts!) it is a good idea to not open attachments from messages. The file created by Outlook (a REAL file) can be different, so Outlook politely, and properly, asks if you want to merge because it automatically does a compare.

Gerry