Access 2003 mail merge using DDE

[Access]

Okay I know this is probably not the best way to be doing things but I
have an ancient application that was working fine until a end user got
a new machine. The Access database is performing a mail merge. The
Word Document is linked to a temp table in the Access database. It
used to work fine in the past with DDE. Yes it opens another copy of
the database but it doesn't really matter and it worked.

So now with Access 2003 and Word 2003 it tells me that it can initiate
the DDE link. Works fine on my computer with Access 2003/Word 2003. I
installed service pack 2 and still the same problem. I didn't do the
office installing and am wondering if DDE is something that needs to be
installed?

[David W. Fenton]

"Access" <al*********@gm ail.com> wrote in
news:11******** **************@ z14g2000cwz.goo glegroups.com:

So now with Access 2003 and Word 2003 it tells me that it can
initiate the DDE link. Works fine on my computer with Access
2003/Word 2003. I installed service pack 2 and still the same
problem. I didn't do the office installing and am wondering if
DDE is something that needs to be installed?

Why not just change the merge document to use ODBC and stop worrying
about troubleshooting a technology (DDE) that's been out of date for
at least 10 years?

--
David W. Fenton http://www.dfenton.com/
usenet at dfenton dot com http://www.dfenton.com/DFA/

[pamelafluente]

You can't answer someone who is making a question on a technology, to
switch to another, just because you are not able to help. He may have
good reasons to do so. That's very rude.

-Pam

[Dixie]

The one that works on your computer is not by chance an mdb file and the one
on your client's new machine, an mde compiled version is it? I have had a
similar problem where the merge worked fine for me and not for the client,
then I discovered that it only works on an mdb and not an mde.

dixie

"Access" <al*********@gm ail.com> wrote in message
news:11******** **************@ z14g2000cwz.goo glegroups.com.. .

Okay I know this is probably not the best way to be doing things but I
have an ancient application that was working fine until a end user got
a new machine. The Access database is performing a mail merge. The
Word Document is linked to a temp table in the Access database. It
used to work fine in the past with DDE. Yes it opens another copy of
the database but it doesn't really matter and it worked.

So now with Access 2003 and Word 2003 it tells me that it can initiate
the DDE link. Works fine on my computer with Access 2003/Word 2003. I
installed service pack 2 and still the same problem. I didn't do the
office installing and am wondering if DDE is something that needs to be
installed?

[david epsom dot com dot au]

I would guess macro security: do you still have the
problem if macro security is set to Low?
DDE is not something that needs to be installed.

It is still used by Windows Explorer for starting
and running some things.

DDE link failures were one of the reasons MS moved
to OLE automation. It has always been difficult to
debug.

I don't have any useful suggestions about debugging
DDE: ODBC works well, can you modify the app to use
ODBC mailmerge?

(david)
"Access" <al*********@gm ail.com> wrote in message
news:11******** **************@ z14g2000cwz.goo glegroups.com.. .

Okay I know this is probably not the best way to be doing things but I
have an ancient application that was working fine until a end user got
a new machine. The Access database is performing a mail merge. The
Word Document is linked to a temp table in the Access database. It
used to work fine in the past with DDE. Yes it opens another copy of
the database but it doesn't really matter and it worked.

So now with Access 2003 and Word 2003 it tells me that it can initiate
the DDE link. Works fine on my computer with Access 2003/Word 2003. I
installed service pack 2 and still the same problem. I didn't do the
office installing and am wondering if DDE is something that needs to be
installed?