Microsoft Word 2003 has driven me to suicide.

[amitten]

I'm trying to print some envelopes for a (small) mass-mailing. Using the mysterious and somehow completely ineffective magic of Mail Merge, my new nemesis.

I have entered all the information needed.
I have chosen my layout options.
I have entered all the addresses into the mail-merge list.

And I have followed the programs mail-merge instructional promptings at every turn TO THE LETTER.

AND IT WILL NOT FUCKING PRINT THE MAILING ADDRESSES ONTO MY ENVELOPES! ONLY THE RETURN ADDRESS!!!!

So I've been at this for over an hour and by now I could have just done the whole thing by hand in pen, for God's sake.

(help me??????!)

[billyskank]

1. I wonder how many suicides are Microsoft Office-related?

:rofl:

Might want to ask how many murders - might be more appropriate... ;)

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

9. Both are mostly related to the little paper-clip help guy.

[AirmensMom]

2. Just a guess ...

I've had things like this happen while trying to copy from my scanner. It usually works if I close some applications. Like I said, it's just a guess. :shrug:

Good luck.

[jobycom]

3. Is it not printing any mailing addresses or only the first one repeatedly?

I've lost a lot of hair trying to mail merge... trying to remember how I used to do it.

And what source are you pulling the addresses from? Word, Excel?

[amitten]

4. I'm entering in new ones into a document it has forced me to

create. I'm not using Excel...just word.

At first, it would only print the first address over and over.

Then, I started from scratch in frustration and now it won't print any of the mailing addresses...just the return address. I've tried doing and undoing every option I can and it sin ply will not print the addresses.

I'm going freaking insane. Who designs this stuff? Freaking Stephen Hawkings??? Exactly what kind of IQ does this crappy software require? Or must I rely on extra sensory perception???????

[jobycom]

6. Not sure I can help, but I can sympathize!

I went through exactly that level of rage and frustration trying to figure it out, but that was a couple of years ago. I created my address lists on Excel, though, and imported them into Word with the mail merge, so I'm not sure my experiences would work, even if I could remember them clearly.

It seems like I didn't name each of my categories in Excel, so when I created the mailing list, it didn't recognize my entries, so it wouldn't print. I had to go back and create the titles "Last Name" "First Name" "Address," etc, so that when I went to set up my Data Source in Mail Merge, I had titles Word would recognize. I don't remember how I did that, but I know that when I tried to enter the "Merge Field" before I created the labels, it would only print out the address I chose in that field, instead of printing each successive address. I can't remember how I labeled the fields, though, and since they were in Excel, it might not help you.

I'm probably not helping, just trying to give you hints. Wish I could remember what I did. My computer from back then is long dead, so I can't look it up.

[Dora]

5. Did you run the merge to a new document?

Or are you merging straight to the printer?

Try creating your merge as a new document. Name it, save it, and close it. Close your data source. Close down MS Word.

Now, reopen your merged document and try printing. Any luck?

[Katina]

7. that's what I was going to suggest

then when you do the merge, do not merge to the printer. That way you can go through your "on screen" envelopes to make sure that there are no spacing issues.
Mail merge is great once you get the hang of it. Good luck.

[amitten]

8. Okay, I figured it out. Duh.

I had neglected to select the term "Address Block" when I was choosing my layout, thus not telling the computer, evidently, where to put the mailing address. I thought that was a given, since the area was already highlighted and ready accept the merge. But no, I had to somehow have a psychic vibe to click on the words "Address Block" before I continued. This was never mentioned by the built-in computer guide that helped me do this merge step-by-step (of course).

And what idiot came up with the term "address block", anyway? I've never heard that term before in my life. It sounds like you want the address "blocked"--like, prevented. Just very user-unfriendly terminology.

These programs, I still contend, are made by robot-alien men with a completely different mindset and vocabulary than the typical normal human being. And there you have the root of many computer-induced suicides.