Re: Mail Merge and Outlook Contacts

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] (russval_at_mvps.org)
Date: 02/23/05 

Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 12:50:38 -0500

I think you misunderstand the purpose of DL's. They have one job only: To
present a list of electronic addresses so you can send a message to multiple
recipients easily. Period.
DL's contain only a name and an electronic addresses.
Mail merges require all of the Contacts fields you might need. So for mail
merges you should be using Categories or Contact folders, not DL's.
Most of us avoid DL's completely. They are notoriously unreliable. 

-- 
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Greg" <Greg@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
news:F4A4B4EE-ED94-4AEA-87F1-BA00A49F5B0E@microsoft.com...
> Russ,
>
> I see that your "work-around" can accomplish what Mike (and I) want to do
> however, it seems absurd to have to go through all that trouble to be able 
> to
> use your Outlook distribution lists as mail merge data sources.  What is 
> the
> point in setting up a distribution list in the first place?  Shouldn't we
> jsut setup Categories?  Does Microsoft realize that Outlook can be used 
> for
> more than just email?
>
> I should be able to open a distribution list, highlight the names in that
> list, and then start a mail merge using "Only the Contacts Selected".  Do 
> you
> (or I) have the capability to make suggestions to Microsoft to be able to 
> fix
> this absurd oversight?
>
> Thanks,
> Greg
>
> "Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:
>
>> You got it.
>> You must do your filtering and selecting in Outlook to use the Categories
>> method.
>> -- 
>> Russ Valentine
>> [MVP-Outlook]
>> "Mike Dalton" <trvlnmny@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:ed3bb891.0411091704.5ba79859@posting.google.com...
>> > OK! I think I am getting there!!
>> > I fooled with Contact sub folders. What I think I learned is as
>> > follows.
>> > If I 'move' contacts to a sub folder they are available in that folder
>> > only. I need to have contacts in multiple sub folders. So it appears
>> > that method is not good for me.
>> > I then 'copied' the contacts into sub folders. This appears to work.
>> > What I do not like about this method is when a change to a contacts
>> > data, TN, address.. is required I would have to find the contacts
>> > record in every sub folder and make the change in each sub folder. I
>> > see myself lousing this up.
>> > I then established a couple of categories. Some contacts were assigned
>> > to several categories and some were assigned to only a single
>> > category. I then did
>> > View > By Category
>> > Selected the category name
>> > Tools > Mail Merge
>> > Only Selected contacts
>> > I received a message 'No Contacts Selected'
>> > Next I did
>> > View > By Category
>> > Selected the individual names under the category heading
>> > Tools > Mail Merge
>> > Only Selected Contacts
>> > I then got into Word and everything seemed to be OK.
>> > This last method seems to work best for me. I wonder is there a way to
>> > select the entire categorywithout having to select each contact in the
>> > category? I envision myself skipping a contact now and then and
>> > creating a faulty document?
>> >
>> > Well how much of the above is wrong on my part or am I still
>> > travelling down the path to success.
>> > Thanks
>>
>>
>>

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Mail Merge and Outlook Contacts
    ... > use your Outlook distribution lists as mail merge data sources. ... >> You must do your filtering and selecting in Outlook to use the Categories ... I need to have contacts in multiple sub folders. ...
    (microsoft.public.outlook.contacts)
  • Re: Mail Merge and Outlook Contacts
    ... it seems absurd to have to go through all that trouble to be able to ... use your Outlook distribution lists as mail merge data sources. ... > You must do your filtering and selecting in Outlook to use the Categories ... I need to have contacts in multiple sub folders. ...
    (microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields)
  • Re: Mail Merge and Outlook Contacts
    ... it seems absurd to have to go through all that trouble to be able to ... use your Outlook distribution lists as mail merge data sources. ... > You must do your filtering and selecting in Outlook to use the Categories ... I need to have contacts in multiple sub folders. ...
    (microsoft.public.outlook.contacts)
  • Re: Mail Merge and Outlook Contacts
    ... >> Russ Valentine ... >>> use your Outlook distribution lists as mail merge data sources. ... >>>> You must do your filtering and selecting in Outlook to use the ... I need to have contacts in multiple sub folders. ...
    (microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields)
  • Re: Creating a distribution list
    ... [MVP-Outlook] ... >I have created many distribution lists from my contacts and sub folders. ...
    (microsoft.public.outlook.contacts)