OL97: Categories Unavailable in Mail Merge to Word
Article ID: 160521
Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Outlook 97 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Word 95 Standard Edition
This article was previously published under Q160521
SYMPTOMS
When using the Microsoft Outlook 97 Address Book as a data source for a
Microsoft Word 97 mail merge, the Outlook field, Categories, is not
available for insertion into the document or available for use as a query
parameter.
CAUSE
The converter that is used to convert the Outlook address book into a
format that Word can read for mail merge brings across only 40 of the over
80 pre-defined Outlook fields.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a limitation in this version of Outlook.
We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.
WORKAROUND
Two possible workarounds are:
- Export the Contacts folder from Outlook as either a comma or a tab
delimited text file. You can then use this file as the data source.
Note however, that the query option in Word does not allow for a contact
having multiple categories assigned.
- Define a new Contacts folder in Outlook and copy the desired category
into it. You can then use this folder as the mail merge data source.
Keywords: kbinterop kbprb KB160521