I am unable to mail merge from Word. In Word, I select all the usual
MailMerge Options for Christmas Card labels. I then select an Outlook Folder
containing source contacts - and then Word Pops up with a Dialogue Box
"Operation cannot be completed because of dialogue or database failures.
Please try again later"

What causes this and how can I get round it?

Most common causes:
1. Outlook is not your default mail program
2. You failed to configure your Outlook Address Book Service correctly.
3. Outlook and Word versions do not match
4. End user error. (We have no idea what steps you actually used).

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Patrick" wrote in message
...
I am unable to mail merge from Word. In Word, I select all the usual
MailMerge Options for Christmas Card labels. I then select an Outlook
Folder
containing source contacts - and then Word Pops up with a Dialogue Box
"Operation cannot be completed because of dialogue or database failures.
Please try again later"

What causes this and how can I get round it?

Russ Thanks for the prompt reply. Outlook and Word are part of Offcie 2003
package which has all updates applied. A few points on what you suggest:

1. I think Outlook must be the default mail program. I have checked in
Control Panel, Email Setup and the Data files are *.pst and Outlook is named.
Is this the correct way to check Default Email set up?
2. I cannot find any way to configure the Outlook Address Book Service other
than Properties. I cannot find anything in Outlook Help on how to configure
the Address Book Service either... How can I check the Address Book Config?
3. Versions must match - or do they? I think Office was installed clean as
2003 but it may have been installed over Offcie 2002 (but I doubt it).
Under "About" on each, the Office Version is 11.2887.8221. SP3, so I think
the versions must match...
4. End User Error??? Doubt it, but it is possible. Went through Word -
selected Tools on Menu, selected Letters & Mailings, then Mail Merge, then
selected Label Size, selected Outlook as Source, selected Folder with source
address then got message "Operation cannot be completed because of dialogue
or database failures. Please try again later" It is really hard to get that
wrong....I think it is what called a Word Wizard. (I hope this clarifies the
steps I took sufficiently well.)

Have you any further thoughts or suggestions? I am surprised I could not
find Address Book Config in Help. Could it be called something else?



"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

Most common causes:
1. Outlook is not your default mail program
2. You failed to configure your Outlook Address Book Service correctly.
3. Outlook and Word versions do not match
4. End user error. (We have no idea what steps you actually used).

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Patrick" wrote in message
...
I am unable to mail merge from Word. In Word, I select all the usual
MailMerge Options for Christmas Card labels. I then select an Outlook
Folder
containing source contacts - and then Word Pops up with a Dialogue Box
"Operation cannot be completed because of dialogue or database failures.
Please try again later"

What causes this and how can I get round it?

How to configure the Outlook Address Book is well documented:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...Product=ol2002

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Patrick" wrote in message
...
Russ Thanks for the prompt reply. Outlook and Word are part of Offcie
2003
package which has all updates applied. A few points on what you suggest:

1. I think Outlook must be the default mail program. I have checked in
Control Panel, Email Setup and the Data files are *.pst and Outlook is
named.
Is this the correct way to check Default Email set up?
2. I cannot find any way to configure the Outlook Address Book Service
other
than Properties. I cannot find anything in Outlook Help on how to
configure
the Address Book Service either... How can I check the Address Book
Config?
3. Versions must match - or do they? I think Office was installed clean
as
2003 but it may have been installed over Offcie 2002 (but I doubt it).
Under "About" on each, the Office Version is 11.2887.8221. SP3, so I think
the versions must match...
4. End User Error??? Doubt it, but it is possible. Went through Word -
selected Tools on Menu, selected Letters & Mailings, then Mail Merge, then
selected Label Size, selected Outlook as Source, selected Folder with
source
address then got message "Operation cannot be completed because of
dialogue
or database failures. Please try again later" It is really hard to get
that
wrong....I think it is what called a Word Wizard. (I hope this clarifies
the
steps I took sufficiently well.)

Have you any further thoughts or suggestions? I am surprised I could not
find Address Book Config in Help. Could it be called something else?



"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

Most common causes:
1. Outlook is not your default mail program
2. You failed to configure your Outlook Address Book Service correctly.
3. Outlook and Word versions do not match
4. End user error. (We have no idea what steps you actually used).

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Patrick" wrote in message
...
I am unable to mail merge from Word. In Word, I select all the usual
MailMerge Options for Christmas Card labels. I then select an Outlook
Folder
containing source contacts - and then Word Pops up with a Dialogue Box
"Operation cannot be completed because of dialogue or database
failures.
Please try again later"

What causes this and how can I get round it?

I have followed the instructions....I cannot find anything in the Address
Config that could account for the issue. There's nothing that can be
changed. It looks fine. I have stopped the antivirus software and that
makes no difference either.

What may be signicant is Word shows a hint of being in a slightly confused
state...Sometimes, but not always, I get a Dialogue to select a database - it
prompts for database type, database name, user id, password. I should be
getting a dialogue to select the correct Outlook Contacts folder....

Could this problem be Word or something in between that allows/prevents the
communication between the two applications? For example, is ActiveSync a
possibility? Recently that has started to fail to update Outlook on my
IPAQ....

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

How to configure the Outlook Address Book is well documented:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...Product=ol2002

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Patrick" wrote in message
...
Russ Thanks for the prompt reply. Outlook and Word are part of Offcie
2003
package which has all updates applied. A few points on what you suggest:

1. I think Outlook must be the default mail program. I have checked in
Control Panel, Email Setup and the Data files are *.pst and Outlook is
named.
Is this the correct way to check Default Email set up?
2. I cannot find any way to configure the Outlook Address Book Service
other
than Properties. I cannot find anything in Outlook Help on how to
configure
the Address Book Service either... How can I check the Address Book
Config?
3. Versions must match - or do they? I think Office was installed clean
as
2003 but it may have been installed over Offcie 2002 (but I doubt it).
Under "About" on each, the Office Version is 11.2887.8221. SP3, so I think
the versions must match...
4. End User Error??? Doubt it, but it is possible. Went through Word -
selected Tools on Menu, selected Letters & Mailings, then Mail Merge, then
selected Label Size, selected Outlook as Source, selected Folder with
source
address then got message "Operation cannot be completed because of
dialogue
or database failures. Please try again later" It is really hard to get
that
wrong....I think it is what called a Word Wizard. (I hope this clarifies
the
steps I took sufficiently well.)

Have you any further thoughts or suggestions? I am surprised I could not
find Address Book Config in Help. Could it be called something else?



"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

Most common causes:
1. Outlook is not your default mail program
2. You failed to configure your Outlook Address Book Service correctly.
3. Outlook and Word versions do not match
4. End user error. (We have no idea what steps you actually used).

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Patrick" wrote in message
...
I am unable to mail merge from Word. In Word, I select all the usual
MailMerge Options for Christmas Card labels. I then select an Outlook
Folder
containing source contacts - and then Word Pops up with a Dialogue Box
"Operation cannot be completed because of dialogue or database
failures.
Please try again later"

What causes this and how can I get round it?

Any number of possibilities for what has corrupted the connection between
Word and Outlook. Since you use AcitvSync it is possible that Outlook is
already running when you are attempting the merge from merge. It is also
possible that you have more than one Outlook profile or one Contacts Folder
and are attempting to connect to the wrong one.
Start the merge from Outlook and see what happens.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Patrick" wrote in message
...
I have followed the instructions....I cannot find anything in the Address
Config that could account for the issue. There's nothing that can be
changed. It looks fine. I have stopped the antivirus software and that
makes no difference either.

What may be signicant is Word shows a hint of being in a slightly confused
state...Sometimes, but not always, I get a Dialogue to select a database -
it
prompts for database type, database name, user id, password. I should be
getting a dialogue to select the correct Outlook Contacts folder....

Could this problem be Word or something in between that allows/prevents
the
communication between the two applications? For example, is ActiveSync a
possibility? Recently that has started to fail to update Outlook on my
IPAQ....

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

How to configure the Outlook Address Book is well documented:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...Product=ol2002

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Patrick" wrote in message
...
Russ Thanks for the prompt reply. Outlook and Word are part of Offcie
2003
package which has all updates applied. A few points on what you
suggest:

1. I think Outlook must be the default mail program. I have checked in
Control Panel, Email Setup and the Data files are *.pst and Outlook is
named.
Is this the correct way to check Default Email set up?
2. I cannot find any way to configure the Outlook Address Book Service
other
than Properties. I cannot find anything in Outlook Help on how to
configure
the Address Book Service either... How can I check the Address Book
Config?
3. Versions must match - or do they? I think Office was installed
clean
as
2003 but it may have been installed over Offcie 2002 (but I doubt it).
Under "About" on each, the Office Version is 11.2887.8221. SP3, so I
think
the versions must match...
4. End User Error??? Doubt it, but it is possible. Went through
Word -
selected Tools on Menu, selected Letters & Mailings, then Mail Merge,
then
selected Label Size, selected Outlook as Source, selected Folder with
source
address then got message "Operation cannot be completed because of
dialogue
or database failures. Please try again later" It is really hard to get
that
wrong....I think it is what called a Word Wizard. (I hope this
clarifies
the
steps I took sufficiently well.)

Have you any further thoughts or suggestions? I am surprised I could
not
find Address Book Config in Help. Could it be called something else?



"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

Most common causes:
1. Outlook is not your default mail program
2. You failed to configure your Outlook Address Book Service
correctly.
3. Outlook and Word versions do not match
4. End user error. (We have no idea what steps you actually used).

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Patrick" wrote in message
...
I am unable to mail merge from Word. In Word, I select all the usual
MailMerge Options for Christmas Card labels. I then select an
Outlook
Folder
containing source contacts - and then Word Pops up with a Dialogue
Box
"Operation cannot be completed because of dialogue or database
failures.
Please try again later"

What causes this and how can I get round it?