Enabling Network DDE

If you are using DDE to connect to a document on a server, you must first enable DDE to communicate over the network. This is a setting that is turned off in Windows XP when Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3 is installed. 

• From the Windows Start menu select Settings-->Control Panel.
• Double-click "Administrative Tools," then double-click "Services."
• On the Extended tab, scroll down until you find "Network DDE," and then double-click it.
• Change "Startup Type" to "Automatic," and then click on "Start," to immediately start the service.
• "OK" the dialog and then close out of Administrative Tools and the Control Panel.

These settings should remain set, but installing Windows XP Service Packs may change them.

Enabling DDE use in Word

Whether you're using a local or a server data file, you must explicitly enable use of DDE in Word.

• In Word, go to Office Button-->Word Options, and select "Advanced" from the panel on the left.
• Scroll down the panel on the right until you get to the "General" section.
• Check the "Confirm file format conversion on open" box.
• OK your way out of the dialogs.

This setting will be saved until you change it.

Choosing DDE as your Communication Method

When you're ready to do your merge, you won't automatically be given the choice to use DDE; you must instruct Word to give you that choice.

• From the Word Mailings tab, choose "Select Recipients," and then select your data file to open.
• In the "Confirm Data Source" dialog box, check the "Select All" box.
• Scroll down until you find either "MS Excel Worksheets via DDE (*.xls)" or "MS Access Databases via DDE (*.mdb, *.mde)," and select the appropriate one. 
• "OK" out of the dialog boxes.

That's it! When you Finish & Merge, you should get your data formatted as it's formatted by Excel or Access.