OL2000: (IMO) Problems with Mail Merge to Fax from Word (212893)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Outlook 2000
This article was previously published under Q212893
NOTE: These procedures only apply if you have installed Outlook with the Internet Mail Only option. To determine your installation type, click About Microsoft Outlook on the Help menu. If you have the Internet Mail Only option installed, you see "Internet Mail Only".

For information about the differences between Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express e-mail clients, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

257824 OL2000: Differences Between Outlook and Outlook Express

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to create a merge to fax from within Microsoft Word, you notice there is no option for "Merge to: Fax" in the Merge dialog box.

CAUSE

The fax service installed with Microsoft Outlook using the Internet Mail Only (IMO) mode is the Symantec Fax Starter Edition. Word does not recognize this fax service.

RESOLUTION

You can work around this problem by selecting "Merge to: Electronic Mail" from the Merge dialog box in Word. This workaround has the following tasks:
  • Set Symantec Fax Starter Edition as your default mail account in Outlook.
  • Verify the correct format of the Outlook Contacts to which you want to send faxes.
  • Complete the merge operation in Word.
  • Reset the default mail account in Outlook.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Complete the following tasks to merge to fax in Word.

Set Symantec Fax Starter Edition As Your Default Mail Account in Outlook

  1. On the Outlook Tools menu, click Accounts.
  2. On the Mail tab, click to select "Symantec Fax Starter Edition" and then click Set As Default.
  3. Click Close.

Verify the Correct Format of the Outlook Contacts

  1. Make sure that each contact you want to send faxes to has an e-mail name. If you have no valid e-mail name for a contact, enter something like: someone@microsoft.com where someone@microsoft.com is an e-mail name you create.
  2. Verify the correct format for each fax number as follows:

    When using Windows 95 the format should be: +1 (999)123-4567. If you are calling a 10-digit local dialing area, the area code must be duplicated as follows: +1 (999)999 123-4567. This is because Windows 95 will remove the first instance of the area code.

    When using Windows 98 the format should be: +1 (999)123-4567. With Windows 98, you can adjust your modem's dialing properties to compensate for 10-digit local dialing.

    In both cases above, the +1 represents the country code and should be changed to the proper code for the country you are calling.

Complete the Merge Operation in Word

  1. On the Word Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
  2. In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, click Create, click Form Letters, and then click Active Window.
  3. In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, click Get Data, click Use Address Book, click Outlook Address Book, click OK, and then click Edit Main Document.
  4. On the toolbar click Insert Merge Fields, and click to select the fields you wish to display in your merge document.
  5. On the toolbar, click Merge.
  6. In the Merge dialog box, click to select Electronic Mail from the Merge To list.
  7. Click Setup, and in the Merge To Setup dialog box, click to select the EMail_Name field, and then click OK and Merge.

Reset the Default Mail Account in Outlook

  1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
  2. On the Mail tab, click to select the desired default mail account, and then click Set As Default.
  3. Click Close.

REFERENCES

For additional information about merging to fax, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

195678 OL2000:(IMO) Fax Number Verification Displays for Every Fax

197726 OL2000: How to Programmatically Add '+1' to Contact Fax Numbers

196092 OL2000: (IMO) Can't Fax After Mail Merge from Microsoft Word

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/5/2003
Keywords:kbbug kbnofix KB212893
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.