WD: Cannot Replace All Occurrences of Invalid MERGEFIELD Field

ID: Q105693

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1
• Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you click the Check For Errors button on the Print Merge toolbar, Word may prompt you repeatedly for the same invalid MERGEFIELD field.

CAUSE

Word prompts you to correct each instance of invalid MERGEFIELD fields in your mail merge main document, but there is no way to replace or remove all occurrences of a single incorrect field. You can only replace or remove one occurrence of a field at a time.

WORKAROUND

If your main document contains multiple instances of an invalid field, you can use the Replace command on the Edit menu to replace or remove all instances of the field at once.

To replace one MERGEFIELD field with another, follow these steps:

 1. In your main document, insert one instance of the correct
    MERGEFIELD fields.

 2. Select one of the invalid MERGEFIELD fields.

 3. On the Edit menu, click Copy.

 4. On the Edit menu, click Replace.

 5. Position the insertion point in the Find What box, and then press
    CTRL+V (COMMAND+V on the Macintosh) to paste the MERGEFIELD field.

 6. Leave the Edit Replace dialog box open and click in your document
    window to activate it (the Edit Replace dialog box is modeless).

 7. Select the correct MERGEFIELD field. On the Edit menu, click Copy.

 8. Click in the Edit Replace dialog box to activate it.

 9. Position the insertion point in the Replace With box, and then
    press CTRL+V (COMMAND+V on the Macintosh) to paste the MERGEFIELD
    field.

Additional query words: repeats repeatedly several multiple times many

Keywords          : word8 macword98 winword kbmerge macword word6 word7 word95 
Version           : WINDOWS: 6.0, 7.0; MACINTOSH: 6.0, 6.0.1, 98
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: December 23, 1998