In Microsoft Word 97, 98, and 2000, how do I perform a mail merge?

In Microsoft Word 2000, you can perform a mail merge by using the Mail Merge Helper. The following steps show you how to perform an effective mail merge using this tool. These instructions assume that you do not have a pre-existing source document where your data are stored. Open a new, blank document.

1. From the Tools menu, select Mail Merge... .
2. In section 1 of the Mail Merge dialog box, labeled "Main Document", click the Create button.
3. Select the type of source file you wish to create. The source file is where the data for your merge are held. There are four types of source files in Word 97, 98, and 2000:
• Form letters
• Mailing labels
• Envelopes
• Catalog

After you select the type of source file you want, you will see a box, which gives you the option of either working in the active window or starting a new main document. If you choose Active Window, the blank document you've already started will be used as the main document (the document the data will be inserted into later). If you choose New Main Document, Word will open a new blank document for you to use.

4. Next, move on to section 2 of the Mail Merge dialog box, labeled "Data Source". This section deals with your source document, which is where the data for insertion into your main document are stored. Click the button labeled Get Data, then select Create Data Source... .
5. The window that pops up contains a list of fields that you can use in your main document. A field is a particular type of information, such as a city name or zip code as part of an address label, or an individual's name as part of a phone book. You may remove any of these fields by selecting the field you wish to delete, and clicking the Remove Field Name button. Additionally, you may add a field by entering a name of your choice for the file into the "Field Name" box, and then clicking the Add Field Name >> button.
6. When you are finished adding and/or removing the field names, click OK to continue. The program will ask you to save your source file. To do this, enter a name of your choice for the file into the "File Name" box, and click the Save button.
7. After you save your source file, the program will ask if you want to edit the data source or set up the main document. Choose Set Up Main Document or Edit Main Document.
8. Depending on what type of mail merge you chose in step 4, you will either have a new window pop up, or it will take you back to your main document. In either case, this is when you decide which fields to include in your main document and where you want them to appear. To do this, position the cursor where you want each field to appear, click the Insert Merge Field button on the toolbar, and then choose which field you want to include.
9. When you are finished, from the Tools menu, select Mail Merge again. In section 2, click the Edit button. On the menu that appears, you will see an entry that says Data: <filename>, where <filename> is the name of your source file. Select this entry, and you will see a new window that will allow you to enter data into your source file. After you complete each entry, click the Add New button to go to the next one. Click the OK button when you are finished entering your data.
10. From the Tools menu, select Mail Merge again. In section 3, click the Merge button. In the window that pops up, in the When Merging Records dialog box, choose whether or not you want to have blank lines inserted into your main document by clicking the appropriate radio button. When you are finished, click the Merge button.
11. You should now have a new document with your merged records. You may print, save, or view this document as you would any other Word document.