How to use Windows 2000 Fax Service to initiate a mail merge in Outlook 2002

You can use Outlook 2002 to initiate a Mail Merge to contacts by using the Microsoft Windows 2000 Fax Service. This article details the following steps:

• How to configure contacts for Mail Merge to fax.
• How to set the fax cover page options.
• How to initiate the Mail Merge from Microsoft Outlook.
• How to configure and complete the Mail Merge feature in Microsoft Word.

The Microsoft Windows 2000 Fax Service must be functioning properly before using the following steps. To learn more about how to configure the Windows 2000 Fax Service in Windows 2000, see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

How to Configure Contacts for Mail Merge to Fax

The fax number for contacts must be in the canonical format (as described in step 4 of the following steps). If you modify the Business or Home Fax Number fields, it can affect the way other programs work with Outlook fax numbers. To avoid modifying the Fax fields, use one of the four built-in user fields to store fax numbers in the format that works for the fax merge. To do this:

1. Open a contact with a Business or Home fax number.
2. Click the All Fields tab.
3. In the Select from box, click Miscellaneous Fields.
4. In User Field 1 (or one of the other 3 User Fields if this field is already being used), type the fax number exactly as it should be dialed, by using the following canonical format examples:
   7-digit dialing
   [fax:555-1212]
   
   10-digit dialing
   [fax:999-555-1212]
   
   Long-distance number (United States)
   [fax:1,999-555-1212]
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for all of the contacts that you want to fax merge to.

How to the Set Fax Cover Page Options

Use the following steps to access the Fax Cover page settings:

1. Select E-mail Accounts on the Tools menu.
2. Click View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.
3. Click Fax Mail Transport, and then click Change.
4. Make the desired changes, and then click OK.
5. In the E-mail Accounts dialog box, click Finish.

How to Initiate the Mail Merge from Microsoft Outlook

Use the following steps to initiate the Mail Merge from Outlook:

1. While in Contacts, click Mail Merge from the Tools menu. (If Mail Merge does not appear in the menu, click the chevron symbol at the bottom of the menu to expand the menu).
2. Select whether to merge using all or selected contacts.
3. Select whether to merge using all of the fields or only those in the view. (If you select to merge by using only those in the view, the User Field that you selected to store the canonical fax numbers must appear in the view.)
4. Configure your Document and Contact data file settings.
5. In the Merge to option, click E-mail.
6. Set the Message subject line option, and then click OK.

How to Configure and Complete the Mail Merge in Word

After you initiate the Mail Merge from Outlook, use the following steps to complete the Mail Merge in Word:

1. Use the Insert Merge Fields and Insert Word Fieldsto create the Mail Merge in Word.
2. When the document is ready, click the Merge to E-mail button.
3. Under Message Options, set the To field to the User Field that is used to store the fax numbers, for example: User_Field_1.
4. Review other settings in this dialog box, and then click OK.