Word mail-merge email inserted link problem

[slurpee55]

Hi all,

I am trying to send multiple emails to different people with slightly different links to a survey page, so I can monitor who takes the survey (e.g. http://forums.techguy.org&c=90001, http://forums.techguy.org&c=90002....)
I have no trouble setting up Word to do a mail merge using an Excel file as the data source, and in the Excel file the links are all different and they are live.
However, when an email shows up on my pc, the link is dead - can't click on it to go to the survey, only can cut and paste into the browser, which I don't want to have happen to the client's customers.

(Edit) Note: I installed Microsoft's FixIt
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823301
and continue to have the problem.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

 

[valis]

if you can't click on the link, it's usually formatted in RTF. Have you verified it's in HTML?

Basic, I know, but sometimes that's all I got.

 

[slurpee55]

Annoying. Although it asks what to send it as, and I select HTML, when I look at the message source (in Outlook Express, mind you) I see:
Content-Type: text/plain.
But another with the same type has a working (live) link.
See the attached and see if it makes any sense.

 

[valis]

have you tried using outlook itself?

 

[slurpee55]

Ah, that is a bit of a snag...all of my office runs on OE, and, while Outlook would probably deal with all of these problems in a flash (and I do have it installed), I don't know the passwords to our mail account, and the person who does is gone for the rest of the month....

 

[slurpee55]

Hmmm, I just opened Outlook, and, even without the proper setup, it has sent out mail today.
Darned if I know how, but....

 

[slurpee55]

But all the links - whether to my yahoo account or my work account - are dead.
Time for the weekend....

 

[valis]

dunno, boss. I'd say it's definitely something with the RTF though.....

 

[Ziggy1]

Hi Slurpee,

I find this a frustrating area as well, I generally try to avoid trying to figure it ourt because different emails programs and user settings can affect the behaviour.

My Dad always bugs me about a similar issue with images, for his business he likes to email people images in the body...sometimes they see them sometimes they are blocked and sometimes they have an "x"

generally with Links you add a little note saying to click, or copy/paste to browser ( I've seen this many times).

I found this Link it might have some ideas, but I bet your already did a lot of searching.

You should clarify ( unless I missed it) what you mean by the link is dead....it looks like a hyperlink but no action when you click ( or hover over)...or is it look like Plain text string ( no line or color).

Now this is too obvious and I assume you checked it as Valis has mentioned about the format, but in OE options on the send tab, what is the Mail format...should be HTML.

 

[slurpee55]

Yes, supposed to be sending in HTML, but the link arrives as plain text - the URL is listed, but there is no response when you mouse over it or click on it.
Thanks for the link, Ziggy - I will mess with the suggestions it has on Tuesday.

 

[valis]

betcha the recipient is set to rtf........any takers?