Mail Merge error with Outlook

[stevezap]

Mail merge is sending emails to draft in outlook with a 3 minute delay then outlook doesn't send them

Act 22.1.21200 update 4

Windows10 Pro

Microsoft 365 Outlook

Act Web based

I can send from the Write tab:

email message

email message (from template)

Mail Merge to one client

The problem starts here

Mail Merge to (to 3 or more clients) 

Act shows that it sends instructions to outlook, but could take up to 3 minutes to go to drafts in Outlook

I repaired Outlook

I reinstalled Act

I installed a Macro in Outlook to batch drafts

No Error messages

This worked fine up to 2 weeks ago

Thanks in advance 

Steve Zap 

[Jared Dalrymple]

I am also having the same experience, problems also started a similar time ago.
The setup on my side is:

 - Act! Pro V21.0 Update 4 installed locally

 - Windows 10

 - Microsoft 365 Outlook v 16.0.13231.20110 32-bit

The Outlook setting for 'Save copies of messages in the Sent Items folder' is turned on.

We notice the same behaviour:

Create Mail Merge

Act! shows a progress bar that completes of message being merged

after 3 minutes the emails all appear in the drafts folder

It suggests to me that the issue is with Outlook as Act! completes its side of the process and the emails do appear in outlook, they just do not get sent from outlook.

I suspected it might be the antivirus, but I fully disabled it and still got the same behaviour.

[dzukowski]

One of my clients is having this same issue using the same setup as Jared. Have either of you found any way around this or heard anything from ACT regarding this?

Daniel Zukowski
ZuluTech Solutions L.L.C.

[Melville-Schellmann]

Changing your Office installation from "current channel" to "semi-annual channel" will basically install a slightly "older" Office version which doesn't have the problem.
You might need some help with that from your IT guy....

[stevezapp]

Act support is no help at all.  Microsoft tried, but can only go so far.  

Act support had me install a Macro, to batch all drafts. It didn't work.

After playing around with some settings this is what i came up with:

1. Go to Preferences, then to Communication tab

2. Change Word processor to Act! word processor.

3. This works to send Mail Merge.

The Act! Word processor is not a good program but it works.

[gordonrobb]

Did anyone get anywhere with this? I have the same problem. 

I'm not sure Act IS doing it's part of the process. 

If I look at the emails in the draft folder in Outlook, there is no SEND button. Unlike other emails I create and don't send, which get saved in drafts.

Anyone got any updates on this? 

[ch1p]

I do know there was an update of Office around the time of the reported problems. You could try rolling back the latest office update.

[stevezapp]

Act said it was a Microsoft issue, all i know is that the Act word processor works as a work around, but i do not like that word processor, Outlook is much better.

Steve Zap

[ch1p]

If you are on a subscription that includes ACT version update V23 is due out next month and Word and Outlook  integration has had an update so this may resolve the issue.