Writer crashes on form letter with multiple records

[777mth]

After having some problems with OO crashing when trying to generate form letters with multiple records, I just downloaded and installed OOv4.1.2 to make sure that I was running the most current version of OO available, and now I can't even get to the generation point. I can print the document as a NON-form letter, with all custom fields appearing (as undefined custom fields) on the paper, but when answering "yes" to the "Do you want to print a form letter?" dialog, nothing happens. Before updating OO, I could generate a form letter (and print it) for one record at a time, but when trying to print for multiple records, I could see the info box describing the temp files being created, then OO would crash. Now I don't even get the acknowledgment of a crash, and am feeling ignored and unloved. I've removed any new or superfluous apps from being automatically loaded, and have restarted the computer and OO app.

[MrProgrammer]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Try a different account on your Mac. ← Read details.

If this solved your problem please go to your first post use the Edit button and add [Solved] to the start of the title. You can select the green checkmark icon at the same time.

[777mth]

Thanks for the link. I followed the recommendations and successfully reset the user profile, but it didn't solve the problem. (I did discover that OpenOffice does still crash; it simply waits to do it until I close the document, which it asks to recover upon starting up again.) Wanting to make sure it wasn't an issue with the database file, I created a new Calc spreadsheet, a new Database file linked to it (via 'Connect to an existing database'), and then a new Writer file, dropping in some custom fields with the new spreadsheet/database acting as data source. The same behavior occurred, with the lack of a print dialogue when printing as a form letter, then crash upon document closure. Also, as before, I could successfully print the page as a non-form letter, with the unpopulated field names on display, but OO would still crash upon doc closure.

Basically, it seems like any time a custom field is even inserted into a page, it begins the crash countdown (crash upon closure), in addition to blowing off any notion of actually populating said custom fields (breakdown between "form letter?" dialogue and actual generation).

Thanks for your assistance!

[MrProgrammer]

Wanting to make sure it wasn't an issue with the database file …

There is a confirmed defect for Base in 4.1.2. You may need to downgrade.

If this answered your question please go to your first post use the Edit button and add [Solved] to the start of the title. You can select the green checkmark icon at the same time.

[777mth]

It is also crashing in 4.1.1. And 3.4.1. In the meantime, I have upgraded OS to El Capitan, to no effect.

[777mth]

I've got some fairly complicated formulae going on in my spreadsheet, some of which is explicitly meant to populate mailmerge fields. Is it possible there is something in there getting hitched up? (I've successfully produced mailmerged letters with the same data many times in the past with no problems. The values resulting from the formulae are still just concatenated text values and not producing errors.)

[777mth]

Wanting to make sure it wasn't an issue with the database file …

There is a confirmed defect for Base in 4.1.2. You may need to downgrade.

If this answered your question please go to your first post use the Edit button and add [Solved] to the start of the title. You can select the green checkmark icon at the same time.

After months of avoiding the issue because it's too frustrating to deal with, I once again have to tangle with this problem. As things stand currently, both my desktop and laptop Macs are operating on El Capitan. My laptop is on the current version of OO 4.1.2, and my desktop has been reverted back to OO 3.4.1. I have reset the user profiles on both machines. I have rebuilt the database file and text document from the ground up. I am still suffering the same crashes and inability to use form letters.The "soffice" process is still highlighted on crash reports. After being served so well for long by OpenOffice, I can't believe I'm ready to shell out who-knows-how-much money for $&@^! Microsoft Office. I'm at a loss.

I've got some fairly complicated formulae going on in my spreadsheet, some of which is explicitly meant to populate mailmerge fields. Is it possible there is something in there getting hitched up? (I've successfully produced mailmerged letters with the same data many times in the past with no problems. The values resulting from the formulae are still just concatenated text values and not producing errors.)

Also, I tried building a simple spreadsheet and text document combination, just to make sure the issue wasn't with my main spreadsheet. Same problems.

[lgusaas]

Wanting to make sure it wasn't an issue with the database file …

There is a confirmed defect for Base in 4.1.2. You may need to downgrade.

If this answered your question please go to your first post use the Edit button and add [Solved] to the start of the title. You can select the green checkmark icon at the same time.

After months of avoiding the issue because it's too frustrating to deal with, I once again have to tangle with this problem. As things stand currently, both my desktop and laptop Macs are operating on El Capitan. My laptop is on the current version of OO 4.1.2, and my desktop has been reverted back to OO 3.4.1. I have reset the user profiles on both machines. I have rebuilt the database file and text document from the ground up. I am still suffering the same crashes and inability to use form letters.The "soffice" process is still highlighted on crash reports. After being served so well for long by OpenOffice, I can't believe I'm ready to shell out who-knows-how-much money for $&@^! Microsoft Office. I'm at a loss.

The database doesn't work in AOO 4.1.2
Downgrade to AOO 4.1.1

[777mth]

The database doesn't work in AOO 4.1.2
Downgrade to AOO 4.1.1

Actually, I remembered that I have an installation of Windows 8.1 (via BootCamp), and flipped over to try it there. As it happens, my Windows OO installation is 4.1.1. It still crashed. But I'll try downgrading in OS X and see what happens. Thanks!