LibreOffice Mail Merge Printing

This is how to print a document which has had the mail merge fields put into it and already had the database created from a spreadsheet.  I'll document that part someday, but this is what I did today.

I did it on LibreOffice, but I'm guessing it also applies to old OpenOffice too.

I got all this stuff from this 10 minute video, but sometimes you can't wait 10 minutes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prZJ4w-q9AA

1. Open document you've already put the database fields into.
2. Print to a file:
   File/Print - pop up should appear "Your document contains address database fields.  Do you want to print a form letter?" You do so press 'Yes'
   *Possible Warning Popup see Check Connection Settings Below*Output/File (not the printer default) / Save as single document / OK
3. Save as Type 'pdf'/ enter filename / save
4. You now have a PDF that you can print.

Job done.

Check Connection Settings

But what if you had a popup with the option to 'Check Connection Settings' with the text:

"The data source "PresentsDB" was not found. Thus the connection to the data source could not be established.  Please check the connection settings"

This means that LibreOffice does not know where to get the data from.  So you need to register the database on this machine.  To do this:

1. Press the 'Check Connection Settings' button on the popup.
2. Register the database:
   New... / Browse to your .odb file /open
   The registered name should appear, hit OK
   The db should now be registered, hit OK.
3. Now try printing again :-)

My Book World Edition File Copy

If you want to copy or move some files on a Western Digital My Book World edition NAS (network attached storage), then you could copy and paste from your PC, but this takes forever if there is much data since all of the files have to come over the network to the PC and then come back.

However, I've successfully used the "Copy Manager" to do this.  This function is supposed to be used for copying from the NAS to an external USB storage device, but you can get it to copy within the My Book itself.

You access the 'Copy Manager' in a similar way to when you logging into the 'Network Storage Manager'.  I.e. through a web browser pointing to your device.  You might have to put something like http://192.168.10.24 into your browser.  You will then get to the login screen which will allow you to select the 'Administrator Name', 'Password', 'Tool' and 'Language'.  Change tool from 'Network Storage Manager' to 'Copy Manager' to get into the tool.

When there:

1. select the destination address in the source window
2. do not press 'next' button.  The destination address appears in the box in the bottom.  
3. Copy the destination by selecting it and ctrl-c ing it (or just remember what it says)
4. Now select the source address in the source window.
5. This time press the 'next' button.
6. The copy manager now prevents you from selecting the NAS for the destination, expecting only a USB destination.
7. Now paste (or type) the destination address from stage 3 into the box.
8. Press 'next'
9. Press 'start'

Bingo