Refresh: What, Why and When?

OnMerge pulls external images (called "source" images) into your document from a files or websites. But what happens when that image changes or disappears? That could happen when the source image gets changed or deleted. The files could also be "changed" (from OnMerge's perspective) when the document containing OnMerge images is copied to another PC, and the source files are not on that PC, or are in a different folder.

Will the OnMerge Images shown in your Word document change (refresh) when the source files do?
Yes, when you:

• Open a document in Word on a PC that has OnMerge Images installed
• Select a new database into Word with Select Recipients
• Scroll through previews of different database records with the controls in Preview Results
• Change text inside a Word Bookmark, and OnMerge Images depend on that depend on Bookmarked text
• Do a mail merge
• Edit a given OnMerge Image using the OnMerge dialog

This is called auto refresh, and it helps make sure that you're displaying the latest file and web contents.

OnMerge Images in a Word document will not refresh:

• While that document stays open in Word and a source image changes "behind OnMerge's back"
• When the document is opened in Word on a PC that does not have OnMerge Images installed
• In the merged-to copy of your document after you mail merge to Edit Individual Documents

When to Not Refresh. Locking an Image.

To prevent a given OnMerge Image from auto updating (locking the image):

• Bring up the OnMerge dialog for the image
• Select the Merge Options tab
• Make sure the Copy images into merged-to document... option is set (checked)
• Setlect the Refresh tab
• Set (select) the No auto refresh option
• Press OK

This option is useful when you always want to keep that same information in your document, but:

• The source file is subject to change or disappearing
• The source file is on the web and is beyond your control
• The Word document will be sent to other OnMerge users and they may not have the same source files
• Alternately, you may want updated source files but need to control exactly when updates are applied to your document to prevent surprises

Refreshing Manually

You can make all the OnMerge Images in a document refresh whenever you like. That can be useful when:

• You know that source files have changed while you have the document open
• One or more OnMerge Images have No auto refresh set, but you need to grab the latest versions of the source files

To refresh a single image:

• Bring up the OnMerge dialog for that image
• Press OK

To refresh all images in the document all at once:

• Bring up the OnMerge dialog for any existing OnMerge Image or for a new one -- doesn't matter which
• Select the Refresh tab
• Press the Manual Refresh Now button
• Press OK