Access DDE commands

I am using Office2000. I bring up Word and attempt to do a mail merge from Access. In the Mail Merge Helper window, I Click Create, FormLettter, Use Active Window. I Click Get Data, Open Data Source, select my mdb file and click Open in the Open Data Source window. It hangs. Msg on the status bar is ‘Waiting for Microsoft Access to Accept DDE Commands’. Any thoughts why this is hanging at this point? In Access, Tools, Options, Advanced: Enable DDE refresh is checked. Thanks.