Microsoft word mail merge with access table errors

[CChopper]

Hi

We started using word 2003 recently.

In Word 97, we did mailshots merging up to 30,000
records with a problem.

With Word 2003, this recipient list box appears -
it takes an age to populate 20,000 records and then
when we go to look at the mail merge fields in the
word document, Word crashes.

Any suggestions ?

Tks
John