I've created a letterwriting application which opens word, prefills a
template with data from Access, prints the word document, saves the document,
then closes it. I've cloned the code in several different routines. For some
reason the latest routine opens word and prints the letter the first time,
but in subsequent calls does not recognize the open word application
(although other routines do).

I found that if I don't save the document, it does not close without user
intervention, so I save the document then close it after it is printed. I
then set the word object to nothing. Word remains open and in all but the
last routine, the next time it is invoked, the same word session is opened.

Code:
Dim WordObj As Word.Application
Dim TemplateFile As String  
dim SaveDoc as string

 TemplateFile =  "c:\SampleTemp.dot"

 Set WordObj = GetObject(, "Word.Application")
 If Err.Number <> 0 Then
   Set WordObj = CreateObject("Word.Application")
 End If

 WordObj.Visible = True
 WordObj.Documents.Add Template:=TemplateFile, NewTemplate:=False

 'Fill word document with data from Access

 DoEvents
 WordObj.Activate
 ActiveDocument.PrintOut
 SaveDoc = "c:\PrintedLetter.doc"  'In some routines, the same file is
overwritter
                                                  'in others, the file is
saved with a unique name
                                                  'this routine overwrites
one file
 ActiveDocument.SaveAs FileName:=SaveDoc, FileFormat:= _
       wdFormatDocument, LockComments:=False, Password:="",
AddToRecentFiles:= _
       True, WritePassword:="", ReadOnlyRecommended:=False,
EmbedTrueTypeFonts:= _
       False, SaveNativePictureFormat:=False, SaveFormsData:=False, _
       SaveAsAOCELetter:=False

 ActiveDocument.Close
 
 Set WordObj = Nothing