Word will not merge an excel file of addresses when creating label

[lbeer]

I have two computers, one with Word 200 the other with Word 2003. I'm trying
to do a mail merge to create labels from a spreadsheet of names and
addresses. I'm following the procedures and created the main document. Then
when I connect to the data file I hit browse, tell it it's an excel document,
browse to the file, click the field and the OK button is grayed out. One
time I got an error that I was missing OFFICE1.CAB, but not always.

I used to merge excel data files and create labels all the time in older
versions of Word. Why doesn't it work now?

I do not have the disks to either computer.

Is there anything I can download that will fix the problem?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Before trying anything else,
a. close your Word mail merge main document
b. open your Excel workbook in Excel
c. try again (you still select the Excel workbook file in the Select Data
Source dialog, as before)

If that does not work,
d. keep the document open in Excel
e. In Word, check Tools->Options->General->Confirm conversions at open
f. go through the process of connecting to the data source again, but
select the DDE option when it is offered (which is after you have selected
the file and clicked OK or Open (forget which)).

 

[lbeer]

Thank you,

That did seem to help. I also found it was better to make sure you only
have one worksheet and only the fields you really want.

Also, If you have more addresses than one page of labels; you have to use
the "insert rows" feature in word to create more rows as the label maker only
makes one sheet of labels in WORD. Then you have to make sure to click on
the "update all labels" to ensure all the new cells are updated.

This feature is really finicky. You think Microsoft would have made that
simpler, being as they control both WORD and EXCEL.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Also, If you have more addresses than one page of labels; you have to use

the "insert rows" feature in word to create more rows as the label maker
only
makes one sheet of labels in WORD. Then you have to make sure to click on
the "update all labels" to ensure all the new cells are updated.

You don't have to do all this row insertion. What you are probably doing is
"previewing" the document then printing it. What you are supposed to do is
"complete the merge" - either merge to a new document, or merge to the
printer. If you are using the Merge WIzard, the text on the last pane of the
wizard is a bit ambiguous - you have to click on one of the links there. I
find it a bit more obvious to enable the mailmerge toolbar (e.g.
View->Toolbars) then click on the relevant "merge" buton near the right hand
end of the toolbar.

This feature is really finicky. You think Microsoft would have made that
simpler, being as they control both WORD and EXCEL.

"Control" isn't the word I'd use

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Agreed. I find it much simpler to create and run merges from the Mail Merge
toolbar. See http://sbarnhill.mvps.org/WordFAQs/ExpressMailMerges.htm