Word 2003 Mail Merge cannot open Excel 2003 document

[Guest]

I use mail merge all of the time and am baffled by this one. I just did a
mail merge project where I merged data from an excel spreadsheet into a word
document. I need to create a new mail merge using a new word document and
the same spreadsheet and it comes up as if it is opening excel and than says
word cannot open document. I have tried everything I can possibly think of.
Any suggestions?

 

[Guest]

You may have tried these suggestions.
1. Save the Excel file again with a different name.
2. Save the Excel file as a c.s.v. file

At what point does it try to open the file, and what have you tried.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Is the Excel workbork already open (e.g., do you have your old mail merge
main document with the Excel workbook attached open as you work, or are you
starting from a Word template that has the Excel sheet attached as a data
source)?

 

[Guest]

I did save with a different name; saved as a csv; it tries to open the file
when I first do open data source and then it says cannot open source. I have
also tried copying the file and creating a new excel document with a new name
(which is what I had to do originally to make it work.) and now that wont
work either.

 

[Guest]

No the excel workbook is closed. I open word and then ask to open the data
source. that is when it says cannont open data source.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

From your other response I'd guess that something might have broken in
Office and I'd consider using the Detect and Repair facility (e.g. in Word
Help). However, I would first try
a. creating a very simple data source in Word (say, two rows and two
columns) and see if that works OK
b. exporting that as a plain text file and see if that works OK as a data
source
c. creating a very simple data source in Excel and see if that works OK.
You can also try checking Word Tools|Options|General|"Confirm conversions at
open", going through the connection process again, and trying each of the
methods offered.

 

[Guest]

Peter,

I redid it and saved as a csv file again and it worked! Thanks so much for
all of your helpful information.

Stacey