Can't merge xp document in word 97

[Andy Windfelder]

I created several mail merge documents in word 2002.
Then moved document and data source (an excel file) to
work system. When I opened the document in woerd 97 mail
merge was unavailable. It wanted to create a new mail
merge document. Took all files back to original system
created on and the mail merge worked fine.

Any clues to what may be going on?

Thanks,

Andy Q.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Off the top of my head I can't remember what the situation is here, but
a. either /no/ Word XP mailmerge documents will work in Word 97 or
b. the problem is that Word XP uses a default connection method to connect
to its data source - OLEDB - that is not avalable in Word 97. So it may be
that Mailmerge documents where the connection type is /not/ OLEDB will work.

 

[Cindy Meister -WordMVP-]

Hi Peter,

b. the problem is that Word XP uses a default connection method to connect
to its data source - OLEDB - that is not avalable in Word 97. So it may be
that Mailmerge documents where the connection type is /not/ OLEDB will work.

This is it. Mail merge documents created using DDE or ODBC to link in the data
work across all versions. Those from Word 2002 with OLEDB connections will not
"remember" the connection in an earlier version.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jan 24 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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