Error message: "Unable to obtain list of tables from the data sour

[Not-a-Pro-Though]

After switching to Windows Vista and Office 2007, I get a screen with the
error message: "Unable to obtain list of tables from the data source" every
time I try to do a mail merge. Before, with Office 2003, everything worked
just perfect.
What does it mean and how can I fix it.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Unfortunately the precise meaning and significance of this message depends
on the data source. As far as I know, the error comes from the OLE DB data
provider that Word uses to get data from a variety of data source types,
e.g. Access, Excel, Outlook if you are connecting to a contacts folder from
within Word, and some delimited text files.

When you get the message, the chances are that either there is somthing
wrong with a thing called the MDAC, or it means that some setting is missing
somewhere. There are some problems in this area that I have certainly never
solved.

Most people seem to see the message when they are trying to get data from
Outlook: if that's what you're doing, and you are trying to specify the
Outlook contacts folder from within Word, I suggest that instead you open
Outlook ,select some contacts, click Outlook Tools|Mail Merge..., read the
options in the dialog box carefully, and take it from there.

If not, maybe you could tell us what the data source is?

(FWIW, the OLE DB provider "sees" a data source as a "database" containing
"tables". Precisely what the provider considers to be a database depends on
the type of data source. FOr example, an Access .mdb or Access 2007 .accdb
is a "database" and some or all tables and queries are considered to be
"tables". An Excel Workbook is a "database" and worksheets and named ranges
are "tables". FOr Outlook I'm not sure I can characterise exactly what the
provider considers to be a "database" and "tables")

 

[Not-a-Pro-Though]

Thanks for your response.
To better explain the situation, I had created templates in Word 2003 with
some mail merge fields, being Outlook 2003 Contacts folder the source.
Windows XP was the OS. Everything worked just fine.
When I got this new computer with Windows Vista, Office 2007, I used the
Easy Transfer feature to transfer all the files from my old to my new
computer.

Done that, I tried to open the templates and insert mail merge info, and
that's when I got the message "Unable to obtain...". I can open the
document, though, but the merge fields woudn't work.

Have a better idea now?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

OK, for starters...
1. Are your templates real Word templates (.dot files) or are they .doc
files? (what I call "skeletons", purely to distinguish them from Word
templates)?
2. Are you still using .dot/.doc with Word 2007 or have you already
converted them to .dotx/.docx etc.?
3. When you open the /template/ and look at the Mailings tab in the ribbon,
is the Eidt Recipient List option greyed out?
4. If so, presumably you are clicking Select Recipients and selecting the
"Select from Outlook Contacts" option, and that is the point at which you
are seeing the error message?
5. If so, someone recently suggested the following:

There's more, but maybe you could look at that first.

 

[Not-a-Pro-Though]

1. Yes
2. I don't know. Wouldn't the Easy Transfer feature on Windows Vista take
care of this, though?
3. Yes
4. This happens even when I try to insert mail merge info on a new document.
5. There is an "Outlook address book Type MAPI" listed there.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

2. I don't know.

They will probably still be called .dot if they have not been converted.

Wouldn't the Easy Transfer feature on Windows Vista take
care of this, though?

I doubt it - I don't think it is part of that feature's brief to convert
between one version of Office and another as well as one version of WIndows
and another.

3. Yes
4. This happens even when I try to insert mail merge info on a new
document.
5. There is an "Outlook address book Type MAPI" listed there.

OK,
1. Make sure that the Contacts list is actually in the Outlook Address Book
(I usually open the Contacts "bar" , right click on the Contacts folder
under "All Contact Items", click the Properties option and look at the
Outlook Address Book tab. But I would be surprised if it was not set up to
be an Outlook Address Book.
2. try following the instrucitons in the following article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918792

(If you are using Vista-64, try using the following registry key, probably
as well as the one described in the article:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Messaging Subsystem
)

If neither of those things helps, then I am probably not going to be able to
provide any more ideas. Personally I would consider the approach I mentioned
earlier...

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

In addition, Windows Easy Transfer creates a corrupt Outlook profile in
which the Outlook Address Book is completely disabled. You must create a new
Outlook profile before you will ever be able to merge to Outlook.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Thanks Russ. Is there a KB article about this problem?

--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

In addition, Windows Easy Transfer creates a corrupt Outlook profile in
which the Outlook Address Book is completely disabled. You must create a
new Outlook profile before you will ever be able to merge to Outlook.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

1. Yes
2. I don't know. Wouldn't the Easy Transfer feature on Windows Vista
take
care of this, though?
3. Yes
4. This happens even when I try to insert mail merge info on a new
document.
5. There is an "Outlook address book Type MAPI" listed there.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Dream on. Microsoft only seems to document problems for which they have
solutions. They leave the rest to us.
FAST and WET have never worked with Outlook and likely never will.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Thanks Russ. Is there a KB article about this problem?

--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

In addition, Windows Easy Transfer creates a corrupt Outlook profile in
which the Outlook Address Book is completely disabled. You must create a
new Outlook profile before you will ever be able to merge to Outlook.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

1. Yes
2. I don't know. Wouldn't the Easy Transfer feature on Windows Vista
take
care of this, though?
3. Yes
4. This happens even when I try to insert mail merge info on a new
document.
5. There is an "Outlook address book Type MAPI" listed there.



:

OK, for starters...
1. Are your templates real Word templates (.dot files) or are they
.doc
files? (what I call "skeletons", purely to distinguish them from Word
templates)?
2. Are you still using .dot/.doc with Word 2007 or have you already
converted them to .dotx/.docx etc.?
3. When you open the /template/ and look at the Mailings tab in the
ribbon,
is the Eidt Recipient List option greyed out?
4. If so, presumably you are clicking Select Recipients and selecting
the
"Select from Outlook Contacts" option, and that is the point at which
you
are seeing the error message?
5. If so, someone recently suggested the following:

Here's a resolution which has worked for me. I HOPE it helps in your
particular case.

Two steps:

1) Go to Tools / Email Accounts
a. Select "View or change existing directories or address
books", then Next.
b. There SHOULD be an "Outlook Address Book" type MAPI
directory there--but it's most likely missing.
If it's missing, click Add / Additional Address
Books / Outlook Address Book
c. Close and re-open Outlook.

There's more, but maybe you could look at that first.
--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

message Thanks for your response.
To better explain the situation, I had created templates in Word 2003
with
some mail merge fields, being Outlook 2003 Contacts folder the
source.
Windows XP was the OS. Everything worked just fine.
When I got this new computer with Windows Vista, Office 2007, I used
the
Easy Transfer feature to transfer all the files from my old to my new
computer.

Done that, I tried to open the templates and insert mail merge info,
and
that's when I got the message "Unable to obtain...". I can open the
document, though, but the merge fields woudn't work.

Have a better idea now?

:

Unfortunately the precise meaning and significance of this message
depends
on the data source. As far as I know, the error comes from the OLE
DB
data
provider that Word uses to get data from a variety of data source
types,
e.g. Access, Excel, Outlook if you are connecting to a contacts
folder
from
within Word, and some delimited text files.

When you get the message, the chances are that either there is
somthing
wrong with a thing called the MDAC, or it means that some setting is
missing
somewhere. There are some problems in this area that I have
certainly
never
solved.

Most people seem to see the message when they are trying to get data
from
Outlook: if that's what you're doing, and you are trying to specify
the
Outlook contacts folder from within Word, I suggest that instead you
open
Outlook ,select some contacts, click Outlook Tools|Mail Merge...,
read
the
options in the dialog box carefully, and take it from there.

If not, maybe you could tell us what the data source is?

(FWIW, the OLE DB provider "sees" a data source as a "database"
containing
"tables". Precisely what the provider considers to be a database
depends
on
the type of data source. FOr example, an Access .mdb or Access 2007
.accdb
is a "database" and some or all tables and queries are considered to
be
"tables". An Excel Workbook is a "database" and worksheets and named
ranges
are "tables". FOr Outlook I'm not sure I can characterise exactly
what
the
provider considers to be a "database" and "tables")

--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

in
message After switching to Windows Vista and Office 2007, I get a screen
with
the
error message: "Unable to obtain list of tables from the data
source"
every
time I try to do a mail merge. Before, with Office 2003,
everything
worked
just perfect.
What does it mean and how can I fix it.

 

[Not-a-Pro-Though]

Thanks, Russ,

Can you please tell me how to create a new Outlook profile, according to
your answer?

In addition, Windows Easy Transfer creates a corrupt Outlook profile in
which the Outlook Address Book is completely disabled. You must create a new
Outlook profile before you will ever be able to merge to Outlook.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

1. Yes
2. I don't know. Wouldn't the Easy Transfer feature on Windows Vista take
care of this, though?
3. Yes
4. This happens even when I try to insert mail merge info on a new
document.
5. There is an "Outlook address book Type MAPI" listed there.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

If you didnt try it already, I suggest you look up "profile" in Outlook 2007
help. You basically need to go into Windows Control Panel->User
Accounts->Mail

--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

Thanks, Russ,

Can you please tell me how to create a new Outlook profile, according to
your answer?

In addition, Windows Easy Transfer creates a corrupt Outlook profile in
which the Outlook Address Book is completely disabled. You must create a
new
Outlook profile before you will ever be able to merge to Outlook.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

1. Yes
2. I don't know. Wouldn't the Easy Transfer feature on Windows Vista
take
care of this, though?
3. Yes
4. This happens even when I try to insert mail merge info on a new
document.
5. There is an "Outlook address book Type MAPI" listed there.



:

OK, for starters...
1. Are your templates real Word templates (.dot files) or are they
.doc
files? (what I call "skeletons", purely to distinguish them from Word
templates)?
2. Are you still using .dot/.doc with Word 2007 or have you already
converted them to .dotx/.docx etc.?
3. When you open the /template/ and look at the Mailings tab in the
ribbon,
is the Eidt Recipient List option greyed out?
4. If so, presumably you are clicking Select Recipients and selecting
the
"Select from Outlook Contacts" option, and that is the point at which
you
are seeing the error message?
5. If so, someone recently suggested the following:

Here's a resolution which has worked for me. I HOPE it helps in
your
particular case.

Two steps:

1) Go to Tools / Email Accounts
a. Select "View or change existing directories or address
books", then Next.
b. There SHOULD be an "Outlook Address Book" type MAPI
directory there--but it's most likely missing.
If it's missing, click Add / Additional Address
Books / Outlook Address Book
c. Close and re-open Outlook.

There's more, but maybe you could look at that first.
--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

message Thanks for your response.
To better explain the situation, I had created templates in Word
2003
with
some mail merge fields, being Outlook 2003 Contacts folder the
source.
Windows XP was the OS. Everything worked just fine.
When I got this new computer with Windows Vista, Office 2007, I used
the
Easy Transfer feature to transfer all the files from my old to my
new
computer.

Done that, I tried to open the templates and insert mail merge info,
and
that's when I got the message "Unable to obtain...". I can open the
document, though, but the merge fields woudn't work.

Have a better idea now?

:

Unfortunately the precise meaning and significance of this message
depends
on the data source. As far as I know, the error comes from the OLE
DB
data
provider that Word uses to get data from a variety of data source
types,
e.g. Access, Excel, Outlook if you are connecting to a contacts
folder
from
within Word, and some delimited text files.

When you get the message, the chances are that either there is
somthing
wrong with a thing called the MDAC, or it means that some setting
is
missing
somewhere. There are some problems in this area that I have
certainly
never
solved.

Most people seem to see the message when they are trying to get
data
from
Outlook: if that's what you're doing, and you are trying to specify
the
Outlook contacts folder from within Word, I suggest that instead
you
open
Outlook ,select some contacts, click Outlook Tools|Mail Merge...,
read
the
options in the dialog box carefully, and take it from there.

If not, maybe you could tell us what the data source is?

(FWIW, the OLE DB provider "sees" a data source as a "database"
containing
"tables". Precisely what the provider considers to be a database
depends
on
the type of data source. FOr example, an Access .mdb or Access 2007
.accdb
is a "database" and some or all tables and queries are considered
to
be
"tables". An Excel Workbook is a "database" and worksheets and
named
ranges
are "tables". FOr Outlook I'm not sure I can characterise exactly
what
the
provider considers to be a "database" and "tables")

--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

in
message After switching to Windows Vista and Office 2007, I get a screen
with
the
error message: "Unable to obtain list of tables from the data
source"
every
time I try to do a mail merge. Before, with Office 2003,
everything
worked
just perfect.
What does it mean and how can I fix it.

 

[Dave Draper]

I found the same issue here at Heald, I did some research, and after working with one of my instructors we found that you could re-map the database source by opening a docx that still had the path. The issue seems to only be an issue when the files (Database) are on the network and not on the local. If you move the files locally you shouldn't have this issue. Even if you have a working docx you will still find that it will lose its map when you open a blank.

 

[Graham Mayor]

If you post a random message without replying to the original post or
quoting the reference, no one will have a clue what you are on about.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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