External table is not in the expected format

[GHawkins]

I'm doing a Mailmerge with Word 2007 and Excel 2007 using the new 2007 file
format. My Excel file is password protected so that only I can update it.
However, when I try to do a Mailmerge with the Excel file, I receive the
following error:

External table is not in the expected format.

If I take off the password, it works just fine. If I open the Excel file and
keep it open while I do a Mailmerge, it works fine. If I save it as a 2003
file format, I get a few error messages, but it still lets me open the Excel
file to use in my merge. This process worked just fine in 2003, did something
change in 2007?

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Based on your experience, it would appear that something has changed. Would
setting the read only attribute of the file provide you with sufficient
protection against the data being (permanently changed)?

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[GHawkins]

I assume you mean by doing a right-click, Properties and checking Read-Only?
Not for these files - they are stored on a network share so others can get to
them. Those other users also have read/write to the folder, so wouldn't they
be able to go in to change that attribute?

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Yes, but why would they want to?

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Peter Jamieson]

In Word 2003, are you using the DDE connection method to connect - i.e.
where Excel will ask you for the password? As far as I know, that's the only
way you /can/ open a password-proteced Excel workbook as a mailmerge source,
and if so, you will need to do the same thing in 2007 (you have to go to
Word Office button->Word Options->Advanced->General and check "Confirm file
format conversion on open", then cgo through the connection process again
and select DDE when offered. And I have to say that in my experience there
are more problems in 2007, e.g. DDE will not even provide the full 255
columns that were possible in an Excel 2003 sheet.

 

[GHawkins]

Perfect! That's exactly what I was looking for. I forgot about that setting,
thank you so much!!

 

[vijay bandi]

string strConn =
@"Data Source=D:\Test2.xlsx;Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0; Extended Properties=Excel 12.0;";

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Are you asking a question? If so, what is it?

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

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