Mail Merge 2003 formating

[RPS]

When merging an Excel spreadsheet to a word document there are columns that
replace the Alpha letter of K to a zero. The first column works but 2 others
do not? Numbers work in these columns but the Alpha letters do not? Format
is set to general just as it is in the first column.
If I place an additional line at the top of the Excel sheet and put a Alpha
Letter in the first line then it reads the other numbers and letters farther
down in the columns?
Any suggestions as to why this is happening?

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

With some methods of connection to the data source, mailmerge uses the data
in the first record to determine the type of data. If the formatting of the
column is set to Text, then it will probably work OK. Or in Word, from the
Tools menu, select Options and then on the General tab, check the box
against Confirm conversions at open and then when you attach the Excel
spread sheet as the data source, select the DDE option.

--
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]

There's a lengthy "explanation" of this problem at
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk/t0003.htm but the solution Doug provided is probably
the simplest.

Peter Jamieson