Word/Excel mailmerge problems

[havenlad]

A client is having major problems doing a mail-merge. Every time I try to
open the document I get an error message stating "this operation cannot be
completed because of dialog or database engine failures. please try later"

Anybody's help would do me a huge favour

Thanks

Chris

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?aGF2ZW5sYWQ=?=,

A client is having major problems doing a mail-merge. Every time I try to
open the document I get an error message stating "this operation cannot be
completed because of dialog or database engine failures. please try later"

This often indicates that MDAC needs to be updated on the machine. See, for
example

WD2002: "Operation Could Not Be Completed Because of Dialog or Database
Engine Failure" Error Message When You Try to Perform a Mail Merge
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;322215


Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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[havenlad]

Thanks Cindy

Using Word 2003
She can disconnect - that is the only workaround she has.
The merge has worked before, and it has failed before - it is intermittent.
(it failed when she logged into my machine)
The problem is only when she opens the document
The Excel file ihas never been moved and it is not in use elsewhere
I do have access to the machine.

Hope all that helps

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?aGF2ZW5sYWQ=?=,

<bemused>Did you actually read the article and follow the instructions for
updating MDAC?

If the problem is intermittent, are you sure it's not a network problem?

Using Word 2003
She can disconnect - that is the only workaround she has.
The merge has worked before, and it has failed before - it is intermittent.
(it failed when she logged into my machine)
The problem is only when she opens the document
The Excel file ihas never been moved and it is not in use elsewhere
I do have access to the machine.

Hope all that helps

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[havenlad]

Hiya Cindy

The reason i didn't update MDAC was because i have never heard of it and
didn't understand the answer or the article. The article seemed to suggest
it is a SQL server thing and that isn't my dept here and i have to rule out
all other ideas before passing it on. It isn't the user's machine either as
she tried mine and the same thing happened. That rules out a corrupt file on
her machine so it is more than likely a corrupt file on the server or
profile, but i have access to neither. Also i posted on both Excel and Word
and wanted both ansers posted in both places. (The info was supplied by the
Excel board)

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?aGF2ZW5sYWQ=?=,

The reason i didn't update MDAC was because i have never heard of it and
didn't understand the answer or the article. The article seemed to suggest
it is a SQL server thing and that isn't my dept here and i have to rule out
all other ideas before passing it on. It isn't the user's machine either as
she tried mine and the same thing happened. That rules out a corrupt file on
her machine so it is more than likely a corrupt file on the server or
profile, but i have access to neither. Also i posted on both Excel and Word
and wanted both ansers posted in both places. (The info was supplied by the
Excel board)

MDAC = Microsoft Data Access. It's the stuff on every machine that manages
database connections: ODBC drivers and OLE DB Providers. In order for mail merge
to function, it has to connect to a database. Word 2003 will use OLE DB by
default. OLE DB for Excel (and Access) uses the JET OLE DB provider, supplied by
Access. It's possible this needs to be updated (or fixed if the one for this
particular profile has been damaged).

As a workaround, she can *try* using an ODBC or DDE connection. In order to be
able to select the connection method, she has to activate "Confirm conversions
on open in Tools/OPtions/General).

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail