Hallo Shane,

first: I got a hint from the german newsgroup and now I have a work
around. It seems that the problem only exist in 2007.

I had a excel table (just normal row and columns) and wanted to create
another table with selection criteria via MS Query placed on in
another Excel-file. This worked just fine. Then I wanted to make the
Query more flexible and found in the online-help the description how
to base a MS-Query query on field contents. But as I described the
"Parameter" button is greyed out.

The workaround is that I go in the resulting Query-table. Select at
least one field. Go for the settings in the data ribbon, click on the
button connection-settings, click the tab "Definition" and click on
the button (left of the greyed out Parameter-button) for "change
query". The dialog which is poping up I cancel and the question if I
want to work with MS-Query to change the query I answer with "YES".

MS Query comes up and if not already done I add a criteria. (Menu
criteria - add criteria). In the "value-field" I write in i.e.
[para_name] (the brackets are important). MS Query then asks for a
value and you have to enter a valid value here.

After you have done this you can "return the values" and the
"Parameter..." button is active, so you can do the settings and
possibly use a field in the spreadsheet to alter the query result.

I hope this description helps someone who runs into the same
difficulties.

But if it is not a bug and I am doing something wrong, please do not
hestitate to tell me!

Thanks.

Harald Battran