File in use in another program

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Dave K. - 25 Aug 2007 20:28 GMT

I am trying to create labels using mailmerge to access addresses stored in a
Works Spreadsheet. Word 2002 takes me through the normal dialog until Open
Data Sources, then tells me "This mail merge list cannot be opened because it
is in use in another program. Please close it in the other program and try
again." This occurs when the spreadsheet itself is not open or running, so
far as I can tell. Only Word is running. How do I release the spreadsheet
from whatever program has seized it so that Word/mailmerge can open it? I
don't recognize anything in Windows Task Manager/Processes that appears to be
the culprit. Thanks in advance.

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Dave

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Doug Robbins - Word MVP - 25 Aug 2007 22:38 GMT

Have you tried re-starting your computer and then attempt doing the
mailmerge before anything else.

I do not know anything about Works, but in it, can you save the file as a
text file or in some other format that can be used by Word as a data source,
or, can you copy the contents of the Spreadsheet and then paste it into a
Word document, where I would expect that it would appear as a table, or
could be converted to a table that you can then use as a data source.

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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

>I am trying to create labels using mailmerge to access addresses stored in
>a
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> be
> the culprit. Thanks in advance.

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Dave K. - 26 Aug 2007 02:38 GMT

I didn't restart but did save the Works spreadsheet file as a Word document
as you suggested and it worked! I was able to open the doc file and print
labels as well as save the new Word file for future use. Why Word believed
the spreadsheet was in use by another program remains unclear, but at least I
was able to work around the problem. Thank you so much.

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Dave

> Have you tried re-starting your computer and then attempt doing the
> mailmerge before anything else.
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> > be
> > the culprit. Thanks in advance.

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Graham Mayor - 26 Aug 2007 06:32 GMT

Word has no compatibility with Works data sources in their native formats,
unless the notoriously problematical Works add-in for Word is installed.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

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> I didn't restart but did save the Works spreadsheet file as a Word
> document as you suggested and it worked! I was able to open the doc
[quoted text clipped - 41 lines]
>>> --
>>> Dave

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Rich/rerat - 26 Aug 2007 15:20 GMT

Dave K,
If you plan to use Works Spreadsheet program to create a Data base for Word,
you can't save it in its normal default file type *.XLR.

You will need save it as a Excel (*.XLS), text, or Comma Separated Value
(*.CSV) file.

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>>> I am trying to create labels using mailmerge to access addresses
>>> stored in a
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>>> --
>>> Dave

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