max # cols in XL data source?

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Ann Scharpf - 15 Dec 2003 19:53 GMT

I am trying to do a mail merge with an Excel file as a
data source. I'm running Office 2000.

I have 176 columns in the data source and when I try to
link the data source to the form, I get an error message
that says, "Word was unable to open the data source."

Is there a limit to the number of cols I can have in the
data source? Is there any way around this? Is Access
more flexible as a data source?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Ann Scharpf

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Sandy - 15 Dec 2003 20:26 GMT

If you open the Excel file independently from Word, it might tell you the reason it couldn't open file

I recently saw that error however it didn't have to do with the number of columns being too large to open the file.

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Cindy M -WordMVP- - 16 Dec 2003 14:25 GMT

Hi Ann,

In addition to the "anonymous" answer you got:

Do you know which connection method you're using? If not,
it's probably DDE; ODBC might give you more flexibility.

Activate the "Select method" checkbox in "Open data
source". Choose ODBC from the list that should appear.

> I am trying to do a mail merge with an Excel file as a
> data source. I'm running Office 2000.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> data source? Is there any way around this? Is Access
> more flexible as a data source?

Cindy Meister

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