Data Link Properties Dialog Box

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Steven - 26 Jul 2005 16:20 GMT

This dialog box displays every time the name of the Source Document changes.
However, when the new Source Document is selected and the "OK" button is
click and the Word file is saved, the new Source Document is not retained. We
have to cancel the Data Link Properties box to get the next prompt box which
allows us to "Find the Source Document". When we use this process the new
Source Document is retained. What are we doing wrong? One would think that
the Data Link Properties box would retain that information. We are having to
make many more clicks than is necessary. Is there a setting we need to change?

Thanks in advance.

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Peter Jamieson - 26 Jul 2005 18:54 GMT

Which version of Word (and service pack) and what type of data source are
you trying to connect to?

Peter Jamieson

> This dialog box displays every time the name of the Source Document
> changes.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Thanks in advance.

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Steven - 26 Jul 2005 19:15 GMT

Word 2003 SP1 and Excel spreadsheet (I believe created in Excel 2002 [XP]) as
the data source.

Thanks in advance

> Which version of Word (and service pack) and what type of data source are
> you trying to connect to?
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> >
> > Thanks in advance.

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Peter Jamieson - 27 Jul 2005 09:23 GMT

Just checking: is your Word document's data source set up using code, e.g.
is it being opened from another program, or is there an "Auto macro" that
runs when the document opens. If so, you need to look at

http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=825765

However, I doubt if it is that.

Your simplest approach may be to try to connect to the Excel file using the
old method - try checking Word Tools|Options|General|Confirm conversions at
open, then re-making the connection to the data source. Excel will need to
be installed for that to work.

Other things to try include:
1. recreate a couple of your spreadsheets from scratch (certain types of
corruption may now cause problems)
2. move your spreadsheets to a different location, preferably on a local
machine with a short pathname
3. If you want to investigate the existing approach a little bit further
(and I do not hold out much hope of success), try the following...

Once you have successfully supplied a new data source, can you
a. leave it open
b. open up the VBA Editor (Word Tools|Macro|Visual Basic Editor), open the
Immediate Window (see the View menu), type (or copy from this message)

Print ActiveDocument.MailMerge.DataSource.Name

then enter return, and note the value "printed"

then do the same for

Print ActiveDocument.MailMerge.DataSource.ConnectString

Print ActiveDocument.MailMerge.DataSource.QueryString

c. tell us what the results were.

Peter Jamieson

> Word 2003 SP1 and Excel spreadsheet (I believe created in Excel 2002 [XP])
> as
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance.

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Steven - 27 Jul 2005 14:30 GMT

Thanks for all the help Peter. However, after applying updates KB885828 and
KB887979, and adding the registry key mentioned in article 885832 the Data
Link Properties dialog box no longer appears. The process goes straight to
the prompt box that allows us to "Find the Data Source" and the change is
retained.

Thanks again for all the help.

> Just checking: is your Word document's data source set up using code, e.g.
> is it being opened from another program, or is there an "Auto macro" that
[quoted text clipped - 66 lines]
> >> >
> >> > Thanks in advance.

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Peter Jamieson - 27 Jul 2005 15:10 GMT

Good, thanks for the useful feedback.

Peter Jamieson

> Thanks for all the help Peter. However, after applying updates KB885828
> and
[quoted text clipped - 88 lines]
>> >> >
>> >> > Thanks in advance.

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