Mail Merge errors

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Hali Cleveland - 10 Dec 2005 16:45 GMT

In mail merge, when I attempt to select the excel file, it brings up a window
called "Data Link Properties." It automatically selects "Microsoft Jet 4.0
OLE DB Provider." When I click "test connection" it gives the message "Test
connection failed because of an error in initializing provider. Catastrophic
failure." This causes word to shut down.

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Cindy M -WordMVP- - 12 Dec 2005 09:23 GMT

Hi =?Utf-8?B?SGFsaSBDbGV2ZWxhbmQ=?=,

> In mail merge, when I attempt to select the excel file, it brings up a window
> called "Data Link Properties." It automatically selects "Microsoft Jet 4.0
> OLE DB Provider." When I click "test connection" it gives the message "Test
> connection failed because of an error in initializing provider. Catastrophic
> failure." This causes word to shut down.

word 2002 or 2003? Are all Service Packs installed?

This sounds to me as if something is damaged (or missing) in the installation.
Possibly a problem with MDAC (Microsoft Data Access Components).

As a stop-gap measure, if you activate "Confirm conversions on open" in
Tools/Options/General, then start linking up to the data source again, you
should get a list of connection methods. If you choose ODBC can you successfully
connect to the Excel data source?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
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 :-)

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Hali Cleveland - 12 Dec 2005 17:56 GMT

I was able to fix the problem by going to Graham Mayor's website. It was the
"confirm conversions on open" problem. Thank you so much for the response.

Hali

> Hi =?Utf-8?B?SGFsaSBDbGV2ZWxhbmQ=?=,
>
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
> in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

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