Microsoft KB Archive/291458

= You receive an error message when you insert a database or attach a mail merge main document to a data source in Word 2003 and Word 2002 =

PSS ID Number: 291458

Article Last Modified on 9/3/2004

-

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Office Word 2003
 * Microsoft Word 2002

-



This article was previously published under Q291458



For a Microsoft Word 2000 version of this article, see 224048.



ERROR MESSAGE
When you insert a database in a Word document or attach a mail-merge main document to a data source, you may receive the following error message

Word could not re-establish a DDE connection to  to complete the current task.

where  refers to the program associated with the data source.



CAUSE
This error message occurs if there is a problem communicating via Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE).



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, select a different method for opening the data source. To do this, verify that the Confirm conversion at open option is selected, and then open the data source.

Select the &quot;Confirm Conversion at Open&quot; Option

 * 1) On the Tools menu, click Options.
 * 2) Click the General tab.
 * 3) Click to select the Confirm conversion at open check box, and then click OK.

Open the Data Source
To open the data source, use either of the following methods:

Method 1: Insert a Database in a Word Document

 * 1) On the Database toolbar, click the Insert Database button.

NOTE: To see the Database toolbar, point to Toolbars on the View menu, and then click Database.
 * 1) In the Database dialog box, click Get Data.
 * 2) Change the Files of type box to the type of data file that you have.
 * 3) Select your data file, and then click Open.
 * 4) In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, click the via DDE method that is appropriate for your data source, and then click OK.
 * 5) Click the Insert Data button.

NOTE: If Word cannot re-establish a DDE connection, try starting the database application and then repeat the previous steps. Or, as an alternative, select the via ODBC method in step 5.

Method 2: Attach a Data Source to a Mail-Merge Main Document

 * 1) Open your mail-merge main document.
 * 2) On the Tools menu, point to Letters and Mailings, and then click Mail Merge Wizard.
 * 3) In the Mail Merge task pane, go to Step 3 Select Recipients. Click Use an existing list, and then click Browse.
 * 4) Change the Files of type box to the type of data file that you have.
 * 5) Select your data file, and then click Open.
 * 6) In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, click the via DDE method that is appropriate for your data source, and then click OK.
 * 7) Click OK in the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box.

NOTE: If Word cannot re-establish a DDE connection, try starting the database application and then repeat the previous steps. Or select the alternative via ODBC method in step 6.



MORE INFORMATION
This error message can also occur for the following reasons.

Query or Table Name Contains Quotation Marks
When you try to insert a Microsoft Access query or table whose name contains quotation marks, Word adds a second set of quotation marks around the name. Because this action returns incorrect information to Microsoft Access, Microsoft Access cannot locate the query or table and returns the error.

WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, rename the table in Microsoft Access to contain single quotation marks (') as the marker.

-or-

Use the Microsoft Access ODBC driver instead of DDE.

You Select a Memo or Picture Field
If you select a memo field or picture field from a Microsoft Access version 1.0 table as a sort field in a Word document, you receive the error message described in the &quot;Symptoms&quot; section. Both memo and picture fields are automatically filtered out of the Sort menu when a Microsoft Access version 1.1 table is used as the data source. Word cannot remove the memo or picture field names from the Sort dialog box for Microsoft Access 1.0. The field types, as part of the data table file information, are not supplied by Microsoft Access 1.0.

WORKAROUND
To avoid this error message, do not attempt to sort Microsoft Access 1.0 data tables by using the memo field or picture field.

The Database Is Opened Exclusively
The Microsoft Access database is opened &quot;exclusively&quot; by another user.

WORKAROUND
To allow shared access to the Microsoft Access database, clear the Exclusive check box in the Open Database dialog box.

-and-

Change the Default Open Mode for Databases to Shared. (To locate this option in Access 2.0, click Options on the View menu, and then select Multiuser/ODBC in the Category list. To locate this option in Access 7.0, Access 97, Access 2000, or Access 2002, click Options on the Tools menu, click the Advanced tab, and then select the Shared option.)

