Microsoft KB Archive/213866

= WD2000: Word Ignores First Record in Excel Data =

Article ID: 213866

Article Last Modified on 12/6/2000

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Word 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q213866





SYMPTOMS
When you perform a mail merge using a Microsoft Excel 2000 data source that does not contain a header row and you attach a separate header document, Microsoft Word 2000 ignores the first row of data from the Excel data file. As a result, if the first row in the Excel worksheet contains a data record, this record is not merged.



CAUSE
This problem occurs when you are performing a mail merge via a DDE connection with a Microsoft Excel Worksheet as your data.



WORKAROUND
This problem does not occur when you use the Microsoft Excel Worksheet via an Excel Converter method or the ODBC method.

This problem also does not occur when you use other types of data sources.

To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.

Method 1: Use the Microsoft Excel Worksheet via Converter Option
Do the following steps as appropriate for your situation:
 * 1) On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
 * 2) In the Mail Merge Helper, click Create and click the type of main document you want (for example, click Form Letters.
 * 3) If the document you have open is an existing mail merge main document that you want to use, click Active Window. Otherwise, click New Main Document.
 * 4) In the Mail Merge Helper, click Get Data and click Header Options.
 * 5) In the Header Options dialog box, if you already have an existing header file that you want to use, click Open and open your header file. Otherwise, click Create and create your header file.
 * 6) Click OK when you are prompted to open the worksheet.
 * 7) In the Mail Merge Helper, click Get Data and then click Open Data Source.
 * 8) In the Open Data Source dialog box, click the Excel file you want to open as your data file, select the Select Method check box and then click Open.
 * 9) In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, click Microsoft Excel Worksheet via Converter (*.xls, *.xlw) and click OK.

Method 2: Use the Excel Files via ODBC Option
Do the following steps as appropriate for your situation:
 * 1) On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
 * 2) In the Mail Merge Helper, click Create and click the type of main document you want (for example, click Form Letters.
 * 3) If the document you have open is an existing mail merge main document that you want to use, click Active Window. Otherwise, click New Main Document.
 * 4) In the Mail Merge Helper, click Get Data and click Header Options.
 * 5) In the Header Options dialog box, if you already have an existing header file that you want to use, click Open and open your header file. Otherwise, click Create and create your header file.
 * 6) Click OK when you are prompted to open the worksheet.
 * 7) In the Mail Merge Helper, click Get Data and then click Open Data Source.
 * 8) In the Open Data Source dialog box, click the Excel file you want to open as your data file, select the Select Method check box, and then click Open.
 * 9) In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, click Excel Files via ODBC (*.xls), and click OK.

For additional information about merging with Excel files by using ODBC, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

245652 WD2000: Errors When Using ODBC to Insert Microsoft Excel Worksheet

Method 3: Insert a Row in the Excel Data File
Insert a blank row above the first record in your Excel data file. Word will ignore this first row and merge all of your records.

Method 4: Insert a Header Row in the Excel Data File
Instead of using a Header document, insert a row above the first record in your Excel data file, and type the header field names in this row.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

Additional query words: excel xl datafile dde dynamic exchange converter field missing one initial

Keywords: kbbug kbnofix kbinterop kbmerge KB213866

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