Microsoft KB Archive/282598

= WD2002: Word Cannot Find Data Source Error Opening Mail Merge Main Document =

Q282598

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word 2002

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SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Word 2002, when you open a mail merge main document that was created in Microsoft Word 2000 or Microsoft Word 2002 and its data source is a Microsoft Outlook contact list on a different computer, you may receive the following error message:

is a mail merge main document. Word cannot find its data source, c:\\X010 (talk)_virtual_file_X010 (talk).olk.

CAUSE
The Outlook contact list is a temporary file that cannot be propagated between different computers and versions of Outlook.

WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, open the mail merge main document in Word 2002 and reattach the Outlook contact list to it. To do this, follow these steps:


 * 1) In Word 2002, open the mail merge main document.
 * 2) When you receive the error message described in the &quot;Symptoms&quot; section of this article, click Options.
 * 3) Click Remove Data/Header Source.

The main document will open, but it will not be attached to the data source.
 * 1) On the Tools menu, point to Letters and Mailings, and then click Mail Merge Wizard.
 * 2) In the Mail Merge task pane, click Next until you reach step 3, Select Recipients.
 * 3) Click Select from Outlook Contacts and then click Choose Contacts Folder.
 * 4) In the Select Contact List folder dialog box, select the contact list you want to use and then click OK.
 * 5) In the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box, click OK.
 * 6) The Outlook contact list is now attached to the main document. To continue the mail merge, click Next: Write Your Letter.

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

Additional query words: WD2002

Keywords : kbdta

Issue type : kbbug

Technology : kbWordSearch kbWord2002 kbWord2002Search

Last Reviewed: May 21, 2001

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