Microsoft KB Archive/253818

= WD: Mail Merge Delimiter Problem: Word 97 Cannot Open Word 2000 Data Sources =

Article ID: 253818

Article Last Modified on 1/27/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Word 2000 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q253818



SYMPTOMS
You cannot exchange mail merge documents between Microsoft Word 97 and Microsoft Word 2000.

In Word 97, when you open a mail merge document that was created in Word 2000, and the document has a Word or text only data source, you receive one of the following error messages:

Word could not open  because it didn't contain a valid database.

-or-

Record 1 contained too many data fields.

You receive the same error messages if you create the document in Word 97 and then open it in Word 2000.

NOTE: If the Office Assistant displays the error message, no Close button is available. To close the message, click the Office Assistant window.



CAUSE
This problem occurs when the data source uses a field delimiter other than a tab stop, or a record delimiter other than a carriage return.



WORKAROUND
To open a Word 2000 mail merge document in Word 97, use one of the following methods:
 * For existing documents, remove and reattach the data source after you open the mail merge document in Word 97.
 * For text only data sources, use an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) driver with delimiters that are specified by the driver properties.
 * Edit the data source to replace the field delimiter with a tab stop, and the record delimiter with a carriage return.



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



MORE INFORMATION
For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

224049 WD2000: Error Message: Word Could Not Open File Name Because It Didn't Contain a Valid Database

Additional query words: wd97 wd20 wd2000 word97 word2000 mailmerge delimeter errmsg

Keywords: kberrmsg kbnofix kbprb KB253818

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