Article ID: 172328
Article Last Modified on 1/20/2007
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition
This article was previously published under Q172328
SYMPTOMS
When you attach a data file to a mail merge main document, Microsoft Word may stop responding when switching between Edit Data Source and Edit Main Document.
CAUSE
This problem occurs if the data file contains too many merged columns, rows, and cells.
WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, reformat the data file into a standard format: such as a tab and comma delimited file, or a standard table or spreadsheet structure.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.
MORE INFORMATION
Word 97 allows you to merge (or combine) adjacent and vertical table rows, columns, or cells. By doing so, you can create a table that is too difficult for Word to parse into the correct rows and columns. If this occurs, Word may stop responding when working with the data file.
NOTE: Because the table drawing tool uses cell merging and splitting frequently to create and format tables, it may create a table that is too difficult for Word 97 to parse.
REFERENCES
For more information about creating data files, click the Office Assistant, type "creating a data file," click Search, and then click "Create a new mail merge data source in Word."
For more information about merging and splitting cells, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
161671 WD97: "Word Could Not Split..." Attempting to Split Cells
166951 WD97: Merge Cells Before Split Setting Causes Unexpected Results
155910 WD97: Table Column Selection May Show Incorrect With Merged Cell
157478 WD97: What's New in Word 97
Or, click the Office Assistant, type "merging table cells," click Search, and then click "merge cells into one cell in a table"
NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Word Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
120802 Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office Program or Component
Keywords: kbbug kbmerge kbtable KB172328
