The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
- Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 7.0, 7.0a
- Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
SYMPTOMS
When you are working with a mail merge data source, the following symptoms
may occur:
- Error message (Word 97 only): "Word was unable to open the data source"
- The data source appears to have not attached after you try to attach it.
- Navigation of data records may be prevented.
- Merging may halt at a particular record prematurely.
- Data source searching may halt prematurely.
- More than one record merges to the same merged document page
unexpectedly.
The lack of helpful error messages that explain the reasons for the
problems make troubleshooting difficult.
CAUSE
These problems are most likely caused by mismatched double quotation marks
in a mail merge data source document.
RESOLUTION
These problems can be resolved by correcting the quotation marks. Open the
data source file without attaching it to the main file. Browse or search
for any mismatched quotation marks and correct them by providing matching
left and right quotation marks or by removing the offending quotation
marks.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed the lack of helpful error messages to be a problem
in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are
researching this problem and will post new information here in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.
MORE INFORMATION
The following are more detailed descriptions of the symptoms:
- Choosing the navigation buttons on the main document Mail Merge toolbar
does not allow navigation past the record with the mismatched double
quotation mark. The record number displayed on the toolbar will
correspond to the last good record. If the mismatched quotation mark is
in the first data record, the record number displayed will be 0
*(zero).
- Merging will quit after the last good record. The following warning
message will display:
Word could not finish merging these documents or inserting this
database.
- Data record searches will begin at the current insertion point location
and quit after the last good record. No warning or error messages will
display.
- Data source error checking will quit after the last good record without
pinpointing the error and will display the following warning message:
Word could not finish merging these documents or inserting this
database.
- The header delimiter selection screen will display when the data source
is attached to the main document if the mismatched double quotation mark
is in the first record of the data source. A delimiter can be selected,
but the data source will not attach. No errors or warnings will display.
The record number box on the main document Mail Merge toolbar will show
a 0 (zero).
- In the Data Form dialog box, if Word is attempting to read a record that
contains a mismatched quotation mark, then the following message may
appear:
Word cannot read the next record from the data source because
the data source has a mismatched double quotation mark.