WD: Word Could Not Merge the Main Document with the Data Source

 Last reviewed: July 31, 1997
Article ID: Q147264
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1
  • Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0, 7.0a
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Word for Windows NT, version 6.0

SYMPTOMS

When you specify query options for Word to use while merging a range of records, and you then click the Merge button, the following error message appears: 

   Word could not merge the main document with the data source because the
   data records were empty or no data records matched your query options.

WORKAROUND

Instead of merging to a new document or to the printer, click the View Merged Data button. You will see one record at a time, which you can then print.

As an example, if you have the following records in your data file 

   Record_Number    First_Name     Last_Name
   -----------------------------------------

         1          John           Doe
         2          Jane           Doe
         3          Sam            Doe
         4          Betty          Smith
and you instruct Word to merge records 2 through 4, and you set the query options to filter those records in which First_Name is equal to Smith, Word displays the error message.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the 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

For information on using the Query Options feature, click Microsoft Word Help Topics on the Help menu. On the Find tab, type "query" (without the quotation marks). Select the topic "Select data records from a data source." 

Keywords          : kbmerge macword winword word6 word7 word8 word95 word97 kbother
Version           : 6.0 6.0a 6.0c 7.0 97
Platform          : WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: July 31, 1997
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