WD97: ErrMsg Inserting If Then Else Field into Envelope

• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you insert an If Then Else field into a Microsoft Word 97 envelope mail merge, and you use a Microsoft Excel worksheet as a data source with the default dynamic data exchange (DDE) method, you may receive the following error message:

   This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
   If the problem persists, contact the vendor.

   WINWORD caused an invalid page fault in module WINWORD.EXE at
   0137:<address>

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.

2. Under Main Document, click Create, and then click Envelopes.

3. Click New Main Document.

4. Under Data Source, click Get Data, and then click Open Data Source.

5. In the Open Data Source dialog box, click to select the Select Method check box.

6. In the Files Of Type list, click to select MS Excel Worksheets.

7. Select the Microsoft Excel worksheet that you want to open, and then click Open.

8. In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, select either "Microsoft Excel Worksheet via Converter" or "Excel Files via ODBC" and then click OK.

   NOTE: Do not select "MS Excel Worksheets via DDE," as this causes the error message described in the "Symptoms" section of this article.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Word 97 for Windows. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information on how to use Microsoft Excel as a data source in a mail merge, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q155179

TITLE     : How to Use Microsoft Excel Data Source for Word Mail Merge