WD2000: Cannot Select Named Range from Excel During Mail Merge

ID: Q211283

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word 2000

SYMPTOMS

When you perform a mail merge using a Microsoft Excel worksheet as your data source and using the Microsoft Excel Worksheet via Converter (*.xls; *.xlw) option, you can select only the entire worksheet and not a named range from Excel.


WORKAROUND

To use a named range from Excel during a mail merge within Microsoft Word, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Connect to Excel with DDE

Microsoft Excel must already be installed.

NOTE: Using DDE allows Word to see only Worksheet 1. If you choose to use the DDE option, start Microsoft Excel first, and then open the workbook and move the sheet you want to the first position. To do this, drag the sheet you want to the first position on the sheet tab bar at the bottom of the current workbook. Save the Microsoft Excel workbook.

To connect to Excel using DDE, follow these steps:
  1. Start the Mail Merge Helper.


  2. From the Get Data list, click Open Data Source.


  3. Locate and select the Microsoft Excel file. (In the Open Data Source dialog box, make sure that the Select Method check box is selected.)


  4. Click Open.


  5. In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, select MS Excel Worksheets via DDE (*.xls). Click OK.


  6. In the Microsoft Excel dialog box, select the Entire Spreadsheet or Named or Cell Range option from the list. Click OK.


  7. Edit the main document and continue with the merge process.


Method 2: Connect to Excel with ODBC

The Microsoft Excel ODBC driver must already be installed.

NOTE: In the Select Table dialog box, you see all the tables in the workbook, not just the ones from the first sheet.

To connect to Excel using ODBC, follow these steps:
  1. On the Get Data list, click Open Data Source.


  2. Locate and select the Microsoft Excel file. In the Open Data Source dialog box, make sure that the Select Method check box is selected.


  3. Click Open.


  4. In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, select Excel Files via ODBC (*.xls), and click OK.


  5. In the Select Table dialog box, specify the table from the list (which only shows the first worksheet in the workbook) or click Options and select System Tables, and specify the worksheet you want to use. Click OK.


  6. Edit the main document and continue with the merge process.


Method 3: Save the Excel Worksheet in Excel 5.0/95 Format

To save an Excel worksheet in Excel 5.0/95 format, follow these steps:
  1. In Microsoft Excel, with the worksheet open, click Save As on the File menu.


  2. In the Save as type box, select Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook (*.xls).


  3. Click Save.



STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.


MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about using a Microsoft Excel data source for a Word mail merge, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q212314 WD2000: How to Use Microsoft Excel Data Source for Word Mail Merge

Additional query words: word2000

Keywords : kbmerge wd2000
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug


Last Reviewed: January 21, 2000
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