WD97: Mail Merge with Merged Cells in Data Table Hangs Word

• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

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:

Q161671 WD97: "Word Could Not Split..." Attempting to Split Cells

Q166951 WD97: Merge Cells Before Split Setting Causes Unexpected Results

Q155910 WD97: Table Column Selection May Show Incorrect With Merged Cell

Q157478 WD97: What's New in Word 97

Q120802 Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office Program or Component

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbmerge kbtable mmhelp998
Version : WINDOWS:97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug