WD97: Cannot Select Named Range from Excel During Mail Merge

ID: Q183417

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you perform a mail merge using a Microsoft Excel 97 worksheet as your data source using the "Microsoft Excel Worksheet via Converter (*.xls; *.xlw)" option, you will only be able to select the entire worksheet and not a named range from Excel.


WORKAROUND

To use a named range from Excel during a mail merge within 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, then open the workbook and move the desired sheet to the first position. To do this, drag the desired sheet 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 will 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. From 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 will only show 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 97 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, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q116470 Sheet1 is the Only Microsoft Excel Sheet Available with Word

Q155179 WD: How to Use Microsoft Excel Data Source for Word Mail Merge

Additional query words: word97

Keywords : word97 kbmerge mmhelp998
Version : WINDOWS:97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug


Last Reviewed: August 20, 1999
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