WD97: Error Message in Print Preview with Excel DDE Data Source

• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you click Print Preview (on the File menu) within a Microsoft Word envelope mail merge main document using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet as your data source, 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 program vendor.

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

CAUSE

This problem occurs when all of the following conditions are true:

• You are creating a mail-merge envelope document.

  -and-

• You are using an Excel spreadsheet as your mail-merge data source, and you select "MS Excel Worksheets via DDE (*.xls)" as the data source.

  -and-

• You activate the View Merged Data icon on the Mail Merge toolbar.

  -and-

• You click Print Preview on the File menu.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.

Method 1: Use a Connection Method to Excel Other Than DDE

When setting up the mail merge document, select a connection method to Excel other than DDE. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.

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

3. Click to select the Select Method check box.

4. In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, click to select the Show All check box. In the Open Data Source list, select either "Microsoft Excel Worksheet via Converter (*.xls; *.xlw)" or "Microsoft Excel Files via ODBC (*.xls)."

Method 2: Attach an Envelope to a Form Letter Mail-Merge Main Document

When setting up the mail-merge document, add an envelope to a Word document and then select a Mail Merge Main Document type of Form Letters. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In a new document, on the Tools menu, click Envelopes And Labels.

2. Click Add to Document and then save the document.

3. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.

4. Under Create, select Form Letters and then click Active Window.

   ARTICLE-ID: Q171596
   TITLE     : WD97: ErrMsg in Letter and Envelope Mail Merge w/ Excel
               DDE Data[word]

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft 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 additional information about similar problems using Word and Excel, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q113705
   TITLE     : Word Could Not Re-Establish DDE Connection to MS
               Excel

   ARTICLE-ID: Q155179
   TITLE     : WD: How to Use Microsoft Excel Data Source for Word Mail
               Merge