WD95: Error Using Text Data Source with ODBC Driver

ID: Q189021

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a

SYMPTOMS

When you use a tab-delimited text file in a mail merge or when you use the Database command on the Insert menu, you may receive one of the following error messages:

External table isn't in the expected format.
```
    -or-
```
Field1|Field2|Field3|Field4|Field5 isn't a valid name.
```
    -or-
```
Syntax error in FROM clause.
```
    -or-
```
Word was unable to open the data source.

CAUSE/WORKAROUND

The following are possible causes and workarounds for the error messages listed in the Symptoms section of this article:

Case 1

CAUSE: The option to hide file extensions is selected (turned on) in

       Windows.

WORKAROUND: Use one of the following methods.

   Method 1: Use the Select Method option.

      1. Open the Open Data Source dialog box using one of the following
         steps:

         - On the Database toolbar (On the View menu, point to Toolbars and
           then click Database), click Insert Database.

           -or-

         - From the Mail Merge Helper (on the Tools menu, click Mail
           Merge), click Get Data and then click Open Data Source.

      2. Select the database file you want to use, click to select the
         Select Method check box, and then click OK.

      3. In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, select Text Files and then
         click OK.

         NOTE: There will be a "Text Files via ODBC (*.txt, *.csv)" entry
         if the ODBC text converter is installed. Do not select this
         converter.

   Method 2: Turn off the option to hide file extensions.

      1. Right-click the Windows Start button.

      2. On the shortcut menu, click Explore.

      3. In the Windows Explorer, on the View menu, click Folder Options.

      4. Click the View tab.

      5. Click to clear the "Hide extensions for known file types" check
         box, and then click OK.

      6. Close the Windows Explorer.

Case 2

CAUSE: The data source text file is open on a different computer.

       NOTE: This problem may occur if you are working in a network
       environment.

WORKAROUND: Close the data source text file on the other system, and then

            restart your mail merge in Word.

Case 3

CAUSE: The data source text file is open by a different text converter than

       the one you are using. For example, your data source text file may
       be open by your mail merge main document using the "Text File via
       ODBC" converter. If open a different mail merge main document
       without closing the first mail merge main document, when you try to
       attach the same data source text file using the Text Files
       converter, you will receive the error message "Word was unable to
       open the data source."

WORKAROUND: Close the other mail merge main document and then restart your

            mail merge in Word.

Case 4

CAUSE: The ODBC Text driver installed by Microsoft Office for Windows does

       not support the delimiter that you used to separate text in your
       data source text file. Some known delimiters that the ODBC Text
       driver does not support are:

        - Tab Delimited

        - Tilde ~ Delimited

        - Pipe | Delimited

WORKAROUND: Use one of the following methods.

   Method 1: Rename the Data Source Text File Extension.

      Rename the extension of your tab-delimited text file to an
      'unrecognized' extension. For example, if your tab-delimited text
      file is named Address.txt, then rename the file to Address.too.

   Method 2: Use a comma-delimited text file as your data source instead of
             a tab-delimited data source.

             NOTE: If a comma-delimited text file does not resolve the
             problem, then use the Method 2 workaround in Case 1.

STATUS

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

Additional query words: mail merge database data datafile delimited delimiters insert database

Keywords          : kbdta kbmerge word7 word95 
Version           : WINDOWS:7.0,7.0a
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbpending

Last Reviewed: February 13, 1999