Err Msg: "Word could not merge the main document with the data source ..."

ID: Q147264

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you try to merge a range of records from your data source, the following error message may appear:

Word could not merge the main document with the data source because the data records were empty or no data records matched your query options.


CAUSE

This problem may occur when the query condition you are trying to set in the query options does not match your data source.


RESOLUTION

Use one of the following methods appropriate for your situation.

Method 1: Correct Your Query Options

Edit your data source and make sure that the "Compare to" of your query options matches exactly the data contained in your data source. For example, if you are trying to set a query option to filter the FirstName field to match a particular first name, make sure that the name is contained in the FirstName column of your data source. Also note that the FirstName field value must match EXACTLY the value you typed in the "Compare to" field of your query option (query option values are case sensitive).

Method 2: Reattach Your Data Source

When you attach and save a data source to a mail merge main document, Word "remembers" which data source is attached by saving the attached file's path and file name in the main document. Word also remembers the query options that may have been previously set.

Use the following steps to reattach your mail merge main document to your data source:

  1. Open your mail merge main document.


  2. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.


  3. In the Mail Merge Helper, click Create and then click Restore to Normal Word document.

    NOTE: At this point, your mail merge main document will not have a data source attached. Therefore, all information pertaining to the data source link and query options will be lost.


  4. Click Create and then click the type of main document you had previously set for your mail merge main document.

    NOTE: When Word prompts you to use either the active document or a new document, click Active Document.


  5. Click Get Data, attach your data source to your mail merge main document, and then try setting your query options, if needed.


To work around this problem, instead of merging to a new document or to the printer with query options set, follow these steps:

  1. In your main document, click the View Merged Data button.


  2. Use the Next Record button to find the correct record.

    NOTE: You will see one record at a time, and the information will populate your main document.


  3. On the File menu, click Print.


  4. Repeat steps 2-3 for each record that you want to merge.



MORE INFORMATION

As an example of the error message, if you have the following records in your data file 


   Record_Number    First_Name     Last_Name
   -----------------------------------------
         1          Erin          O'Melia
         2          Lani          Ota
         3          Suanne        Nagata
         4          Jeff          Smith
and you instruct Word to merge records 2 through 4, and you set the query options to filter those records in which First_Name is equal to Smith, Word displays the error message.

For information about using the Query Options feature, click Microsoft Word Help Topics on the Help menu. On the Find tab, type "query" (without the quotation marks). Select the "Select data records from a data source" topic.

Additional query words: 


Keywords          : word8 winword kbmerge macword word6 word7 word95 
Version           : MACINTOSH:6.0,6.0.1; WINDOWS:6.0,6.0a,6.0c,7.0,7.0a; winnt:6.0
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS winnt 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: April 27, 1999