WD: Cannot Cancel "Invalid Merge Field" Error Loop

ID: Q115247

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0
Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

The following "Invalid Merge Field" error message appears when a mail merge is executed or checked for errors:

   This merge field is used in the main document,
   but it does not exist in the data source.

Choosing the Cancel button only cancels the error dialog box. There is no direct way to stop the merge or check in progress.

CAUSE

The mail merge main document contains a MERGEFIELD with a field name that does not match any of the field names in the data source header record. This error most often occurs when a new data source is attached to a main document and the spelling of a field name is changed. For example, if a mailing list with the field "FirstName" is replaced by a data source with the field name "Fname", the MERGEFIELD <<FirstName>> is no longer valid in the main document.

This error can also occur when the original mail merge document has been converted from Word 2.x for Windows and uses a comma- or tab-delimited data source. For more information on how to correct the problems in this case, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   delimiters and invalid and merge and field

The "Invalid Merge Field" error will appear once for each record in the data file if the incorrect field is not replaced or removed.

RESOLUTION

   To interrupt the merge process, press the ESC key repeatedly while the
   error message is displayed.

   -or-

   Choose the Remove Field option to remove the incorrect field from the
   main document.

   -or-

   Choose the Replace Field option to replace the incorrect field with a
   field that does exist in the data file.

KBCategory: KBSubcategory: kbmerge Additional query words: 6.00 6.00a loop error winword word6 word7 6.00c 7.00 word95 word97 mergefield

Keywords          : kbprint kbmerge 
Version           : 6.00 6.00a 6.00c 7.00 97
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: February 6, 1998