WD97: Error Using Text Data Source with ODBC Driver (137385)

SYMPTOMS

When you use a text file as a data source 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.