Works 6: Mail Merge From DBase IV File Causes Low Memory Warning (269829)

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to use a dBase IV (.dbf) database as a mail merge data source for a Microsoft Works Word Processor document, you may receive the following warning:

Windows is low on memory. Save your document, and then close the other programs before you continue working.

When you click OK, the Word Processor document opens. If you attempt to insert fields, nothing happens.

If you attempt to merge the the database again, you receive the following message

Do you want to choose a different mail merge list?

This document is already set up to merge from database .

If you've already inserted mail merge fields into this document, some of them may not be able to merge information from the new mail merge list. Click Yes to continue and choose a new mail merge list. Click No to use the mail merge list you have already chosen.

where database is the path and database name.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur when you use a dBase IV database as a mail merge data source, and both of the following conditions are true:

The database was created with Works 3.0 Database and then saved as a dBase IV database.
The dBase IV database was opened with Works 2000 Database and then saved as a dBase IV database again.

RESOLUTION

To work around this issue, follow these steps:

Start Works Database.
On the File menu, click Open.
In the Files of type box, click dBASE(*.dbf).
Browse to find the dBase database that you want.
Select the database, and then click Open.
On the File menu, click Save As.
Accept the defaults, and then click Save.