Error message when you use an .odc file to connect to a specific table in a mail merge data source in Office 2003: "Record 'number' contained too few data fields" (918295)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Students and Teachers Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Basic Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Access 2003
  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003
  • Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003
  • Microsoft Office OneNote 2003
  • Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
  • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003
  • Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003
  • Microsoft Office Project Standard 2003
  • Microsoft Office Publisher 2003
  • Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2003
  • Microsoft Office Visio Standard 2003
  • Microsoft Office Word 2003
Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

SYMPTOMS

Consider the following scenario. You use an .odc file to connect to a specific table in a mail merge data source. Then, you perform a mail merge in a Microsoft Office 2003 program. In this scenario, the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box is empty. Additionally, you may receive an error message that resembles the following error message:
Record number contained too few data fields.

CAUSE

This problem may occur when the schema name is not included in the SQL statement that is sent to the ODBC data source.

RESOLUTION

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Office 2003 post-Service Pack 2 Hotfix Package that is dated April 12, 2006. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

917878 Description of the Office 2003 post-Service Pack 2 hotfix package: April 12, 2006

How to enable the hotfix

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

To enable this hotfix, follow these steps:
  1. Exit all Office 2003 programs.
  2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
  3. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common

  4. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
  5. Type UseQualifiedTableNameForMailMerge, and then press ENTER.
  6. Right-click UseQualifiedTableNameForMailMerge, and then click Modify.
  7. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
  8. On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/26/2006
Keywords:kbmerge kberrmsg kbExpertiseInter kbQFE kbbug kbfix kbpubtypekc KB918295 kbAudKnowledgeWorker
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.