Word/Excel 2010 Merge - Error has occurred: External table is not in the expected format.

Anonymous

We are trying to do a mail merge using Word 2010. If we use Excel files which were originally saved when we used 2007 or if we create new 2010 files we receive the error message: External table is not in the expected format.

If we go back and open the Excel file and "save as" an Excel 97-2003 file, the merge then works.

Is there something we can do to change this. It effects all of the computers at our college which were just upgraded to Windows 7 / Office 2010.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous

Hello,

My name is Ross and I am a Support Engineer for Microsoft Word. I have worked on this issue with a customer and the cause was determined to be an incorrect installation order of multiple versions of Office Products. In this case it was Office 2010 and SharePoint Designer 2007. Microsoft does not support having multiple versions of Office products installed, but if you must, then we recommend installing them oldest version to newest version. Please see this KB article for more information: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2121447. In this case, doing a repair of Microsoft Office 2010 after the initial incorrect installation order has resolved the issue. I hope this information helps answer the questions posted on this thread.

Thank you,

Ross

Microsoft Office Word

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Anonymous

Hello,

I have an update to this issue. This KB details the registry key that causes the issue and how to fix it. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2459087.

Thanks,

Ross

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49 additional answers

Anonymous

2011-04-09T19:34:02+00:00

I recently posted a problem with the mail merge using Windows 7 and Office 2010. The answers I kept getting either didn't work, or were things I was already doing. So, I tried doing a GoodSearch search for the problem and found this string.

Below your reply is someone who suggests turning Access on and then off. I did that and then tried a mail merge -- and found that I didn't have the problem! Will I have to start up and shut down Access EVERY time I do a mail merge? I wonder why Microsoft hasn't fixed the problem -- seems to be pretty pervasive.
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Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2010-12-15T21:41:05+00:00

As a work around, under Word>File>Options>Advanced>General, check the

box for "Confirm file format conversion on open" then when you attach the

datasource, a Confirm Data Source dialog will open and in that if you check

the "Show all" box and then select "MS Excel Worksheets via DDE (*.xls) as

the method to connect to the datasource, you should be able to overcome the problem.

-- Hope this helps.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP,

dkr[atsymbol]mvps[dot]org

Posted via the Community Bridge

"JeneeB53" wrote in message news:*** Email address is removed for privacy ***...

I am having the same problem - interesting thing is, I am using an excel file and a word document that I mail merge together every semester for the same processes, and today is the first time I have ever received an error. Microsoft is ridiculous.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP dkr[atsymbol]mvps[dot]org
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Anonymous

2010-12-15T16:36:46+00:00

I am having the same problem - interesting thing is, I am using an excel file and a word document that I mail merge together every semester for the same processes, and today is the first time I have ever received an error. Microsoft is ridiculous.
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