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

Anonymous
2010-07-01T14:18:54+00:00

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.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2011-12-07T15:55:18+00:00

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
2012-03-02T21:52:09+00:00

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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  1. Anonymous
    2011-11-30T10:11:44+00:00

    If you (or anyone else still following this conversation) have a .xlsx that causes the problem and can post it somewhere we can get it, that could be helpful.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-11-29T16:53:03+00:00

    I attempted all the solutions below and what actually worked the first time around was.....Having the .xlsx OPEN already, then choosing it as the file.  No errors, worked perfectly.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-09-20T17:58:59+00:00

    > In the end, it seems to be MY problem

    Yes, we've all been there, I think :-(

    Did they give you any kind of indication as to where the problem might lie? (I doubt it, but it's just possible that each group have some specific reason for pointing the finger at the other guy).

    AIUI when Word wants to get data from Excel, it uses the Jet or ACE OLE DB provider that comes with Access. Using an OLE DB provider implies that Word is using OLE DB directly, or ADO, which is a layer on top of OLE DB. The generic ADO/OLE DB software and some providers used to be supplied as part of the "MDAC" (Microsoft Data Access Components). SInce it's now part of Windows 7, it seems to have become known as the WDAC. But the WDAC should be there regardless of whether Access has been run or not.

    As for the Jet/ACE provider, AFAIK there is a 64-bit version (which I think is what you are using - not sure) of the ACE provider, but not the Jet provider. So the only other reasonably obvious possibility I can think of is that if you have /old/ mail merge main documents that connected to an Excel sheet using Jet, there may be some additional problems since there's no Jet provider.

    One other thing that might be some help is a "tracing" facility for WDAC, described at

    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms693114(VS.85).aspx

    I haven't tried it, but it might be worth seeing if that tells you anything.

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