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
    2011-04-25T07:34:56+00:00

    Thanks - obviously if someone "restored" from a backup prior to the point where they had run Access, the problem would probably recur. But it's interesting that an update has also caused it.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-05-31T01:59:56+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

    This is cumbersome (esp. for simple user community) but worked fine ... MS appears to have a Q&A issue allowing such a simple bug through the cracks ...

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-07-15T13:35:53+00:00

    I had this exact error. My excel file was pasword protected. I tried the Access idea but it did not help. I found that if i opened the Excel file while I ran the merge it worked great. i guess having Excel open the file with me supplying the password did the trick.

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